Howard County, Texas Demographics 2026

Demographic data: ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimates. Sources and methodology

Howard County, Texas has a population of 32,290, the 89th most populous county in Texas. The median household income is $69,649 and the median home value is $155,600. The poverty rate is 13.8%.

Howard County Quick Facts

Population 32,290

Median Household Income $69,64990% MOE ±$3,878

Median Home Value $155,60090% MOE ±$8,624

Poverty Rate 13.8%90% MOE ±1.9 pts

Unemployment Rate 5.4%90% MOE ±1.4 pts

Median Age 36.7 years90% MOE ±0.6 years

Homeownership Rate 69.5%90% MOE ±2.3 pts

Affordability Ratio 2.2x

Bachelor's Degree+ 15.7%90% MOE ±1.8 pts

Adults 25+ with high school education or higher 81.1%

Cities/Places 4

Population 32,290 89th of 254

Median Income $69,649 11% lower than state

Poverty Rate 13.8%

Unemployment 5.4%

How Howard County Changed

Change from the non-overlapping 2015–2019 ACS period to 2020–2024. Earlier dollar figures are adjusted to 2024 dollars; changes marked “no clear change” are within the combined 90% margins of error.

Metric	2015–2019	2020–2024	Change
Population	36,349	32,290	-11.2%
Median household income	$66,714	$69,649	No clear change (+4.4%)
Median home value¹	$121,840	$155,600	+27.7%
Median gross rent	$1,068	$1,034	No clear change (-3.2%)

¹ The Census Bureau changed its home-value inflation adjustment beginning with the 2022 ACS; interpret that comparison with additional caution.

Median Household Income

Howard

$69,649

$78,476

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Howard

$155,600

$283,800

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 17.6%

$25K-$50K 19.2%

$50K-$100K 30.8%

$100K+ 32.4%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

5.3%

$10K-$15K

3.8%

$15K-$20K

4.0%

$20K-$25K

4.5%

$25K-$30K

4.7%

$30K-$35K

2.3%

$35K-$40K

3.9%

$40K-$45K

5.0%

$45K-$50K

3.3%

$50K-$60K

5.1%

$60K-$75K

12.6%

$75K-$100K

13.1%

$100K-$125K

9.1%

$125K-$150K

5.5%

$150K-$200K

9.5%

$200K+

8.3%

Employment

5.4% Unemployment Rate State: 5.3%|National: 5.2%

55.3% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 69.5%

Renter 30.5%

Affordability Index Very Affordable

2.2x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $1,034/mo 17.8% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

22.6%

18-34

23.7%

35-54

29.2%

55-74

19.4%

75+

5.1%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

High Diversity

A diverse community with significant representation from multiple racial and ethnic groups.

State average: 67 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Howard County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Big Spring	23,975	$67,581	17.1%	$140,200
Coahoma	749	$68,828	7.7%	$172,700
Sand Springs	682	$48,457	2.8%	$121,100
Forsan	371	$92,950	1.6%	N/A

Explore Texas Rankings

Cities by Population All cities ranked by size Richest Cities Ranked by median income Most Educated By bachelor's degree rate Most Affordable By housing affordability

Population Overview

Howard County is located in Texas with a total population of 32,290. It is the 89th most populous county out of 254 in Texas. The county encompasses 4 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Howard County is 36.7 years. This is 3% higher than the state median of 35.6 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Howard County is $69,649. This is 11% lower than the state median of $78,476. It is also 14% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 13.8%. This is about the same as the state poverty rate of 13.8%. The unemployment rate is 5.4%. This is 2% higher than the state rate of 5.3%. The median home value is $155,600. Housing costs are 45% lower than the state median of $283,800. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.2x, Howard County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 69.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 11% higher than the state average of 62.6%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Howard County is Hispanic or Latino, making up 47.7% of the population. White (non-Hispanic) residents account for 43.1%. The Black or African American population (4.5%) is well below the state average of 11.9%. The Asian population (1.0%) is well below the state average of 5.5%.

Education

15.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 54% lower than the state rate of 33.8%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 81.1%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Howard County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Texas and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Howard County, Texas?

Howard County has a population of 32,290, making it the 89th most populous county in Texas.

What is the median income in Howard County?

The median household income in Howard County is $69,649 with a poverty rate of 13.8%.

How many cities are in Howard County, Texas?

Howard County contains 4 Census-designated places.