Jim Wells County, Texas Income Statistics
Jim Wells 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
Jim Wells County Well below averageLess wealthy than 79% of counties in Texas
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Jim Wells County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $51,697 | $78,939 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $45,414 | $56,913 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 2.3% | 4.6% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 6.9% | 13.0% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 5.4% | 12.5% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Jim Wells County is about 35% lower than in Texas. Income has been growing slower in Jim Wells County (2.3%/yr) than in Texas (4.6%/yr).
About 7% of adults in Jim Wells 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 Jim Wells County, Texas grew by 55.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $51,697 in 2024. That's an average of about 2.3% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Jim Wells County
| Metric | Jim Wells County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.596 | 0.570 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $60,181 | $66,147 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $39,499 | $53,058 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 34.4% | 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 Jim Wells County, it is 0.596, 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 52% more than women's income in Jim Wells County, Texas. Over a 35-year career, a 52% wage gap accumulates to roughly $723,870 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
The income gap between men and women in Jim Wells County, Texas has stayed about the same since 2009, at around 34%. Over that period the gap was widest at 49% in 2017, and was narrowest at 29% in 2022. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $7,736 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Jim Wells County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 6.1% | 5.2% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 8.3% | 14.4% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 17 | 22 | 22 |
Approximately 999 people are unemployed in Jim Wells County, Texas.
The average commute time in Jim Wells County is 17 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in Texas.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Jim Wells County, Texas has fallen from 7.6% to 6.1% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 8.0% in 2013 and fell as low as 3.7% in 2020.
Jim Wells County, TX Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Jim Wells County, TX is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 38,850 residents against a local median of 30,579. Jim Wells County, TX's income growth, at 2.3%/yr, runs 33% below the 3.3%/yr typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $51,697 against a local median of $62,665, 18% below it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, and it is the wrong way: Jim Wells County, TX reads weaker than its neighbours on all of them. The counties themselves spread 3.3%/yr on income growth, so Jim Wells County, TX sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Jim Wells County, TX has the 5th 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Wells County, TX | 38,850 | $51,697 #5/6 | 2.3%/yr #5/6 | 6.1% #4/6 | 0.596 #3/6 |
| Duval County, TX | 9,742 | $48,538 | 5.1%/yr | 11.0% | 0.597 |
| Kleberg County, TX | 30,579 | $62,665 | 5.3%/yr | 7.5% | 0.597 |
| Nueces County, TX | 351,782 | $67,549 | 3.3%/yr | 5.1% | 0.569 |
| Live Oak County, TX | 11,620 | $59,182 | 2.0%/yr | 5.9% | 0.634 |
| San Patricio County, TX | 69,985 | $68,913 | 3.3%/yr | 4.5% | 0.576 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Jim Wells 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 Jim Wells County, Texas.
How Rich Is Jim Wells County, Texas?
Jim Wells 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 $51,697, about 35% lower than the Texas average of $78,939.
How has median household income changed in Jim Wells County, Texas?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Jim Wells County, Texas rose 55%, from $33,354 to $51,697. Over the same years, income here lagged behind Texas as a whole: +55% against +64%.
What was the median household income in Jim Wells County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Jim Wells County, Texas was $49,164, up 3% from $47,505 in 2022. The Texas median that year was $76,528.
What was the median household income in Jim Wells County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Jim Wells County, Texas was $45,786. By 2024 it had risen 13% to $51,697.
What is the Gini coefficient in Jim Wells County, Texas?
The Gini coefficient in Jim Wells County is 0.596. 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 Jim Wells County, Texas?
The income gap between men and women in Jim Wells County, Texas has stayed about the same since 2009, at around 34%. Over that period the gap was widest at 49% in 2017, and was narrowest at 29% in 2022. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $7,736 since 2009.
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