Cottle County, Texas Income Statistics
Cottle 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
Cottle County Well below averageLess wealthy than 83% of counties in Texas
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Cottle County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $58,999 | $78,939 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $52,506 | $56,913 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 7.6% | 4.6% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 6.5% | 13.0% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 7.6% | 12.5% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Cottle County is about 25% lower than in Texas. Income has been growing faster in Cottle County (7.6%/yr) than in Texas (4.6%/yr).
About 7% of adults in Cottle 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 Cottle County, Texas grew by 82.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $58,999 in 2024. That's an average of about 7.6% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Cottle County
| Metric | Cottle County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.573 | 0.570 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $61,862 | $66,147 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $47,934 | $53,058 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 22.5% | 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 Cottle County, it is 0.573, about the same as Texas's 0.570, so income here is about as evenly distributed as there, and higher than the US's 0.552, so income is less evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 29% more than women's income in Cottle County, Texas. Over a 35-year career, a 29% wage gap accumulates to roughly $487,480 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Cottle County, Texas has narrowed from about 41% to 23% in 2024. Over that period the gap was narrowest at 7% in 2019. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $697 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Cottle County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 12.6% | 5.2% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 13.7% | 14.4% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 10 | 22 | 22 |
Approximately 82 people are unemployed in Cottle County, Texas.
The average commute time in Cottle County is 10 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in Texas.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Cottle County, Texas has risen from 2.0% to 12.6% in 2024. Over that period the rate fell as low as 1.8% in 2012.
Cottle County, TX Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Cottle County, TX is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 1,368 residents against a local median of 1,183. The measure that sets Cottle County, TX apart most is unemployment: 12.6%, more than 12 times the local median of 1.0%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Income growth tells the same story from another angle: 7.6%/yr against a local median of 6.1%/yr, 26% above it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: income growth runs ahead of the neighbourhood while unemployment runs behind it, so Cottle County, TX is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves sit within 5.3% of each other on unemployment, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Cottle County, TX, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Cottle 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cottle County, TX | 1,368 | $58,999 #4/6 | 7.6%/yr #2/6 | 12.6% #6/6 | 0.573 #4/6 |
| Childress County, TX | 6,743 | $57,083 | 6.1%/yr | 1.0% | 0.632 |
| King County, TX | 211 | $47,976 | -0.6%/yr | 1.0% | 0.573 |
| Motley County, TX | 1,183 | $61,636 | 7.5%/yr | 1.0% | 0.530 |
| Foard County, TX | 991 | $60,721 | 4.8%/yr | 6.3% | 0.496 |
| Hardeman County, TX | 3,501 | $64,545 | 8.1%/yr | 2.4% | 0.500 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Cottle 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 Cottle County, Texas.
How Rich Is Cottle County, Texas?
Cottle 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 $58,999, about 25% lower than the Texas average of $78,939.
How fast is household income rising in Cottle County, Texas?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Cottle County, Texas rose 82%, from $32,393 to $58,999. Over the same years, income here outpaced Texas as a whole: +82% against +64%.
What was the median household income in Cottle County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Cottle County, Texas was $56,136, up 20% from $46,607 in 2022. The Texas median that year was $76,528.
What was the median household income in Cottle County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Cottle County, Texas was $40,307. By 2024 it had risen 46% to $58,999.
Is unemployment high in Cottle County, Texas?
Unemployment in Cottle County, Texas is 12.6%, well above the Texas rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What is the Gini coefficient in Cottle County, Texas?
The Gini coefficient in Cottle County is 0.573. 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 Cottle County, Texas?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Cottle County, Texas has narrowed from about 41% to 23% in 2024. Over that period the gap was narrowest at 7% in 2019. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $697 since 2009.
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