Gaines County, Texas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Gaines 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 averageLess healthy than 81% of counties in Texas
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C
Income Below average
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Gaines County | Texas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 22,232 | 30,160,889 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 14.8 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.66% | 1.41% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 25.9 | 35.9 | 37.3 |
| Households | 6,929 | 10,982,153 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Gaines County grew by 49.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 22,232 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Gaines County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 23.9% of residents. That is 0.4 points above Texas as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,307 23.9% +0.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,489 20.2% -2.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,780 17.0% -2.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,306 10.4% -2.9 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 49.6% of the people living in Gaines County and men 50.4%.
- Women 49.6% Texas 50.1%
- Men 50.4% Texas 49.9%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Gaines County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Gaines County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Gaines County | Texas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $73,709 | $78,939 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.98% | 4.56% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.4% | 5.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Gaines County is about 7% lower than in Texas.
Housing
| Metric | Gaines County | Texas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $300,000 | $258,873 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $788 | $1,402 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.6% | 62.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Gaines County is about 31.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $788 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Gaines County spend about 27 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 114 hours, about 4.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Gaines County | Texas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.7 | 22.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 27.4 | 45.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 114 | 190 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,546 | $5,888 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 3.0% | 14.4% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,754 | 9,879 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 320 | 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 Gaines County is 14 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
Gaines County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Gaines County | Texas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 9.3% | 29.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 3.18 | 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
Gaines County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Gaines County | Texas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.4 | 78.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.0% | 21.1% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.0% | 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).
Gaines County, TX Compared With Nearby Counties
How Gaines County, TX compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaines County, TX | 22,232 | $73,709 #1/2 | $300,000 #1/2 | 13.7 min #2/2 |
| Lea County, NM | 73,733 | $67,016 | $162,562 | 13.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Gaines County, Texas.
How big is Gaines County, Texas by population?
About 22,232 people live in Gaines County, Texas, in 6,929 households of 3.2 people on average. The median age is 25.9, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 11 years.
How densely populated is Gaines County, Texas?
Averaged over its land area, Gaines County, Texas has 15 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 17% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Gaines County, Texas?
The median home costs 4.1 times the median household income ($300,000 against $73,709), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $788 a month takes about 13% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Gaines County, Texas?
Unemployment in Gaines County, Texas is only 2.4%, 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 Gaines County, Texas have a college degree?
9.3% of adults in Gaines County, Texas hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 11), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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