Deaf Smith County, Texas

TX · FIPS 48117 Republican

Located in Texas, Deaf Smith County has a population of 18,460 residents and a median age of 31.3 years, making it the #1,964 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 17.7%. The median home value is $121,300, and the median household income is $60,799, which is 19% below the national median.

18,460
Population
#1,964 of 3,222
$60,799
Median Income
-19.1% #2,008 of 3,222
31.3 years
Median Age
-19.5% #3,153 of 3,222
17.7%
Poverty Rate
+40.2% #2,404 of 3,222

Demographics

Deaf Smith County has a population of 18,460, making it the #1,964 most populous county in the US. The median age is 31.3 years, which is 19.5% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

82.8%
Native Born
17.2%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Deaf Smith County is $60,799, ranking #2,008 out of 3,222 counties — 19.1% below the national median. The poverty rate is 17.7% and unemployment stands at 3.5%.

Income#2,008
$60,799
-19.1%
vs nation
38th percentile
Per Capita#2,928
$25,625
-37.9%
vs nation
9th percentile
Poverty#2,404
17.7%
+40.2%
vs nation
25th percentile
Unemployment#954
3.5%
-34.9%
vs nation
70th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Deaf Smith County is $121,300 (-57.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $926/mo and the homeownership rate is 66.8%.

Home Value#2,649
$121,300
-57.0%
vs nation
18th percentile
Rent#1,305
$926
-20.4%
vs nation
59th percentile
Homeownership#2,585
66.8%
+3.8%
vs nation
20th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Deaf Smith County, 11.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 66.1% below the national average, ranking #3,138 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
11.4% −66.1% vs nation
Rank #3,138 of 3,222
3th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Deaf Smith County is 74.2 years. 34.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 22.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,856
74.2
-1.2%
vs nation
39th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#3,127
34.9%
+78.4%
vs nation
1th percentile
Diabetes#3,096
17.4%
+56.3%
vs nation
2th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,801
42.1%
+12.8%
vs nation
11th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,944
5.8
+3.0%
vs nation
38th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,779
5.3
+18.2%
vs nation
12th percentile
Uninsured Rate#3,091
22.7%
+117.0%
vs nation
2th percentile
Physical Inactivity#3,120
40.7%
+54.3%
vs nation
1th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,383
16.7%
+15.9%
vs nation
24th percentile

Substance Use

20.6% of adults in Deaf Smith County smoke , 43.6% are obese , and 17.9% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#2,433
20.6%
+14.7%
vs nation
23th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,892
43.6%
+15.0%
vs nation
8th percentile
Excessive Drinking#816
17.9%
-10.1%
vs nation
74th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 18.9 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 19.2 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,397
18.9
-4.4%
vs nation
45th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,168
16.3
-9.1%
vs nation
53th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,498
19.2
-5.0%
vs nation
47th percentile

Families & Children

22.3% of children in Deaf Smith County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 59.1 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,982
59.1
+170.6%
vs nation
1th percentile
Child Poverty#2,225
22.3%
+17.4%
vs nation
29th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Deaf Smith County is 44.7%. The mean commute time is 19.3 min, which is 30.2% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
44.7% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
19.3 min −30.2% vs nation
Rank #2,900 of 3,222
10th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Deaf Smith County voted Republican with a margin of 51.6%. The vote was 23.8% Dem / 75.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 7.5 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +51.6%
23.8% 75.4%
Dem 4,286 votes Rep
2020 REP +44.1%
27.4% 71.5%
Dem 4,610 votes Rep
2016 REP +41.1%
28.2% 69.3%
Dem 4,201 votes Rep
2012 REP +41.8%
28.8% 70.6%
Dem 4,309 votes Rep
2008 REP +46.8%
26.3% 73.1%
Dem 4,744 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Deaf Smith County, Texas

Deaf Smith County, Texas has a total population of 18,460, making it the 1,964th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Deaf Smith County is 31.3 years, which is 19.5% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Deaf Smith County is $60,799, which ranks #2,008 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 19.1% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 17.7%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.5%.

The median home value in Deaf Smith County is $121,300, 57.0% below the national median. Renters in Deaf Smith County pay a median gross rent of $926 per month. The homeownership rate is 66.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Deaf Smith County, 11.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 66.1% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 79.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 19.3 min.

Deaf Smith County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Hispanic or Latino at 76.4% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (21.0%) and Two or More Races (1.3%).

All data for Deaf Smith County, Texas comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.