Willacy County, Texas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Willacy 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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D
Health Well below average
-
F
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Willacy County | Texas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,139 | 30,160,889 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 25.7 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.07% | 1.41% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 33.5 | 35.9 | 37.3 |
| Households | 5,691 | 10,982,153 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Willacy County declined by 1.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 20,139 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Willacy County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 25.8% of residents. That is 2.3 points above Texas as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,199 25.8% +2.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,352 21.6% -1.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,431 17.0% -2.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,920 14.5% +1.3 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 46.0% of the people living in Willacy County and men 54.0%.
- Women 46.0% Texas 50.1%
- Men 54.0% Texas 49.9%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Willacy County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Willacy County has a the economy index of F, which means it scores poorly in the economy.
| Metric | Willacy County | Texas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $53,177 | $78,939 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 8.18% | 4.56% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.5% | 5.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Willacy County is about 33% lower than in Texas.
Housing
| Metric | Willacy County | Texas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $21,785 | $258,873 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $809 | $1,402 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.7% | 62.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Willacy County is about 2.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $809 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Willacy 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 | Willacy County | Texas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.6 | 22.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 27.2 | 45.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 113 | 190 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,516 | $5,888 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.1% | 14.4% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,169 | 9,879 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,210 | 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 Willacy 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
Willacy County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Willacy County | Texas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 9.2% | 29.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 3.25 | 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
Willacy County has a health index of D, which means it is barely healthy.
| Metric | Willacy County | Texas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.8 | 78.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 30.1% | 21.1% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.1% | 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).
Willacy County, TX Compared With Nearby Counties
Willacy County, TX is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 20,139 residents against a local median of 421,649. Willacy County, TX's median home price, at $21,785, runs 88% below the $188,481 typical of the counties around it.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 13.6 min against a local median of 19.0 min, 28% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 28% below the local median it puts Willacy County, TX at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $176,382 on median home price, so Willacy County, TX sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Willacy County, TX has the 4th highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willacy County, TX | 20,139 | $53,177 #3/4 | $21,785 #4/4 | 13.6 min #2/4 |
| Cameron County, TX | 421,649 | $52,582 | $138,134 | 19.0 min |
| Hidalgo County, TX | 891,846 | $54,369 | $188,481 | 20.1 min |
| Kleberg County, TX | 30,579 | $62,665 | $314,516 | 13.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Willacy County, Texas.
How many people live in Willacy County, Texas?
About 20,139 people live in Willacy County, Texas, in 5,691 households of 3.3 people on average. The median age is 33.5, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Willacy County, Texas mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Willacy County, Texas has 26 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 30% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Willacy County, Texas?
The median home costs 0.4 times the median household income ($21,785 against $53,177), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $809 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Willacy County, Texas?
Unemployment in Willacy County, Texas is 7.5%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How educated are people in Willacy County, Texas?
9.2% of adults in Willacy County, Texas hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 11), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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