Karnes County, Texas Demographics 2026
Demographic data: ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimates. Sources and methodology
Karnes County, Texas has a population of 14,968, the 139th most populous county in Texas. The median household income is $60,214 and the median home value is $149,000. The poverty rate is 19.1%.
Karnes County Quick Facts
How Karnes 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 | 15,545 | 14,968 | -3.7% |
| Median household income | $69,076 | $60,214 | No clear change (-12.8%) |
| Median home value¹ | $125,901 | $149,000 | No clear change (+18.3%) |
| Median gross rent | $993 | $957 | No clear change (-3.6%) |
Median Household Income
Median Home Value
Economy & Housing
Household Income Distribution
Detailed income brackets
Employment
Housing Overview
People & Demographics
Age Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
- White: 34.7%
- Black: 9.3%
- Hispanic: 53.4%
- Asian: 0.3%
- Other: 0.0%
Diversity Index
A diverse community with significant representation from multiple racial and ethnic groups.
State average: 67 | National average: 61
Education
Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)
- < HS: 21.9%
- HS Diploma: 38.2%
- Some College: 17.6%
- Associate's: 8.0%
- Bachelor's: 9.3%
- Graduate+: 5.0%
Cities & Places in Karnes County
| City | Population | Median Income | Poverty | Home Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karnes City | 3,605 | $55,354 | 29.6% | $93,400 |
| Kenedy | 3,430 | $61,167 | 16.3% | $140,300 |
| Runge | 1,108 | N/A | 53.2% | $88,500 |
| Falls City | 541 | $56,339 | 3.1% | $174,100 |
Explore Texas Rankings
Population Overview
Karnes County is located in Texas with a total population of 14,968. It is the 139th most populous county out of 254 in Texas. The county encompasses 4 Census-designated places.
Age Demographics
The median age in Karnes County is 38.1 years. This is 7% higher than the state median of 35.6 years.
Economy, Income & Housing
The median household income in Karnes County is $60,214. This is 23% lower than the state median of $78,476. It is also 25% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 19.1%. This is 39% higher than the state poverty rate of 13.8%. The unemployment rate is 2.9%. This is 44% lower than the state rate of 5.3%. The median home value is $149,000. Housing costs are 47% lower than the state median of $283,800. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.5x, Karnes County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 62.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied.
Race & Ethnicity
The largest racial or ethnic group in Karnes County is Hispanic or Latino, making up 53.4% of the population. White (non-Hispanic) residents account for 34.7%. The Asian population (0.3%) is well below the state average of 5.5%.
Education
14.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 58% 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 78.1%.
Data Sources & Methodology
All figures for Karnes 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 Karnes County, Texas?
Karnes County has a population of 14,968, making it the 139th most populous county in Texas.
What is the median income in Karnes County?
The median household income in Karnes County is $60,214 with a poverty rate of 19.1%.
How many cities are in Karnes County, Texas?
Karnes County contains 4 Census-designated places.