Zapata County, Texas Income Statistics
Zapata 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.
-
D
Zapata County Well below averageLess wealthy than 85% of counties in Texas
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Zapata County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $39,539 | $78,939 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $39,046 | $56,913 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 1.2% | 4.6% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 3.5% | 13.0% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 0.7% | 12.5% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Zapata County is about 50% lower than in Texas. Income has been growing slower in Zapata County (1.2%/yr) than in Texas (4.6%/yr).
About 3% of adults in Zapata 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 Zapata County, Texas grew by 90.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $39,539 in 2024. That's an average of about 1.2% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Zapata County
| Metric | Zapata County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.628 | 0.570 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $43,124 | $66,147 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $37,605 | $53,058 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 12.8% | 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 Zapata County, it is 0.628, 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 15% more than women's income in Zapata County, Texas. Over a 35-year career, a 15% wage gap accumulates to roughly $193,165 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Zapata County, Texas has narrowed from about 45% to 13% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 68% in 2013, and was narrowest at 8% in 2022. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $8,422 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Zapata County | Texas Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 7.3% | 5.2% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 8.8% | 14.4% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 13 | 22 | 22 |
Approximately 389 people are unemployed in Zapata County, Texas.
The average commute time in Zapata County is 13 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in Texas.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Zapata County, Texas has fallen from 7.7% to 7.3% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 12.6% in 2016 and fell as low as 6.7% in 2012.
Zapata County, TX Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Zapata County, TX is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 13,841 residents against a local median of 9,742. Zapata County, TX's income growth, at 1.2%/yr, runs 77% below the 5.1%/yr typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Unemployment tells the same story from another angle: 7.3% against a local median of 10.4%, 30% below it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: unemployment runs ahead of the neighbourhood while income growth runs behind it, so Zapata County, TX is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves spread 7.0%/yr on income growth, so Zapata County, TX sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Zapata County, TX has the 6th 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zapata County, TX | 13,841 | $39,539 #5/6 | 1.2%/yr #6/6 | 7.3% #3/6 | 0.628 #6/6 |
| Jim Hogg County, TX | 4,727 | $43,404 | 3.0%/yr | 6.3% | 0.584 |
| Starr County, TX | 66,056 | $37,802 | 4.4%/yr | 10.4% | 0.606 |
| Webb County, TX | 269,285 | $63,620 | 6.4%/yr | 5.5% | 0.599 |
| Duval County, TX | 9,742 | $48,538 | 5.1%/yr | 11.0% | 0.597 |
| Brooks County, TX | 6,943 | $48,277 | 10.0%/yr | 19.9% | 0.610 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Zapata 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 Zapata County, Texas.
How Rich Is Zapata County, Texas?
Zapata 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 $39,539, about 50% lower than the Texas average of $78,939.
How has median household income changed in Zapata County, Texas?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Zapata County, Texas rose 91%, from $20,708 to $39,539. Over the same years, income here outpaced Texas as a whole: +91% against +64%.
What was the median household income in Zapata County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Zapata County, Texas was $36,084, up 3% from $35,039 in 2022. The Texas median that year was $76,528.
What was the median household income in Zapata County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Zapata County, Texas was $33,097. By 2024 it had risen 19% to $39,539.
How strong is the job market in Zapata County, Texas?
Unemployment in Zapata County, Texas is 7.3%, well above the Texas rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What is the Gini coefficient in Zapata County, Texas?
The Gini coefficient in Zapata County is 0.628. 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 Zapata County, Texas?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Zapata County, Texas has narrowed from about 45% to 13% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 68% in 2013, and was narrowest at 8% in 2022. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $8,422 since 2009.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →