Starr County, TX

County

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2023 Population

65,809

0.142% 1-year growth

US Senator

John Cornyn

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Cruz

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

29.1

1.75% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

33.5%

0.111% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$38,182

6.12% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$93,300

5.66% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

24,092

0.0705% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Starr County, TX had a population of 65.8k people with a median age of 29.1 and a median household income of $38,182. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Starr County, TX grew from 65,716 to 65,809, a 0.142% increase and its median household income grew from $35,979 to $38,182, a 6.12% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Starr County, TX are Two+ (Hispanic) (43.9%), White (Hispanic) (42.1%), Other (Hispanic) (11.1%), White (Non-Hispanic) (2.15%), and Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (0.249%).

None of the households in Starr County, TX reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

80.8% of the residents in Starr County, TX are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Starr County, TX was $93,300, and the homeownership rate was 71.6%.

Most people in Starr County, TX drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 24.4 minutes. The average car ownership in Starr County, TX was 2 cars per household.

Starr County, TX borders Brooks County, TX, Hidalgo County, TX, Jim Hogg County, TX, and Zapata County, TX.

United States Texas Rio Grande City, TX

Population & Diversity

Starr County, TX is home to a population of 65.8k people, from which 80.8% are citizens. As of 2023, 27.5% of Starr County, TX residents were born outside of the country (18.1k people).

In 2023, there were 1.04 times more Two+ (Hispanic) residents (28.9k people) in Starr County, TX than any other race or ethnicity. There were 27.7k White (Hispanic) and 7.32k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

80.8%

2023 Citizenship

81.8%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 80.8% of Starr County, TX residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Starr County, TX was 81.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Starr County, TX compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Starr County, TX

Two+ (Hispanic)
28.9k ± 2.3k
White (Hispanic)
27.7k ± 2.74k
Other (Hispanic)
7.32k ± 1.44k

97.3%

Hispanic Population

64k people

97.3% of the people in Starr County, TX are hispanic (64k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Starr County, TX as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Texas.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
2,430,315 ± 36,649 people
India
305,649 ± 13,502 people
El Salvador
224,600 ± 11,591 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Texas was Mexico, the natal country of 2,430,315 Texas residents, followed by India with 305,649 and El Salvador with 224,600.

Foreign-Born Population

27.5%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

18.1k people

26.3%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

17.3k people

As of 2023, 27.5% of Starr County, TX residents (18.1k people) were born outside of the United States, which is higher than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Starr County, TX was 26.3%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Starr County, TX compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
312 ± 161
Gulf War (2001-)
268 ± 178
Gulf War (1990s)
71 ± 73

Starr County, TX has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.16 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Starr County, TX employs 24.1k people. The largest industries in Starr County, TX are Health Care & Social Assistance (4,845 people), Educational Services (3,884 people), and Construction (3,098 people), and the highest paying industries are Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($70,755), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($51,556), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($46,020).

Males in Texas have an average income that is 1.38 times higher than the average income of females, which is $58,213. The income inequality in Texas (measured using the Gini index) is 0.476, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

24.1k

2023 Value

± 1,397

−0.0705%

1 Year decline

± 8.14%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Starr County, TX declined at a rate of −0.0705%, from 24.1k employees to 24.1k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Starr County, TX, are Construction & Extraction Occupations (2,958 people), Healthcare Support Occupations (2,577 people), and Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (2,533 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Starr County, TX.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Texas (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

24.1k

2023 Value

± 1,397

−0.0705%

1 Year decline

± 8.14%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Starr County, TX declined at a rate of −0.0705%, from 24.1k employees to 24.1k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Starr County, TX, are Health Care & Social Assistance (4,845 people), Educational Services (3,884 people), and Construction (3,098 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Starr County, TX, though some of these residents may live in Starr County, TX and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$31,568

Median earning men ± $3,846

$21,241

Median earning women ± $2,008

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($52,898), Construction ($45,562), and Manufacturing ($43,351).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Public Administration ($31,768), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($25,065), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($22,658).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Texas.

Y-Axis

4.59%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 13.8M people employed in Texas. This represents a 4.59% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 9.63%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Texas.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

43
Retail Trade
42
Finance and Insurance
42
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$95.9k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$49.2k
Retail Trade
$14.2k
Accommodation and Food Services

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Starr County, TX went to Joseph R Biden Jr. with 52.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (47.1%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (0.525%).

