Zapata County, Texas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Zapata 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 averageLess healthy than 95% of counties in Texas
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 85% of counties in Texas
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Zapata County | Texas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,841 | 30,160,889 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 13.1 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.43% | 1.41% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 32.2 | 35.9 | 37.3 |
| Households | 4,565 | 10,982,153 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Zapata County grew by 2.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 13,841 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Zapata County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 24.7% of residents. That is 1.3 points above Texas as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,425 24.7% +1.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,674 19.3% -3.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,237 16.2% -3.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,792 12.9% -0.3 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 Zapata 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 Zapata County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Zapata County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Zapata County | Texas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $39,539 | $78,939 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 1.19% | 4.56% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.3% | 5.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Zapata County is about 50% lower than in Texas.
Housing
| Metric | Zapata County | Texas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $505,000 | $258,873 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $617 | $1,402 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 72.0% | 62.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Zapata County is about 68.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $617 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Zapata County spend about 26 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 109 hours, about 4.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Zapata County | Texas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.1 | 22.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 26.1 | 45.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 109 | 190 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,376 | $5,888 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.8% | 14.4% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,996 | 9,879 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 213 | 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 Zapata County is 13 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
Zapata County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Zapata County | Texas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.4% | 29.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.98 | 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
Zapata County has a health index of D, which means it is barely healthy.
| Metric | Zapata County | Texas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.8 | 78.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 30.5% | 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).
Zapata County, TX Compared With Nearby Counties
How Zapata County, TX compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zapata County, TX | 13,841 | $39,539 #2/3 | $505,000 #1/3 | 13.1 min #1/3 |
| Starr County, TX | 66,056 | $37,802 | $59,009 | 17.0 min |
| Webb County, TX | 269,285 | $63,620 | $148,843 | 18.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Zapata County, Texas.
How big is Zapata County, Texas by population?
About 13,841 people live in Zapata County, Texas, in 4,565 households of 3.0 people on average. The median age is 32.2, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Zapata County, Texas urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Zapata County, Texas has 13 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 15% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Zapata County, Texas?
The median home costs 12.8 times the median household income ($505,000 against $39,539), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $617 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Zapata County, Texas?
Unemployment in Zapata County, Texas is 7.3%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in Zapata County, Texas have a college degree?
11.4% of adults in Zapata County, Texas hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 9), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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