Rusk County, Texas
Located in Texas, Rusk County has a population of 52,842 residents and a median age of 39.1 years, making it the #978 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 14.4%. The median home value is $171,300, and the median household income is $68,658, which is 9% below the national median.
Demographics
Rusk County has a population of 52,842, making it the #978 most populous county in the US. The median age is 39.1 years, which is 0.5% above 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 Rusk County is $68,658, ranking #1,287 out of 3,222 counties — 8.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 14.4% and unemployment stands at 4.5%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Rusk County is $171,300 (-39.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,015/mo and the homeownership rate is 78.8%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Rusk County, 17.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 48.0% below the national average, ranking #2,425 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Rusk County is 73.6 years. 20.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 19.0% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
17.5% of adults in Rusk County smoke , 39.6% are obese , and 20.5% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 9.3 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Rusk County is 5.6 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 16.0 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 32.3 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
17.1% of children in Rusk County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.0 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 27.1 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Rusk County is 54.5%. The mean commute time is 28.5 min, which is 3.4% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Rusk County voted Republican with a margin of 59.4%. The vote was 20% Dem / 79.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.7 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Rusk County, Texas
Rusk County, Texas has a total population of 52,842, making it the 978th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Rusk County is 39.1 years, which is 0.5% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Rusk County is $68,658, which ranks #1,287 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 8.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 14.4%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.5%.
The median home value in Rusk County is $171,300, 39.2% below the national median. Renters in Rusk County pay a median gross rent of $1,015 per month. The homeownership rate is 78.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Rusk County, 17.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 48.0% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 86.3% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 28.5 min.
Rusk County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 61.4% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (19.1%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (13.2%).
All data for Rusk 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.