John Cornyn and Ted Cruz are the senators currently representing the state of Texas. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Texas is currently represented by 38 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

2020 Election Results

Joseph R Biden Jr. (52.1%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (47.1%)
Republican Party
Jo Jorgensen (0.525%)
Libertarian Party

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Starr County, TX for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Texas

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Texas.

John Cornyn

Senator from Texas

Assumed office on December 2, 2002
Phil Gramm resigned (effective November 30, 2002) a few weeks before the expiration of his term in hopes that his successor, fellow Republican John Cornyn, could gain seniority over other newly elected senators. However, Cornyn did not gain additional seniority due to a 1980 Rules Committee policy.

Ted Cruz

Senator from Texas

Assumed office on January 3, 2013

John Cornyn and Ted Cruz are the senators currently representing Texas.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Texas over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Texas

Texas is currently represented by 38 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Texas have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

Completions

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Texas.

Measure

In 2022, 1.59% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 1.53% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Texas.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (5.7M), Some college (4.97M), and Bachelors Degree (4.2M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Starr County, TX was $93,300 in 2023, which is 0.308 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $88,300 to $93,300, a 5.66% increase. The homeownership rate in Starr County, TX is 71.6%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Starr County, TX have an average commute time of 24.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Starr County, TX is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Starr County, TX is $38,182. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Starr County, TX was Census Tract 9501.06 with a value of $48,063, followed by Census Tract 9501.08 and Census Tract 9501.05, with respective values of $46,952 and $41,823.

In 2023, 22.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Starr County, TX. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator grew 2.37%.

Housing

Property

$93,300

Median Property Value 2023

±$6,978

$13,383

Median Property Taxes

±$928

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Starr County, TX the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Starr County, TX compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

71.6%

Homeownership

2023

66.6%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 71.6% of the housing units in Starr County, TX were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 72.6%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Starr County, TX compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 9501.06
Census Tract 9501.08
Census Tract 9501.05

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Starr County, TX was Census Tract 9501.06 with a value of $48,063, followed by Census Tract 9501.08 and Census Tract 9501.05, with respective values of $46,952 and $41,823.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Starr County, TX colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$38,182

Median Household Income

± $3,996

18.7k

Number of Households

± 1,126

In 2023, the median household income of the 18.7k households in Starr County, TX grew to $38,182 from the previous year's value of $35,979.

The following chart displays the households in Starr County, TX distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Starr County, TX is from Texas.

0.476

2022 Wage GINI in Texas

0.476

2021 Wage GINI in Texas

In 2022, the income inequality in Texas was 0.476 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0231% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Texas was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Texas in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Texas across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (71.6%)
Carpooled (14.2%)
Worked At Home (9.07%)

In 2023, 71.6% of workers in Starr County, TX drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (14.2%) and those who worked at home (9.07%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

24.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Starr County, TX have a shorter commute time (24.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 4.03% of the workforce in Starr County, TX have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Starr County, TX compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Starr County, TX distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Starr County, TX have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 22.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Starr County, TX. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator grew 2.37%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

33.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Starr County, TX (21.9k out of 65.3k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Females 6 - 11 and then Males < 5.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Starr County, TX is Hispanic, followed by Two Or More and White.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2023, 40.6% of the children was living in poverty in Starr County, TX. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 11.6%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

68.7% of the population of Starr County, TX has health coverage, with 19.5% on employee plans, 34.1% on Medicaid, 5.47% on Medicare, 9.15% on non-group plans, and 0.462% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Starr County, TX see 4017 patients per year on average, which represents a 13% decrease from the previous year (4617 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 7339 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 5081 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.4% were men and 52.6% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

4,017 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Starr County, TX

Primary care physicians in Starr County, TX see an average of 4,017 patients per year. This represents a 13% decrease from the previous year (4,617 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Starr County, TX in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 34.3% under 18 years, 23.5% between 18 and 34 years, 31% between 35 and 64 years, and 11.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.4% were men and 52.6% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

31.3%

Uninsured

19.5%

Employer Coverage

34.1%

Medicaid

5.47%

Medicare

9.15%

Non-Group

0.462%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Starr County, TX declined by 5.28% from 33.1% to 31.3%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Starr County, TX changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2023, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 39 in Starr County, TX.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Starr County, TX.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2023, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 44.4% in Starr County, TX.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Starr County, TX.