Cameron County, Texas Income Statistics
Cameron 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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D
Cameron County Well below averageLess wealthy than 89% of counties in Texas
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Cameron County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $52,582 | $78,939 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $41,388 | $56,913 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 5.4% | 4.6% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 5.0% | 13.0% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 3.9% | 12.5% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Cameron County is about 33% lower than in Texas. Income has been growing faster in Cameron County (5.4%/yr) than in Texas (4.6%/yr).
About 5% of adults in Cameron 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 Cameron County, Texas grew by 74.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $52,582 in 2024. That's an average of about 5.4% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Cameron County
| Metric | Cameron County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.594 | 0.570 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $46,609 | $66,147 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $39,310 | $53,058 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 15.7% | 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 Cameron County, it is 0.594, 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 Cameron County, Texas. Over a 35-year career, a 19% wage gap accumulates to roughly $255,465 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Cameron County, Texas has narrowed from about 19% to 16% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 20% in 2010, and was narrowest at 15% in 2023. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $1,953 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Cameron County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 5.9% | 5.2% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 9.1% | 14.4% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 18 | 22 | 22 |
Approximately 10,936 people are unemployed in Cameron County, Texas.
The average commute time in Cameron County is 18 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in Texas.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Cameron County, Texas has fallen from 8.0% to 5.9% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 10.6% in 2013 and fell as low as 5.6% in 2020.
Cameron County, TX Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Cameron County, TX is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 421,649 residents against a local median of 20,139. The measure that sets Cameron County, TX apart most is income growth: 5.4%/yr, 26% below the local median of 7.3%/yr. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Unemployment tells the same story from another angle: 5.9% against a local median of 7.5%, 22% below it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: unemployment runs ahead of the neighbourhood while income growth runs behind it, so Cameron County, TX is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves spread 4.7%/yr on income growth, so Cameron County, TX sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Cameron County, TX has the 4th highest income growth 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cameron County, TX | 421,649 | $52,582 #4/6 | 5.4%/yr #4/6 | 5.9% #2/6 | 0.594 #2/6 |
| Willacy County, TX | 20,139 | $53,177 | 8.2%/yr | 7.5% | 0.615 |
| Hidalgo County, TX | 891,846 | $54,369 | 5.2%/yr | 7.6% | 0.613 |
| Kenedy County, TX | 145 | $37,874 | 7.3%/yr | 1.0% | 0.492 |
| Brooks County, TX | 6,943 | $48,277 | 10.0%/yr | 19.9% | 0.610 |
| Kleberg County, TX | 30,579 | $62,665 | 5.3%/yr | 7.5% | 0.597 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Cameron County, Texas has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it somewhat worse than Texas, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Cameron County, Texas.
How Rich Is Cameron County, Texas?
Cameron County has a wealth index grade of D. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a D grade means residents are somewhat worse off than the U.S. average. The median household income is $52,582, about 33% lower than the Texas average of $78,939.
Are incomes growing in Cameron County, Texas?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Cameron County, Texas rose 75%, from $30,077 to $52,582. Over the same years, income here outpaced Texas as a whole: +75% against +64%.
What was the median household income in Cameron County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Cameron County, Texas was $51,129, up 7% from $47,586 in 2022. The Texas median that year was $76,528.
What was the median household income in Cameron County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Cameron County, Texas was $41,265. By 2024 it had risen 27% to $52,582.
What is the Gini coefficient in Cameron County, Texas?
The Gini coefficient in Cameron County is 0.594. 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 Cameron County, Texas?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Cameron County, Texas has narrowed from about 19% to 16% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 20% in 2010, and was narrowest at 15% in 2023. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $1,953 since 2009.
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