Population 32,131 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Hale County
Household size in Hale County
| Period | Hale County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.79 | 2.87 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.83 | 2.93 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.90 | 2.95 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.74 | 2.83 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.04 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
Households in Hale County average 2.74 people, a bit above the national 2.65, so families with children are somewhat more common here. Still, the typical household here is smaller than in Texas overall, where it has 2.83 people. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.79, in line with the national trend.
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 Hale County
| Period | Hale County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.6 | 34.7 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 34.2 | 35.4 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 35.1 | 36.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 36.8 | 36.7 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.3 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Hale County is 36.8 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 33.6 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. Residents skew youngest in the center and oldest in the west.
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 Hale County
| Period | Hale County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.9% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.5% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.0% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 18.1% | 12.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.3 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in six households in Hale County (18.1%), well above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 2.3 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Of Texas' 254 counties, only 21 have a higher share of single-parent households.
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 Hale County
Renters in Hale County
| Period | Hale County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.7% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 37.1% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 37.7% | 38.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 39.5% | 37.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.7 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
About four in ten households in Hale County rent their homes (39.5%), a bit above the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 66.0% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has risen 4.7 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only 22 of Texas' 254 counties have a higher share of renters.
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 Hale County
| Period | Hale County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.0% | 11.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.4% | 10.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 18.8% | 10.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.6% | 9.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.6 pts | −2.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 17.6% of the housing in Hale County, 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. Since 2006–10, vacancy has risen 1.6 points, even as the national rate fell.
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 Hale County
| Period | Hale County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1960 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1961 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1963 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1970 | 1992 | 1980 |
| Change | +10 | +8 | +6 |
Hale County is a place of older homes: half were built before 1970, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The median year built has moved up from 1960 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the north, while the east has the oldest housing.
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 Hale County
| Period | Hale County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $615 | $921 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $603 | $1,005 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $687 | $1,178 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $858 | $1,560 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$243 | +$639 | +$606 |
Rent in Hale County runs $858 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $243 a month since 2006–10, up 39%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 27.5% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. The priciest rents are in the center; the most affordable are in the west.
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 Hale County
Bachelor's degrees in Hale County
| Period | Hale County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.5% | 27.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.0% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.5% | 30.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.8% | 34.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.3 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Hale County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 15.8%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has edged up 1.3 points since 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the southwest and least in the northeast.
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 Hale County
| Period | Hale County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 69.3% | 80.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 71.0% | 82.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 77.1% | 83.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 74.5% | 85.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.3 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
About a quarter of adults in Hale County never finished high school, well above the national share: only 74.5% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 5.3 points, in line with the national trend. Hale County has a lower share of high school graduates than at least four in five Texas counties.
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 Hale County
| Period | Hale County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.5% | 7.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.2% | 7.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.3% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.6% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.1 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.6%, unemployment in Hale County is close to the national rate of 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
Hale County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hale County | 2.74 | 36.8 | 18.1% | 39.5% | 17.6% | 1970 | $858 | 15.8% | 74.5% | 5.6% |
| Floyd County | 2.68 | 39.0 | 14.6% | 26.7% | 24.0% | 1963 | $742 | 16.2% | 76.6% | 5.2% |
| Lamb County | 2.76 | 37.4 | 16.0% | 26.0% | 17.4% | 1967 | $991 | 14.9% | 78.5% | 1.9% |
| Motley County | 2.56 | 50.6 | 8.9% | 23.5% | 37.7% | 1961 | $720 | 19.5% | 85.8% | 0.8% |
| Bailey County | 3.13 | 38.9 | 14.7% | 20.1% | 14.4% | 1971 | $910 | 14.7% | 63.2% | 0.0% |
| Cottle County | 2.43 | 46.8 | 22.6% | 16.8% | 37.9% | 1960 | $217 | 23.2% | 83.1% | 13.4% |
| Roosevelt County | 2.39 | 34.8 | 15.9% | 39.3% | 13.3% | 1978 | $1,002 | 22.9% | 86.8% | 5.5% |
| Hardeman County | 2.85 | 45.2 | 10.8% | 26.1% | 31.9% | 1962 | $688 | 17.4% | 87.5% | 2.4% |
| Wilbarger County | 2.57 | 39.5 | 14.8% | 32.8% | 16.5% | 1965 | $881 | 17.6% | 82.0% | 8.7% |
| Jefferson County | 2.43 | 42.0 | 13.5% | 29.1% | 20.2% | 1970 | $600 | 15.7% | 84.7% | 5.2% |
| Carter County | 2.54 | 38.7 | 13.8% | 33.2% | 11.6% | 1977 | $1,025 | 20.4% | 88.2% | 3.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Teller County, CO · Coos County, NH · Copiah County, MS · Coshocton County, OH · Covington County, AL · Crawford County, KS · Currituck County, NC · Taos County, NM · Tate County, MS · Taylor County, KY
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 Hale County. 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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