Matagorda County, Texas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Matagorda 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 75% 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 | Matagorda County | Texas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 36,329 | 30,160,889 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 22.5 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.13% | 1.41% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.4 | 35.9 | 37.3 |
| Households | 15,439 | 10,982,153 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Matagorda County declined by 1.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 36,329 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Matagorda County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 20.6% of residents. That is 2.9 points below Texas as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 7,477 20.6% -2.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 7,195 19.8% -3.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,912 19.0% -0.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,740 18.6% +5.3 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 50.3% of the people living in Matagorda County and men 49.7%.
- Women 50.3% Texas 50.1%
- Men 49.7% Texas 49.9%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Matagorda County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Matagorda County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Matagorda County | Texas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,184 | $78,939 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.36% | 4.56% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 8.7% | 5.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Matagorda County is about 26% lower than in Texas.
Housing
| Metric | Matagorda County | Texas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $283,024 | $258,873 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $998 | $1,402 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 68.1% | 62.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Matagorda County is about 23.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $998 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Matagorda County spend about 41 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 171 hours, about 7.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Matagorda County | Texas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.5 | 22.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 40.9 | 45.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 171 | 190 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,287 | $5,888 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.1% | 14.4% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | — | 9,879 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 700 | 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 Matagorda County is 20 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
Matagorda County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Matagorda County | Texas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.7% | 29.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.33 | 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
Matagorda County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Matagorda County | Texas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.4 | 78.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 22.4% | 21.1% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.7% | 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).
Matagorda County, TX Compared With Nearby Counties
Matagorda County, TX is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 36,329 residents against a local median of 391,275. The measure that sets Matagorda County, TX apart most is median household income: $58,184, 41% below the local median of $98,470. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 20.5 min against a local median of 30.6 min, 33% below it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: commute runs ahead of the neighbourhood while median household income runs behind it, so Matagorda County, TX is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves spread $46,389 on median household income, so Matagorda County, TX sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Matagorda County, TX has the 4th highest median household income of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matagorda County, TX | 36,329 | $58,184 #4/4 | $283,024 #2/4 | 20.5 min #2/4 |
| Wharton County, TX | 41,794 | $68,105 | $166,920 | 18.7 min |
| Brazoria County, TX | 391,275 | $98,470 | $250,540 | 30.6 min |
| Fort Bend County, TX | 893,669 | $114,494 | $361,207 | 31.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Matagorda County, Texas.
How many people live in Matagorda County, Texas?
About 36,329 people live in Matagorda County, Texas, in 15,439 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 35.4, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
How densely populated is Matagorda County, Texas?
Averaged over its land area, Matagorda County, Texas has 22 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 26% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Matagorda County, Texas?
The median home costs 4.9 times the median household income ($283,024 against $58,184), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $998 a month takes about 21% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Matagorda County, Texas?
Unemployment in Matagorda County, Texas is 8.7%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How common is a college degree in Matagorda County, Texas?
18.7% of adults in Matagorda County, Texas hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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