Jim Wells County, Texas

TX · FIPS 48249 Republican

Located in Texas, Jim Wells County has a population of 38,850 residents and a median age of 35.7 years, making it the #1,231 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 24.7%. The median home value is $123,600, and the median household income is $51,896, which is 31% below the national median.

38,850
Population
#1,231 of 3,222
$51,896
Median Income
-30.9% #2,668 of 3,222
35.7 years
Median Age
-8.2% #2,914 of 3,222
24.7%
Poverty Rate
+95.7% #2,978 of 3,222

Demographics

Jim Wells County has a population of 38,850, making it the #1,231 most populous county in the US. The median age is 35.7 years, which is 8.2% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

95.1%
Native Born
4.9%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Jim Wells County is $51,896, ranking #2,668 out of 3,222 counties — 30.9% below the national median. The poverty rate is 24.7% and unemployment stands at 6.1%.

Income#2,668
$51,896
-30.9%
vs nation
17th percentile
Per Capita#2,838
$26,585
-35.6%
vs nation
12th percentile
Poverty#2,978
24.7%
+95.7%
vs nation
8th percentile
Unemployment#2,567
6.1%
+15.0%
vs nation
20th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Jim Wells County is $123,600 (-56.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $938/mo and the homeownership rate is 68.5%.

Home Value#2,600
$123,600
-56.2%
vs nation
19th percentile
Rent#1,241
$938
-19.3%
vs nation
61th percentile
Homeownership#2,447
68.5%
+6.3%
vs nation
24th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Jim Wells County, 16.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 51.6% below the national average, ranking #2,614 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
16.3% −51.6% vs nation
Rank #2,614 of 3,222
19th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Jim Wells County is 71.2 years. 29.2% of adults report poor or fair health and 19.0% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,675
71.2
-5.3%
vs nation
13th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#3,046
29.2%
+49.3%
vs nation
3th percentile
Diabetes#3,082
16.6%
+49.1%
vs nation
2th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,730
41.7%
+11.8%
vs nation
13th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,616
5.7
+0.3%
vs nation
49th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,583
5.1
+14.0%
vs nation
18th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,959
19.0%
+81.3%
vs nation
6th percentile
Physical Inactivity#3,029
36.1%
+36.8%
vs nation
4th percentile
Food Insecurity#3,060
21.5%
+49.2%
vs nation
3th percentile

Substance Use

16.5% of adults in Jim Wells County smoke , 42.6% are obese , and 18.2% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 16.9 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,133
16.5%
-8.1%
vs nation
64th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,748
42.6%
+12.4%
vs nation
13th percentile
Excessive Drinking#936
18.2%
-8.2%
vs nation
70th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#379
16.9
-47.6%
vs nation
82th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Jim Wells County is 7.5 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 17.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 21.0 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#949
7.5
-6.8%
vs nation
38th percentile
Suicide Rate#1,197
17.7
-10.1%
vs nation
53th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#928
14.5
-18.6%
vs nation
62th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,696
21.0
+3.5%
vs nation
40th percentile

Families & Children

29.9% of children in Jim Wells County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 6.1 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 37.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#605
6.1
-9.7%
vs nation
56th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#2,727
37.2
+70.5%
vs nation
9th percentile
Child Poverty#2,844
29.9%
+57.4%
vs nation
10th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Jim Wells County is 47.8%. The mean commute time is 27.7 min, which is 0.5% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
47.8% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
27.7 min +0.5% vs nation
Rank #1,317 of 3,222
59th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Jim Wells County voted Republican with a margin of 15.6%. The vote was 42% Dem / 57.6% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.9 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +15.6%
42% 57.6%
Dem 13,268 votes Rep
2020 REP +9.7%
44.8% 54.5%
Dem 13,669 votes Rep
2016 DEM +10.4%
54.2% 43.8%
Dem 12,346 votes Rep
2012 DEM +17.0%
58.2% 41.2%
Dem 11,163 votes Rep
2008 DEM +16.1%
57.8% 41.7%
Dem 11,612 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Jim Wells County, Texas

Jim Wells County, Texas has a total population of 38,850, making it the 1,231st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Jim Wells County is 35.7 years, which is 8.2% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Jim Wells County is $51,896, which ranks #2,668 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 30.9% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 24.7%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.1%.

The median home value in Jim Wells County is $123,600, 56.2% below the national median. Renters in Jim Wells County pay a median gross rent of $938 per month. The homeownership rate is 68.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Jim Wells County, 16.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 51.6% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 79.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 27.7 min.

Jim Wells County is a community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Hispanic or Latino at 79.5% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (18.4%).

All data for Jim Wells 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.