Population 20,139 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Willacy County
Household size in Willacy County
| Period | Willacy County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.77 | 2.87 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.49 | 2.93 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.46 | 2.95 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.32 | 2.83 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.45 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
Willacy County is a place of big households: 3.32 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Household size has dropped from 3.77 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only 13 of Texas' 254 counties have larger 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 Willacy County
| Period | Willacy County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.6 | 34.7 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 33.5 | 35.4 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 34.0 | 36.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 36.7 | 36.7 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.1 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Willacy County is younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 36.7, against 40.1 nationally. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 32.6, mirroring the country. The youngest areas are in the north, the oldest in the southwest.
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 Willacy County
| Period | Willacy County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.1% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 18.8% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 16.3% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 21.3% | 12.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.1 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in five households in Willacy County (21.3%), well above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 4.1 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Only ten of Texas' 254 counties 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 Willacy County
Renters in Willacy County
| Period | Willacy County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.9% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 20.3% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 29.5% | 38.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 25.3% | 37.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −3.7 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Willacy County own their homes; 25.3% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. About seven in ten owners (68.9%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the southwest. The renter share is down 3.7 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 Willacy County
| Period | Willacy County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.9% | 11.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.9% | 10.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 19.7% | 10.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.0% | 9.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.0 pts | −2.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Willacy County: 16.0% 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. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 4.0 points, as it has nationally.
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 Willacy County
| Period | Willacy County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1970 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1977 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1980 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1987 | 1992 | 1980 |
| Change | +17 | +8 | +6 |
The housing in Willacy County is younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1987, against 1980 nationally. Even so, 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 1970 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the west, the oldest in the north.
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 Willacy County
| Period | Willacy County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $527 | $921 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $478 | $1,005 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $607 | $1,178 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $727 | $1,560 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$200 | +$639 | +$606 |
Rent in Willacy County runs $727 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $200 a month from 2006–10, a 38% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 32.5% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Willacy County
Bachelor's degrees in Willacy County
| Period | Willacy County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.2% | 27.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.9% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 9.2% | 30.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.9% | 34.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.7 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Willacy County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 13.9%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has risen 4.7 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the west and least in the north.
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 Willacy County
| Period | Willacy County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 58.2% | 80.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 62.3% | 82.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 66.0% | 83.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 70.2% | 85.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +12.0 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
About three in ten adults in Willacy County never finished high school, well above the national share: only 70.2% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma has risen 12.0 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Few Texas counties have a lower share of high school graduates: only 15 of 254.
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 Willacy County
| Period | Willacy County | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.3% | 7.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.3% | 7.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.3% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.6% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | +2.3 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Willacy County runs well above the national rate: 8.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Only 20 of Texas' 254 counties have higher unemployment. Unemployment is up 2.3 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
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).
Willacy 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willacy County | 3.32 | 36.7 | 21.3% | 25.3% | 16.0% | 1987 | $727 | 13.9% | 70.2% | 8.6% |
| Hidalgo County | 3.42 | 31.9 | 18.6% | 32.5% | 12.4% | 1998 | $987 | 20.3% | 69.8% | 7.6% |
| Cameron County | 3.21 | 33.5 | 18.1% | 34.8% | 10.7% | 1992 | $1,012 | 22.4% | 72.9% | 6.0% |
| Kenedy County | 2.53 | 54.8 | 12.2% | 47.3% | 56.7% | 1957 | $1,374 | 13.0% | 52.8% | 0.0% |
| Brooks County | 2.23 | 42.8 | 23.4% | 47.2% | 24.7% | 1969 | $807 | 18.0% | 82.8% | 17.8% |
| Starr County | 3.55 | 30.0 | 22.1% | 30.5% | 16.9% | 1995 | $734 | 14.7% | 60.2% | 10.1% |
| Kleberg County | 2.47 | 32.8 | 17.0% | 47.5% | 16.1% | 1978 | $983 | 23.4% | 83.6% | 7.5% |
| Jim Hogg County | 3.83 | 28.7 | 27.7% | 43.6% | 28.0% | 1977 | $849 | 15.7% | 76.5% | 5.7% |
| Nueces County | 2.71 | 38.0 | 14.1% | 40.3% | 13.0% | 1983 | $1,392 | 24.7% | 85.8% | 4.9% |
| Jim Wells County | 2.93 | 37.7 | 20.8% | 31.5% | 17.0% | 1983 | $870 | 15.7% | 79.6% | 6.6% |
| Duval County | 3.21 | 35.9 | 18.7% | 29.6% | 27.3% | 1979 | $823 | 6.4% | 74.5% | 10.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Beckham County, OK · Taylor County, WI · Big Horn County, WY · Big Horn County, MT · Bienville Parish, LA · Bibb County, AL · Bethel Census Area, AK · Bertie County, NC · Berrien County, GA · Benzie County, MI
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 Willacy 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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