Population 14,896 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Port Lavaca
Household size in Port Lavaca
| Period | Port Lavaca | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.68 | 2.87 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.76 | 2.93 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.85 | 2.95 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.29 | 2.83 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.39 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
Households in Port Lavaca are small: just 2.29 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.68, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only 20 of the 545 Texas cities with 5,000+ people have smaller households.
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 Port Lavaca
| Period | Port Lavaca | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.8 | 34.7 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.8 | 35.4 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 37.8 | 36.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.4 | 36.7 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.6 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Port Lavaca is 38.4 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. Even so, the population here is older than in Texas overall, where the median age is 36.7. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 36.8, as it has nationally.
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 Port Lavaca
| Period | Port Lavaca | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.1% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.7% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.7% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.4% | 12.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.3 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit more common in Port Lavaca than nationally: 13.4%, against 11.6%. That is in line with the rest of Texas. The single-parent share has edged up 1.3 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
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 Port Lavaca
Renters in Port Lavaca
| Period | Port Lavaca | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.1% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 33.6% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 28.7% | 38.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 26.6% | 37.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −7.4 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Port Lavaca own their homes; 26.6% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. More than half of owners (54.2%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the south and least common in the northeast. The renter share is down 7.4 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
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 Port Lavaca
| Period | Port Lavaca | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.9% | 11.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.3% | 10.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 20.8% | 10.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.1% | 9.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.8 pts | −2.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs a little high in Port Lavaca: 12.1% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 1.8 points, mirroring the country.
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 Port Lavaca
| Period | Port Lavaca | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1974 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1973 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1977 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1976 | 1992 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +8 | +6 |
Homes in Port Lavaca are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1976, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are older than in Texas overall, where the median home dates to 1992. Port Lavaca has older homes than at least four in five Texas cities.
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 Port Lavaca
| Period | Port Lavaca | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $683 | $921 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $743 | $1,005 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $805 | $1,178 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $853 | $1,560 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$170 | +$639 | +$606 |
The median renter in Port Lavaca pays $853 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $170 a month from 2006–10, a 25% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 27.2% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the southeast and lowest in the north.
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 Port Lavaca
Bachelor's degrees in Port Lavaca
| Period | Port Lavaca | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.0% | 27.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.9% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.2% | 30.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.8% | 34.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.8 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Port Lavaca have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 19.8%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has risen 5.8 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the northeast and least in the center.
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 Port Lavaca
| Period | Port Lavaca | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 76.8% | 80.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 76.0% | 82.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 76.5% | 83.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 82.8% | 85.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.9 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in six adults in Port Lavaca never finished high school, well above the national share: only 82.8% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma has risen 5.9 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Port Lavaca
| Period | Port Lavaca | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.5% | 7.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.1% | 7.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.8% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.0% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Port Lavaca runs well above the national rate: 8.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Port Lavaca has higher unemployment than the great majority of Texas cities. 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).
Port Lavaca 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port Lavaca | 2.29 | 38.4 | 13.4% | 26.6% | 12.1% | 1976 | $853 | 19.8% | 82.8% | 8.0% |
| Kamey | 2.25 | 37.6 | 6.9% | 14.9% | 7.4% | 1992 | $809 | 23.9% | 91.8% | 0.3% |
| Point Comfort | 2.28 | 54.5 | 3.8% | 32.9% | 19.9% | 1970 | $1,173 | 19.7% | 99.4% | 0.0% |
| Long Mott | 2.37 | 47.9 | 17.4% | 11.0% | 15.6% | 1993 | $958 | 12.8% | 86.7% | 0.0% |
| Indianola | 2.59 | 46.0 | 38.4% | 28.6% | 37.1% | 1998 | $1,271 | 16.5% | 99.4% | 0.0% |
| Green Lake | 2.31 | 49.9 | 9.9% | 4.1% | 16.2% | 1993 | $965 | 14.6% | 85.2% | 3.8% |
| Olivia | 2.02 | 58.3 | 5.2% | 1.5% | 46.5% | 1974 | $1,175 | 21.9% | 97.3% | 7.6% |
| Port Alto | 2.02 | 58.3 | 5.2% | 1.5% | 46.5% | 1974 | $1,175 | 21.9% | 97.3% | 7.6% |
| Placedo | 2.98 | 36.6 | 5.2% | 9.3% | 13.0% | 1986 | $745 | 13.1% | 84.8% | 1.8% |
| Weedhaven | 2.36 | 52.8 | 2.1% | 11.7% | 34.1% | 1984 | $1,065 | 19.2% | 78.6% | 1.2% |
| Bloomington | 3.93 | 31.9 | 28.7% | 22.9% | 11.4% | 1994 | $765 | 8.5% | 73.3% | 7.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Fort Valley, GA · Whiteville, NC · Fruitland Park, FL · Fruita, CO · Fredericksburg, TX · Frederick, CO · Whitman, MA · Wilbraham, MA · Franklin Park, PA · Whitehouse, TX
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 Port Lavaca. 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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