Howard County, Texas
Located in Texas, Howard County has a population of 32,290 residents and a median age of 36.7 years, making it the #1,414 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 13.8%. The median home value is $155,600, and the median household income is $69,649, which is 7% below the national median.
Demographics
Howard County has a population of 32,290, making it the #1,414 most populous county in the US. The median age is 36.7 years, which is 5.7% below the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Howard County is $69,649, ranking #1,223 out of 3,222 counties — 7.3% below the national median. The poverty rate is 13.8% and unemployment stands at 5.4%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Howard County is $155,600 (-44.8% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,034/mo and the homeownership rate is 69.5%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Howard County, 15.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 53.4% below the national average, ranking #2,720 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Howard County is 71.5 years. 23.8% of adults report poor or fair health and 19.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
17.2% of adults in Howard County smoke , 41.6% are obese , and 19.9% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 16.3 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Howard County is 10.4 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 31.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 24.8 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
21.7% of children in Howard County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 6.8 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 45.4 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Howard County is 41.1%. The mean commute time is 23.9 min, which is 13.3% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Howard County voted Republican with a margin of 62.9%. The vote was 18.2% Dem / 81.1% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.4 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Howard County, Texas
Howard County, Texas has a total population of 32,290, making it the 1,414th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Howard County is 36.7 years, which is 5.7% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Howard County is $69,649, which ranks #1,223 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 7.3% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 13.8%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.4%.
The median home value in Howard County is $155,600, 44.8% below the national median. Renters in Howard County pay a median gross rent of $1,034 per month. The homeownership rate is 69.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Howard County, 15.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 53.4% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 86.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 23.9 min.
Howard County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Hispanic or Latino at 47.7% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (43.1%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (4.5%).
All data for Howard 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.