Population 3,091 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Big Lake
Household size in Big Lake
| Period | Big Lake | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.90 | 2.87 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.90 | 2.93 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.44 | 2.95 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.65 | 2.83 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.75 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
Households in Big Lake are large by national standards, averaging 3.65 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.90, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Big Lake
| Period | Big Lake | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.6 | 34.7 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 36.7 | 35.4 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 29.0 | 36.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 28.3 | 36.7 | 40.1 |
| Change | −3.3 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 28.3, Big Lake is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young families with children.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Big Lake
| Period | Big Lake | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.9% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.5% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.3% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.9% | 12.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | +7.0 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit more common in Big Lake than nationally: 12.9%, against 11.6%. Texas as a whole looks much the same.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Big Lake
Renters in Big Lake
| Period | Big Lake | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.9% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 27.7% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.8% | 38.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 27.1% | 37.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Big Lake own their homes; 27.1% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. About three-quarters of owners (74.1%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Big Lake
| Period | Big Lake | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.3% | 11.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.5% | 10.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.7% | 10.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.4% | 9.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | −2.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 19.4% of the housing in Big Lake, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Big Lake
| Period | Big Lake | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1967 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1972 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1976 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1981 | 1992 | 1980 |
| Change | +14 | +8 | +6 |
Homes in Big Lake are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1981, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are older than in Texas as a whole, where the median home dates to 1992.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Big Lake
| Period | Big Lake | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $626 | $921 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $743 | $1,005 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $721 | $1,178 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $819 | $1,560 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$193 | +$639 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Big Lake costs $819 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 13.1% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Big Lake
Bachelor's degrees in Big Lake
| Period | Big Lake | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.5% | 27.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.5% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 11.3% | 30.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.8% | 34.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.4 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Big Lake have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 13.8%, against 35.6% nationally.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Big Lake
| Period | Big Lake | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 69.0% | 80.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 59.9% | 82.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 82.1% | 83.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 88.0% | 85.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +19.0 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Big Lake have finished high school as nationally: 88.0%, against 89.3%. The rate is higher than in Texas as a whole (85.8%).
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Big Lake
| Period | Big Lake | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 0.3% | 7.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 2.0% | 7.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.0% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.6% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | +5.3 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.6%, unemployment in Big Lake is close to the national rate of 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Big Lake compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Lake | 3.65 | 28.3 | 12.9% | 27.1% | 19.4% | 1981 | $819 | 13.8% | 88.0% | 5.6% |
| Texon | 2.76 | 34.9 | 8.6% | 58.4% | 37.8% | 1986 | $885 | 9.0% | 78.7% | 2.0% |
| Barnhart | 2.43 | 51.5 | 4.6% | 23.5% | 27.2% | 1980 | $1,758 | 24.4% | 95.4% | 0.9% |
| Rankin | 2.29 | 41.5 | 8.1% | 20.4% | 13.8% | 1968 | $564 | 13.2% | 78.0% | 7.3% |
| Mertzon | 2.39 | 42.9 | 6.9% | 18.4% | 23.6% | 1980 | $2,391 | 30.1% | 89.3% | 0.4% |
| Sherwood | 2.49 | 53.7 | 4.7% | 14.3% | 24.3% | 1981 | $1,972 | 21.9% | 95.6% | 1.0% |
| McCamey | 2.27 | 40.7 | 13.2% | 24.3% | 22.0% | 1969 | $1,226 | 5.3% | 80.3% | 1.0% |
| Knickerbocker | 2.16 | 59.2 | 1.2% | 1.6% | 17.1% | 1993 | $779 | 36.2% | 98.2% | 1.2% |
| Tankersley | 2.25 | 52.7 | 2.1% | 7.6% | 14.9% | 1996 | $704 | 32.7% | 98.3% | 6.5% |
| Crane | 2.88 | 37.2 | 8.0% | 16.5% | 12.8% | 1976 | $877 | 13.6% | 73.0% | 5.0% |
| Veribest | 2.38 | 44.7 | 9.5% | 21.5% | 14.4% | 1997 | $1,053 | 32.9% | 92.3% | 5.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Chincoteague, VA · Ajo, AZ · Warner, OK · Westport, IN · Nags Head, NC · Crandall, GA · Garfield, GA · Huger, SC · Bloomsbury, NJ · Waco, GA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Big Lake. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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