Howard County, Texas Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Howard County is located in Texas with a total population of 33,127. It is the 88th most populous county out of 254 in Texas. The county encompasses 4 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Howard County is 37.0 years. This is 4% higher than the state median of 35.5 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Howard County is $71,457. This is 6% lower than the state median of $76,292. It is also 9% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 15.1%. This is 9% higher than the state poverty rate of 13.8%. The unemployment rate is 5.0%. This is 4% lower than the state rate of 5.1%. The median home value is $150,300. Housing costs are 42% lower than the state median of $260,400. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.1x, Howard County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 68.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 10% 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 46.9% of the population. White (non-Hispanic) residents account for 44.0%. The Black or African American population (4.9%) is well below the state average of 11.9%. The Asian population (1.0%) is well below the state average of 5.3%.

Education

15.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 54% lower than the state rate of 33.1%. Nationally, 35.0% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 81.2%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Howard County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023), 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.