Panola County, Texas Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Panola County is located in Texas with a total population of 22,624. It is the 105th most populous county out of 254 in Texas. The county encompasses 3 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Panola County is 40.5 years. This is 14% higher than the state median of 35.5 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Panola County is $62,593. This is 18% lower than the state median of $76,292. It is also 20% lower than the national median of $78,538. The poverty rate stands at 11.9%. This is 14% lower than the state poverty rate of 13.8%. The unemployment rate is 2.6%. This is 50% lower than the state rate of 5.1%. The median home value is $146,000. Housing costs are 44% lower than the state median of $260,400. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.3x, Panola County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 79.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 27% higher than the state average of 62.6%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Panola County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 71.7% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 11.4%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (71.7% vs 39.9%). The Hispanic or Latino population (10.0%) is well below the state average of 39.5%. The Asian population (0.4%) is well below the state average of 5.3%.

Education

17.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 46% 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 85.0%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Panola 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.