Karnes County, Texas

TX · FIPS 48255 Republican

Located in Texas, Karnes County has a population of 14,968 residents and a median age of 38.1 years, making it the #2,164 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 19.1%. The median home value is $149,000, and the median household income is $60,214, which is 20% below the national median.

14,968
Population
#2,164 of 3,222
$60,214
Median Income
-19.9% #2,059 of 3,222
38.1 years
Median Age
-2.1% #2,570 of 3,222
19.1%
Poverty Rate
+51.9% #2,586 of 3,222

Demographics

Karnes County has a population of 14,968, making it the #2,164 most populous county in the US. The median age is 38.1 years, which is 2.1% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

96.3%
Native Born
3.7%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Karnes County is $60,214, ranking #2,059 out of 3,222 counties — 19.9% below the national median. The poverty rate is 19.1% and unemployment stands at 2.9%.

Income#2,059
$60,214
-19.9%
vs nation
36th percentile
Per Capita#2,206
$31,304
-24.1%
vs nation
32th percentile
Poverty#2,586
19.1%
+51.9%
vs nation
20th percentile
Unemployment#639
2.9%
-44.5%
vs nation
80th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Karnes County is $149,000 (-47.1% vs national). Renters pay a median of $957/mo and the homeownership rate is 62.4%.

Home Value#2,270
$149,000
-47.1%
vs nation
29th percentile
Rent#1,155
$957
-17.7%
vs nation
64th percentile
Homeownership#2,883
62.4%
-3.1%
vs nation
11th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Karnes County, 14.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 57.6% below the national average, ranking #2,908 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
14.3% −57.6% vs nation
Rank #2,908 of 3,222
10th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Karnes County is 74.1 years. 26.8% of adults report poor or fair health and 18.3% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,915
74.1
-1.4%
vs nation
38th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,906
26.8%
+37.0%
vs nation
8th percentile
Diabetes#2,978
15.0%
+34.7%
vs nation
5th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,365
40.2%
+7.8%
vs nation
25th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,345
5.5
-2.0%
vs nation
57th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,300
4.9
+9.0%
vs nation
27th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,925
18.3%
+75.1%
vs nation
7th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,791
32.9%
+24.7%
vs nation
11th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,687
18.1%
+25.6%
vs nation
15th percentile

Substance Use

17.0% of adults in Karnes County smoke , 40.5% are obese , and 19.3% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#1,300
17.0%
-5.3%
vs nation
59th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,225
40.5%
+6.8%
vs nation
29th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,302
19.3%
-2.7%
vs nation
59th percentile

Safety

. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 18.7 per 100,000.

Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,436
18.7
-7.6%
vs nation
49th percentile

Families & Children

26.5% of children in Karnes County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 32.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,499
32.6
+49.4%
vs nation
17th percentile
Child Poverty#2,627
26.5%
+39.5%
vs nation
16th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Karnes County is 47.8%. The mean commute time is 23.5 min, which is 14.7% below the national average.

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

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
23.5 min −14.7% vs nation
Rank #2,244 of 3,222
30th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Karnes County voted Republican with a margin of 58.1%. The vote was 20.7% Dem / 78.8% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 6.0 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +58.1%
20.7% 78.8%
Dem 5,075 votes Rep
2020 REP +52.1%
23.5% 75.6%
Dem 5,249 votes Rep
2016 REP +43.4%
27.3% 70.7%
Dem 4,185 votes Rep
2012 REP +35.8%
31.7% 67.5%
Dem 4,180 votes Rep
2008 REP +21.5%
38.9% 60.4%
Dem 4,527 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Karnes County, Texas

Karnes County, Texas has a total population of 14,968, making it the 2,164th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Karnes County is 38.1 years, which is 2.1% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Karnes County is $60,214, which ranks #2,059 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 19.9% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 19.1%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.9%.

The median home value in Karnes County is $149,000, 47.1% below the national median. Renters in Karnes County pay a median gross rent of $957 per month. The homeownership rate is 62.4%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Karnes County, 14.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 57.6% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 84.2% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 23.5 min.

Karnes County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Hispanic or Latino at 53.4% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (34.7%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (9.3%).

All data for Karnes 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.