Rusk County, Texas Demographics 2026

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

Rusk County, Texas has a population of 52,842, the 65th most populous county in Texas. The median household income is $68,658 and the median home value is $171,300. The poverty rate is 14.4%.

Rusk County Quick Facts

Population 52,842

Median Household Income $68,65890% MOE ±$4,537

Median Home Value $171,30090% MOE ±$7,398

Poverty Rate 14.4%90% MOE ±2.2 pts

Unemployment Rate 4.5%90% MOE ±1.1 pts

Median Age 39.1 years90% MOE ±0.5 years

Homeownership Rate 78.8%90% MOE ±1.9 pts

Affordability Ratio 2.5x

Bachelor's Degree+ 17.5%90% MOE ±1.7 pts

Adults 25+ with high school education or higher 84.8%

Cities/Places 5

Population 52,842 65th of 254

Median Income $68,658 13% lower than state

Poverty Rate 14.4%

Unemployment 4.5%

How Rusk 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	53,755	52,842	-1.7%
Median household income	$67,977	$68,658	No clear change (+1.0%)
Median home value¹	$153,715	$171,300	+11.4%
Median gross rent	$939	$1,015	No clear change (+8.1%)

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

Median Household Income

Rusk

$68,658

$78,476

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Rusk

$171,300

$283,800

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 16.1%

$25K-$50K 23.0%

$50K-$100K 29.0%

$100K+ 31.9%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

5.6%

$10K-$15K

3.4%

$15K-$20K

3.5%

$20K-$25K

3.6%

$25K-$30K

3.9%

$30K-$35K

4.7%

$35K-$40K

6.1%

$40K-$45K

3.7%

$45K-$50K

4.6%

$50K-$60K

5.9%

$60K-$75K

8.8%

$75K-$100K

14.3%

$100K-$125K

11.0%

$125K-$150K

5.7%

$150K-$200K

8.2%

$200K+

6.9%

Employment

4.5% Unemployment Rate State: 5.3%|National: 5.2%

52.9% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 78.8%

Renter 21.2%

Affordability Index Very Affordable

2.5x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $1,015/mo 17.7% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

22.6%

18-34

21.8%

35-54

25.8%

55-74

23.1%

75+

6.8%

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 Rusk County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Henderson	13,385	$61,285	14.9%	$173,700
Tatum	1,435	$77,404	18.2%	$195,200
New London	1,085	$63,036	20.5%	$150,000
Mount Enterprise	357	$77,083	11.8%	$196,400
Reklaw	255	N/A	13.3%	$163,400

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

Rusk County is located in Texas with a total population of 52,842. It is the 65th most populous county out of 254 in Texas. The county encompasses 5 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Rusk County is 39.1 years. This is 10% higher than the state median of 35.6 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Rusk County is $68,658. This is 13% lower than the state median of $78,476. It is also 15% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 14.4%. This is 4% higher than the state poverty rate of 13.8%. The unemployment rate is 4.5%. This is 15% lower than the state rate of 5.3%. The median home value is $171,300. Housing costs are 40% lower than the state median of $283,800. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.5x, Rusk County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 78.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 26% higher than the state average of 62.6%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Rusk County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 61.4% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 19.1%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (61.4% vs 39.1%). The Hispanic or Latino population (19.1%) is well below the state average of 39.7%. The Asian population (0.4%) is well below the state average of 5.5%.

Education

17.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 48% 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 84.8%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Rusk 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 Rusk County, Texas?

Rusk County has a population of 52,842, making it the 65th most populous county in Texas.

What is the median income in Rusk County?

The median household income in Rusk County is $68,658 with a poverty rate of 14.4%.

How many cities are in Rusk County, Texas?

Rusk County contains 5 Census-designated places.