Howard County, Texas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Howard 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 79% of counties in Texas
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 82% of counties in Texas
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 76% of counties in Texas
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Howard County | Texas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 32,290 | 30,160,889 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 35.7 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.48% | 1.41% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.1 | 35.9 | 37.3 |
| Households | 12,191 | 10,982,153 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Howard County declined by 0.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 32,290 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Howard County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 24.1% of residents. That is 1.2 points above Texas as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 6,891 21.3% -2.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 7,790 24.1% +1.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,688 20.7% +1.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,674 14.5% +1.2 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 44.5% of the people living in Howard County and men 55.5%.
- Women 44.5% Texas 50.1%
- Men 55.5% Texas 49.9%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Howard County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Howard County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Howard County | Texas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $69,578 | $78,939 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.94% | 4.56% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% | 5.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Howard County is about 12% lower than in Texas.
Housing
| Metric | Howard County | Texas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $223,750 | $258,873 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,034 | $1,402 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 69.5% | 62.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Howard County is about 18.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,034 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Howard 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 113 hours, about 4.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Howard County | Texas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.5 | 22.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 27.1 | 45.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 113 | 190 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,495 | $5,888 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 3.0% | 14.4% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,837 | 9,879 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 478 | 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 Howard 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
Howard County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Howard County | Texas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.9% | 29.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.39 | 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
Howard County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Howard County | Texas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 73.8 | 78.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 22.0% | 21.1% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.0% | 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).
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Howard County, Texas.
How big is Howard County, Texas by population?
About 32,290 people live in Howard County, Texas, in 12,191 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 38.1, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Howard County, Texas?
Averaged over its land area, Howard County, Texas has 36 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 41% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Howard County, Texas?
The median home costs 3.2 times the median household income ($223,750 against $69,578), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,034 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Howard County, Texas?
12.9% of adults in Howard 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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