Houston County, Texas Income Statistics
Houston 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.
-
D
Houston County Well below averageLess wealthy than 94% of counties in Texas
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Houston County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $56,458 | $78,939 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $43,149 | $56,913 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 7.2% | 4.6% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 7.1% | 13.0% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 5.7% | 12.5% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Houston County is about 28% lower than in Texas. Income has been growing faster in Houston County (7.2%/yr) than in Texas (4.6%/yr).
About 7% of adults in Houston 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 Houston County, Texas grew by 76.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $56,458 in 2024. That's an average of about 7.2% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Houston County
| Metric | Houston County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.615 | 0.570 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $63,864 | $66,147 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $45,432 | $53,058 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 28.9% | 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 Houston County, it is 0.615, 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 41% more than women's income in Houston County, Texas. Over a 35-year career, a 41% wage gap accumulates to roughly $645,120 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
The income gap between men and women in Houston County, Texas has stayed about the same since 2009, at around 29%. Over that period the gap was widest at 31% in 2010, and was narrowest at 10% in 2022. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $8,687 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Houston County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 6.7% | 5.2% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 5.6% | 14.4% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 18 | 22 | 22 |
Approximately 542 people are unemployed in Houston County, Texas.
The average commute time in Houston County is 18 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in Texas.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Houston County, Texas has fallen from 7.6% to 6.7% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 9.8% in 2013 and fell as low as 1.8% in 2019.
Houston County, TX Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Houston County, TX is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 22,051 residents against a local median of 51,885. Where Houston County, TX breaks from the counties next to it is income growth, sitting 46% above the local median of 4.9%/yr at 7.2%/yr. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves sit within 1.9%/yr of each other on income growth, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Houston County, TX, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Houston County, TX has the 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston County, TX | 22,051 | $56,458 #4/6 | 7.2%/yr #1/6 | 6.7% #5/6 | 0.615 #4/6 |
| Trinity County, TX | 14,046 | $52,951 | 5.1%/yr | 6.5% | 0.544 |
| Anderson County, TX | 58,439 | $62,143 | 4.9%/yr | 5.9% | 0.628 |
| Leon County, TX | 16,263 | $61,900 | 3.8%/yr | 4.1% | 0.569 |
| Cherokee County, TX | 51,885 | $61,269 | 5.2%/yr | 5.2% | 0.596 |
| Walker County, TX | 80,209 | $51,752 | 3.3%/yr | 8.9% | 0.654 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Houston 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 Houston County, Texas.
How Rich Is Houston County, Texas?
Houston 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 $56,458, about 28% lower than the Texas average of $78,939.
How has median household income changed in Houston County, Texas?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Houston County, Texas rose 76%, from $32,072 to $56,458. Over the same years, income here outpaced Texas as a whole: +76% against +64%.
What was the median household income in Houston County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Houston County, Texas was $53,553, up 6% from $50,751 in 2022. The Texas median that year was $76,528.
What was the median household income in Houston County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Houston County, Texas was $41,181. By 2024 it had risen 37% to $56,458.
How strong is the job market in Houston County, Texas?
Unemployment in Houston County, Texas is 6.7%, well above the Texas rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What is the Gini coefficient in Houston County, Texas?
The Gini coefficient in Houston County is 0.615. 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 Houston County, Texas?
The income gap between men and women in Houston County, Texas has stayed about the same since 2009, at around 29%. Over that period the gap was widest at 31% in 2010, and was narrowest at 10% in 2022. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $8,687 since 2009.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →