Hale County, Texas

TX · FIPS 48189 Republican

Located in Texas, Hale County has a population of 32,131 residents and a median age of 34.4 years, making it the #1,418 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 20.5%. The median home value is $116,500, and the median household income is $51,897, which is 31% below the national median.

32,131
Population
#1,418 of 3,222
$51,897
Median Income
-30.9% #2,667 of 3,222
34.4 years
Median Age
-11.6% #3,007 of 3,222
20.5%
Poverty Rate
+63.0% #2,718 of 3,222

Demographics

Hale County has a population of 32,131, making it the #1,418 most populous county in the US. The median age is 34.4 years, which is 11.6% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

90.8%
Native Born
9.2%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Hale County is $51,897, ranking #2,667 out of 3,222 counties — 30.9% below the national median. The poverty rate is 20.5% and unemployment stands at 5.3%.

Income#2,667
$51,897
-30.9%
vs nation
17th percentile
Per Capita#2,889
$26,080
-36.8%
vs nation
10th percentile
Poverty#2,718
20.5%
+63.0%
vs nation
16th percentile
Unemployment#2,169
5.3%
-0.7%
vs nation
33th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Hale County is $116,500 (-58.7% vs national). Renters pay a median of $836/mo and the homeownership rate is 60.5%.

Home Value#2,738
$116,500
-58.7%
vs nation
15th percentile
Rent#1,851
$836
-28.1%
vs nation
42th percentile
Homeownership#2,991
60.5%
-6.0%
vs nation
7th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Hale County, 15.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 54.6% below the national average, ranking #2,765 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
15.3% −54.6% vs nation
Rank #2,765 of 3,222
14th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Hale County is 72.6 years. 28.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 22.3% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,359
72.6
-3.4%
vs nation
23th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#3,034
28.9%
+47.7%
vs nation
4th percentile
Diabetes#3,014
15.5%
+39.2%
vs nation
4th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,704
41.6%
+11.5%
vs nation
14th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,031
5.8
+3.7%
vs nation
35th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,547
5.0
+13.1%
vs nation
19th percentile
Uninsured Rate#3,079
22.3%
+113.0%
vs nation
2th percentile
Physical Inactivity#3,004
35.6%
+34.9%
vs nation
5th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,815
18.9%
+31.2%
vs nation
11th percentile

Substance Use

19.0% of adults in Hale County smoke , 42.7% are obese , and 18.5% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 9.7 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,996
19.0%
+5.8%
vs nation
37th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,766
42.7%
+12.6%
vs nation
12th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,013
18.5%
-7.1%
vs nation
68th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#46
9.7
-69.9%
vs nation
98th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Hale County is 4.7 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 10.8 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 19.4 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#573
4.7
-40.9%
vs nation
63th percentile
Suicide Rate#164
10.8
-45.2%
vs nation
94th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#365
9.8
-45.4%
vs nation
85th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,517
19.4
-4.4%
vs nation
46th percentile

Families & Children

28.8% of children in Hale County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.5 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 40.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#412
5.5
-19.7%
vs nation
70th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#2,831
40.6
+85.9%
vs nation
6th percentile
Child Poverty#2,784
28.8%
+51.6%
vs nation
11th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Hale County is 43.2%. The mean commute time is 21.4 min, which is 22.4% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
43.2% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
21.4 min −22.4% vs nation
Rank #2,637 of 3,222
18th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Hale County voted Republican with a margin of 58.0%. The vote was 20.5% Dem / 78.5% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 6.9 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +58.0%
20.5% 78.5%
Dem 9,278 votes Rep
2020 REP +51.1%
23.8% 74.9%
Dem 9,584 votes Rep
2016 REP +48.4%
23.7% 72.1%
Dem 8,802 votes Rep
2012 REP +47.8%
25.4% 73.2%
Dem 8,765 votes Rep
2008 REP +44.9%
27.2% 72.1%
Dem 9,943 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Hale County, Texas

Hale County, Texas has a total population of 32,131, making it the 1,418th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Hale County is 34.4 years, which is 11.6% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Hale County is $51,897, which ranks #2,667 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 30.9% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 20.5%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.3%.

The median home value in Hale County is $116,500, 58.7% below the national median. Renters in Hale County pay a median gross rent of $836 per month. The homeownership rate is 60.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Hale County, 15.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 54.6% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 79.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 21.4 min.

Hale County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Hispanic or Latino at 61.3% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (31.4%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (4.5%).

All data for Hale 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.