Brooks County, Texas Income Statistics
Brooks County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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F
Brooks County Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Brooks County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $48,277 | $78,939 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $40,747 | $56,913 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 10.0% | 4.6% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 11.0% | 13.0% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 4.6% | 12.5% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Brooks County is about 39% lower than in Texas. Income has been growing faster in Brooks County (10.0%/yr) than in Texas (4.6%/yr).
About 11% of adults in Brooks County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the Texas average of 13%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Brooks County, Texas grew by 151.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $48,277 in 2024. That's an average of about 10.0% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Brooks County
| Metric | Brooks County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.610 | 0.570 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $54,694 | $66,147 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $46,136 | $53,058 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 15.6% | 19.8% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Brooks County, it is 0.610, higher than Texas's 0.570, so income is less evenly distributed here than there, and higher than the US's 0.552, so income is less evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 19% more than women's income in Brooks County, Texas. Over a 35-year career, a 19% wage gap accumulates to roughly $299,530 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Brooks County, Texas has narrowed from about 31% to 16% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 50% in 2014, and in 2020 women out-earned men by 33%. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $3,057 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Brooks County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 19.9% | 5.2% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 5.1% | 14.4% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 11 | 22 | 22 |
Approximately 639 people are unemployed in Brooks County, Texas.
The average commute time in Brooks County is 11 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in Texas.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Brooks County, Texas has risen from 11.5% to 19.9% in 2024. Over that period the rate fell as low as 1.1% in 2020.
Brooks County, TX Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Brooks County, TX is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 6,943 residents against a local median of 30,579. The measure that sets Brooks County, TX apart most is unemployment: 19.9%, 166% above the local median of 7.5%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Income growth tells the same story from another angle: 10.0%/yr against a local median of 5.2%/yr, 90% above it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: income growth runs ahead of the neighbourhood while unemployment runs behind it, so Brooks County, TX is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves sit within 9.4% of each other on unemployment, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Brooks County, TX, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Brooks County, TX has the 6th lowest unemployment of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brooks County, TX | 6,943 | $48,277 #3/6 | 10.0%/yr #1/6 | 19.9% #6/6 | 0.610 #5/6 |
| Jim Hogg County, TX | 4,727 | $43,404 | 3.0%/yr | 6.3% | 0.584 |
| Kenedy County, TX | 145 | $37,874 | 7.3%/yr | 1.0% | 0.492 |
| Hidalgo County, TX | 891,846 | $54,369 | 5.2%/yr | 7.6% | 0.613 |
| Kleberg County, TX | 30,579 | $62,665 | 5.3%/yr | 7.5% | 0.597 |
| Starr County, TX | 66,056 | $37,802 | 4.4%/yr | 10.4% | 0.606 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Brooks County, Texas has an overall wealth index grade of F, making it worse than Texas, and worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Brooks County, Texas.
How Rich Is Brooks County, Texas?
Brooks County has a wealth index grade of F. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; an F grade means residents are well below the U.S. average. The median household income is $48,277, about 39% lower than the Texas average of $78,939.
Are incomes growing in Brooks County, Texas?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Brooks County, Texas rose 152%, from $19,194 to $48,277. Over the same years, income here outpaced Texas as a whole: +152% against +64%.
What was the median household income in Brooks County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Brooks County, Texas was $31,586, up 2% from $31,101 in 2022. The Texas median that year was $76,528.
What was the median household income in Brooks County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Brooks County, Texas was $25,073. By 2024 it had risen 93% to $48,277.
Is it hard to find a job in Brooks County, Texas?
Unemployment in Brooks County, Texas is 19.9%, well above the Texas rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What is the Gini coefficient in Brooks County, Texas?
The Gini coefficient in Brooks County is 0.610. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is higher than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed less equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Brooks County, Texas?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Brooks County, Texas has narrowed from about 31% to 16% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 50% in 2014, and in 2020 women out-earned men by 33%. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $3,057 since 2009.
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