Donley County, Texas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Donley County, TX Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below averageHealthier than 75% of counties in Texas
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D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Donley County | Texas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,257 | 30,160,889 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 3.5 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.91% | 1.41% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.8 | 35.9 | 37.3 |
| Households | 1,180 | 10,982,153 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Donley County declined by 12.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 3,257 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Donley County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 25.1% of residents. That is 1.7 points above Texas as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 819 25.1% +1.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 475 14.6% -8.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 565 17.4% -2.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 783 24.1% +10.8 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Texas, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.8% of the people living in Donley County and men 49.2%.
- Women 50.8% Texas 50.1%
- Men 49.2% Texas 49.9%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Donley County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Donley County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Donley County | Texas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $57,754 | $78,939 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.70% | 4.56% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.7% | 5.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Donley County is about 27% lower than in Texas.
Housing
| Metric | Donley County | Texas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $65,779 | $258,873 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $779 | $1,402 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.8% | 62.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Donley County is about 7.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $779 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Donley County spend about 26 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 107 hours, about 4.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Donley County | Texas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 12.9 | 22.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 25.7 | 45.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 107 | 190 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,325 | $5,888 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.6% | 14.4% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,042 | 9,879 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 69 | 1,441 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Texas:
Loving County (3.2 min), King County (5.8 min), Terrell County (6.5 min).
Slowest:
Bandera County (38.6 min), San Jacinto County (35.9 min), Liberty County (33.6 min).
The average commute time in Donley County is 13 minutes, shorter than the 23 minutes in Texas.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Donley County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Donley County | Texas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.1% | 29.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.41 | 2.69 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Texas:
Collin County (0.4), Travis County (0.4), Fort Bend County (0.4).
Lowest:
Kenedy County (0.0), Hudspeth County (0.1), La Salle County (0.1).
Health
Donley County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Donley County | Texas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.1 | 78.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 18.6% | 21.1% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.2% | 19.9% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Texas:
Collin County (0.8), Travis County (0.8), Denton County (0.8).
Lowest:
Starr County (0.7), Brooks County (0.7), Presidio County (0.7).
Donley County, TX Compared With Nearby Counties
How Donley County, TX compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donley County, TX | 3,257 | $57,754 #2/2 | $65,779 #2/2 | 12.9 min #2/2 |
| Gray County, TX | 21,045 | $59,733 | $112,499 | 10.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Donley County, Texas.
How many people live in Donley County, Texas?
About 3,257 people live in Donley County, Texas, in 1,180 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 40.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Donley County, Texas urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Donley County, Texas has 3 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 4% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Donley County, Texas?
The median home costs 1.1 times the median household income ($65,779 against $57,754), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $779 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Donley County, Texas?
Unemployment in Donley County, Texas is only 1.7%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Donley County, Texas have a college degree?
12.1% of adults in Donley County, Texas hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 8), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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