Population 52,842 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Rusk County
Household size in Rusk County
| Period | Rusk County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.61 | 2.87 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.80 | 2.93 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.70 | 2.95 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.68 | 2.83 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.07 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
At 2.68 people per household, Rusk County sits close to the national average of 2.65. The typical household here is smaller than in Texas overall, where it has 2.83 people. Household size has crept up from 2.61 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell.
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 Rusk County
| Period | Rusk County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.5 | 34.7 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.6 | 35.4 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.4 | 36.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.1 | 36.7 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.6 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
At 40.1, the median age in Rusk County is the same as the national median, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The population here is older than in Texas overall, where the median age is 36.7. Since 2006–10, the median age has crept up from 39.5, a smaller shift than 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 Rusk County
| Period | Rusk County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.3% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.1% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.7% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.0% | 12.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.7 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit less common in Rusk County than nationally: 10.0%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share has edged up 0.7 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 Rusk County
Renters in Rusk County
| Period | Rusk County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.4% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 23.6% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.2% | 38.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 21.2% | 37.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 21.2% of households in Rusk County rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About six in ten owners (59.2%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the west.
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 Rusk County
| Period | Rusk County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.7% | 11.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.3% | 10.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 16.5% | 10.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.2% | 9.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.6 pts | −2.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Rusk County: 15.2% of homes are empty, 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. Vacancy has risen 1.6 points since 2006–10, 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 Rusk County
| Period | Rusk County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1973 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1977 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1978 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1982 | 1992 | 1980 |
| Change | +9 | +8 | +6 |
Homes in Rusk County are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1982, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are older than in Texas as a whole, where the median home dates to 1992. The median year built has moved up from 1973 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northeast, while the center 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 Rusk County
| Period | Rusk County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $588 | $921 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $684 | $1,005 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $781 | $1,178 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,033 | $1,560 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$445 | +$639 | +$606 |
Rent in Rusk County runs $1,033 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $445 a month since 2006–10, up 76%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 29.3% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the center; the highest are in the southeast.
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 Rusk County
Bachelor's degrees in Rusk County
| Period | Rusk County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.5% | 27.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.7% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.5% | 30.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 18.1% | 34.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.7 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Rusk County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 18.1%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 3.7 points from 2006–10, as it has 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 Rusk County
| Period | Rusk County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 79.2% | 80.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 81.2% | 82.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 80.4% | 83.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 84.9% | 85.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.8 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in seven adults in Rusk County never finished high school, more than nationally: 84.9% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. Texas as a whole looks much the same. The share with a diploma is up 5.8 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Rusk County
| Period | Rusk County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.0% | 7.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.2% | 7.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.5% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.3% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.7 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Rusk County runs below the national rate: 4.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Since 2006–10, unemployment has edged down 0.7 points, a smaller shift than nationally. 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).
Rusk 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rusk County | 2.68 | 40.1 | 10.0% | 21.2% | 15.2% | 1982 | $1,033 | 18.1% | 84.9% | 4.3% |
| Panola County | 2.52 | 42.1 | 10.0% | 20.1% | 18.0% | 1985 | $891 | 17.5% | 86.2% | 2.6% |
| De Soto Parish | 2.68 | 39.8 | 12.5% | 22.8% | 18.0% | 1989 | $737 | 16.1% | 85.6% | 6.6% |
| Henderson County | 2.55 | 44.1 | 11.1% | 22.2% | 17.4% | 1989 | $1,067 | 20.3% | 88.0% | 4.9% |
| Red River Parish | 2.41 | 42.6 | 13.4% | 22.7% | 13.3% | 1983 | $781 | 13.9% | 83.1% | 5.4% |
| Navarro County | 2.86 | 37.9 | 12.1% | 30.6% | 13.5% | 1983 | $1,119 | 18.0% | 78.8% | 4.6% |
| Jackson Parish | 2.61 | 42.0 | 13.7% | 30.0% | 23.4% | 1979 | $799 | 14.4% | 85.7% | 8.1% |
| Caldwell Parish | 2.49 | 40.2 | 17.4% | 31.1% | 19.6% | 1987 | $983 | 11.7% | 81.6% | 10.1% |
| Somervell County | 2.54 | 44.3 | 12.3% | 20.0% | 7.7% | 1993 | $770 | 28.8% | 92.0% | 3.9% |
| Franklin Parish | 2.52 | 40.8 | 15.5% | 26.8% | 15.7% | 1979 | $832 | 18.2% | 80.8% | 7.9% |
| Erath County | 2.42 | 33.2 | 8.7% | 36.9% | 10.1% | 1990 | $1,243 | 28.9% | 88.6% | 6.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Whiteside County, IL · Bonner County, ID · Boone County, IL · Box Elder County, UT · Boyd County, KY · Washington County, OK · Washington County, VA · Watauga County, NC · Wayne County, PA · Aguadilla Municipio, PR
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 Rusk 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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