Population 41,794 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Wharton County
Household size in Wharton County
| Period | Wharton County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.77 | 2.87 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.81 | 2.93 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.71 | 2.95 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.64 | 2.83 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.13 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
At 2.64 people per household, Wharton 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 dropped from 2.77 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Wharton County
| Period | Wharton County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.7 | 34.7 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.1 | 35.4 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.3 | 36.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.7 | 36.7 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Wharton County are younger than 38.7 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The population here is older than in Texas as a whole, where the median age is 36.7. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 37.7, in line with the national trend.
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 Wharton County
| Period | Wharton County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.0% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.0% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.9% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.1% | 12.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | −3.0 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Wharton County as they are nationally: 12.1%, against 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 3.0 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Wharton County
Renters in Wharton County
| Period | Wharton County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.7% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 32.6% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 33.0% | 38.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 27.7% | 37.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −3.0 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Wharton County own their homes; 27.7% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. Nearly six in ten owners (57.7%) 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 east. The renter share is down 3.0 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 Wharton County
| Period | Wharton County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.0% | 11.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.1% | 10.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 14.2% | 10.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.5% | 9.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.5 pts | −2.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in Wharton County than nationally: 11.5%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy has fallen 2.5 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Wharton County
| Period | Wharton County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1969 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1971 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1975 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1980 | 1992 | 1980 |
| Change | +11 | +8 | +6 |
Homes in Wharton County are the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1980. Homes here are older than in Texas overall, where the median home dates to 1992. The median year built has moved up from 1969 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the north, the oldest in the center.
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 Wharton County
| Period | Wharton County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $612 | $921 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $713 | $1,005 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $836 | $1,178 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,068 | $1,560 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$456 | +$639 | +$606 |
Rent in Wharton County runs $1,068 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $456 a month since 2006–10, up 74%, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 31.1% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the southwest; the most affordable are in the center.
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 Wharton County
Bachelor's degrees in Wharton County
| Period | Wharton County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.6% | 27.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.4% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 18.4% | 30.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 20.5% | 34.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.9 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Wharton County: 20.5% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 4.9 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the west and least in the south.
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 Wharton County
| Period | Wharton County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 75.7% | 80.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 75.8% | 82.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 77.8% | 83.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 85.0% | 85.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +9.3 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in seven adults in Wharton County never finished high school, more than nationally: 85.0% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. That is in line with the rest of Texas. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 9.3 points, as it has nationally.
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 Wharton County
| Period | Wharton County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.0% | 7.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.3% | 7.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.9% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.9% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.1 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Wharton County is close to the national rate: 4.9% of the labor force, against 5.4%. Unemployment is down 1.1 points from 2006–10, as it has 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).
Wharton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wharton County | 2.64 | 38.7 | 12.1% | 27.7% | 11.5% | 1980 | $1,068 | 20.5% | 85.0% | 4.9% |
| Matagorda County | 2.58 | 36.2 | 14.7% | 31.9% | 17.8% | 1979 | $1,020 | 22.1% | 80.0% | 8.3% |
| Jackson County | 2.50 | 42.5 | 12.2% | 29.2% | 13.9% | 1979 | $1,014 | 17.1% | 84.3% | 4.9% |
| Colorado County | 2.68 | 45.7 | 8.7% | 20.5% | 18.8% | 1980 | $1,001 | 23.2% | 88.8% | 3.2% |
| Fort Bend County | 3.14 | 37.8 | 10.3% | 23.0% | 5.6% | 2004 | $2,000 | 51.1% | 92.1% | 4.9% |
| Brazoria County | 2.93 | 37.2 | 11.9% | 25.9% | 11.7% | 1995 | $1,626 | 34.7% | 88.9% | 4.4% |
| Lavaca County | 2.39 | 44.3 | 8.4% | 21.7% | 18.4% | 1977 | $1,131 | 22.0% | 88.4% | 3.1% |
| Victoria County | 2.65 | 37.8 | 13.5% | 34.7% | 12.1% | 1983 | $1,161 | 19.4% | 84.8% | 4.6% |
| DeWitt County | 2.68 | 41.6 | 10.2% | 26.1% | 23.5% | 1979 | $864 | 17.4% | 86.0% | 3.2% |
| Galveston County | 2.66 | 39.6 | 11.2% | 32.4% | 10.1% | 1992 | $1,583 | 36.6% | 90.3% | 5.8% |
| Gonzales County | 2.51 | 41.8 | 16.4% | 33.8% | 12.1% | 1983 | $854 | 12.0% | 75.0% | 4.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Shenandoah County, VA · Accomack County, VA · Bingham County, ID · Boone County, AR · Botetourt County, VA · Brookings County, SD · Brown County, SD · Brown County, TX · Bureau County, IL · Siskiyou County, CA
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 Wharton 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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