Starr County, Texas Income Statistics
Starr 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
Starr County Well below averageLess wealthy than 94% of counties in Texas
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Starr County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $37,802 | $78,939 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $36,393 | $56,913 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 4.4% | 4.6% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 3.1% | 13.0% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 3.0% | 12.5% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Starr County is about 52% lower than in Texas. Income has been growing slower in Starr County (4.4%/yr) than in Texas (4.6%/yr).
About 3% of adults in Starr 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 Starr County, Texas grew by 75.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $37,802 in 2024. That's an average of about 4.4% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Starr County
| Metric | Starr County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.606 | 0.570 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $42,147 | $66,147 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $34,723 | $53,058 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 17.6% | 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 Starr County, it is 0.606, 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 21% more than women's income in Starr County, Texas. Over a 35-year career, a 21% wage gap accumulates to roughly $259,840 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Starr County, Texas has narrowed from about 24% to 18% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 25% in 2011, and was narrowest at 11% in 2019. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $1,952 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Starr County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 10.4% | 5.2% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 9.3% | 14.4% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 16 | 22 | 22 |
Approximately 2,793 people are unemployed in Starr County, Texas.
The average commute time in Starr County is 16 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in Texas.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Starr County, Texas has risen from 10.3% to 10.4% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 15.0% in 2017.
Starr County, TX Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Starr County, TX is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 66,056 residents against a local median of 9,742. Where Starr County, TX breaks from the counties next to it is unemployment, sitting 37% above the local median of 7.6% at 10.4%. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $37,802 against a local median of $48,277, 22% below it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, and it is the wrong way: Starr County, TX reads weaker than its neighbours on all of them. The counties themselves spread 13.6% on unemployment, so Starr County, TX sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Starr County, TX has the 4th lowest unemployment 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starr County, TX | 66,056 | $37,802 #6/6 | 4.4%/yr #4/6 | 10.4% #4/6 | 0.606 #3/6 |
| Jim Hogg County, TX | 4,727 | $43,404 | 3.0%/yr | 6.3% | 0.584 |
| Hidalgo County, TX | 891,846 | $54,369 | 5.2%/yr | 7.6% | 0.613 |
| Zapata County, TX | 13,841 | $39,539 | 1.2%/yr | 7.3% | 0.628 |
| Brooks County, TX | 6,943 | $48,277 | 10.0%/yr | 19.9% | 0.610 |
| Duval County, TX | 9,742 | $48,538 | 5.1%/yr | 11.0% | 0.597 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Starr 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 Starr County, Texas.
How Rich Is Starr County, Texas?
Starr 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 $37,802, about 52% lower than the Texas average of $78,939.
Are incomes growing in Starr County, Texas?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Starr County, Texas rose 75%, from $21,599 to $37,802. Over the same years, income here outpaced Texas as a whole: +75% against +64%.
What was the median household income in Starr County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Starr County, Texas was $37,984, up 6% from $35,997 in 2022. The Texas median that year was $76,528.
What was the median household income in Starr County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Starr County, Texas was $31,015. By 2024 it had risen 22% to $37,802.
How strong is the job market in Starr County, Texas?
Unemployment in Starr County, Texas is 10.4%, well above the Texas rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What is the Gini coefficient in Starr County, Texas?
The Gini coefficient in Starr County is 0.606. 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 Starr County, Texas?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Starr County, Texas has narrowed from about 24% to 18% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 25% in 2011, and was narrowest at 11% in 2019. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $1,952 since 2009.
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