Wharton County, Texas

TX · FIPS 48481 Republican

Located in Texas, Wharton County has a population of 41,794 residents and a median age of 38.1 years, making it the #1,172 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 13.6%. The median home value is $189,900, and the median household income is $66,924, which is 11% below the national median.

41,794
Population
#1,172 of 3,222
$66,924
Median Income
-10.9% #1,439 of 3,222
38.1 years
Median Age
-2.1% #2,571 of 3,222
13.6%
Poverty Rate
+8.0% #1,662 of 3,222

Demographics

Wharton County has a population of 41,794, making it the #1,172 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

91.5%
Native Born
8.5%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Wharton County is $66,924, ranking #1,439 out of 3,222 counties — 10.9% below the national median. The poverty rate is 13.6% and unemployment stands at 4.9%.

Income#1,439
$66,924
-10.9%
vs nation
55th percentile
Per Capita#1,649
$34,628
-16.1%
vs nation
49th percentile
Poverty#1,662
13.6%
+8.0%
vs nation
48th percentile
Unemployment#1,919
4.9%
-8.3%
vs nation
40th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Wharton County is $189,900 (-32.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,046/mo and the homeownership rate is 72.3%.

Home Value#1,518
$189,900
-32.6%
vs nation
53th percentile
Rent#858
$1,046
-10.1%
vs nation
73th percentile
Homeownership#1,980
72.3%
+12.2%
vs nation
39th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Wharton County, 20.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 38.5% below the national average, ranking #1,868 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
20.7% −38.5% vs nation
Rank #1,868 of 3,222
42th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Wharton County is 73.7 years. 24.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 20.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,025
73.7
-1.9%
vs nation
34th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,586
24.0%
+22.7%
vs nation
18th percentile
Diabetes#2,783
13.9%
+24.9%
vs nation
12th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,444
40.5%
+8.6%
vs nation
22th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,600
5.7
+0.1%
vs nation
49th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,063
4.7
+5.0%
vs nation
34th percentile
Uninsured Rate#3,032
20.6%
+97.1%
vs nation
4th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,560
31.0%
+17.5%
vs nation
19th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,412
16.8%
+16.6%
vs nation
23th percentile

Substance Use

17.7% of adults in Wharton County smoke , 41.4% are obese , and 19.6% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 15.2 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,573
17.7%
-1.4%
vs nation
50th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,490
41.4%
+9.2%
vs nation
21th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,418
19.6%
-1.5%
vs nation
55th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#254
15.2
-53.1%
vs nation
88th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Wharton County is 5.1 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 13.2 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 24.6 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#641
5.1
-35.8%
vs nation
58th percentile
Suicide Rate#451
13.2
-33.3%
vs nation
82th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,270
16.8
-6.1%
vs nation
49th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,065
24.6
+21.7%
vs nation
27th percentile

Families & Children

21.3% of children in Wharton County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 6.7 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 33.4 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#744
6.7
-2.2%
vs nation
46th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#2,544
33.4
+52.8%
vs nation
15th percentile
Child Poverty#2,094
21.3%
+12.1%
vs nation
33th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Wharton County is 59.1%. The mean commute time is 28.6 min, which is 3.6% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
59.1% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
28.6 min +3.6% vs nation
Rank #1,135 of 3,222
65th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Wharton County voted Republican with a margin of 51.8%. The vote was 23.8% Dem / 75.6% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 8.6 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +51.8%
23.8% 75.6%
Dem 16,452 votes Rep
2020 REP +43.2%
28% 71.2%
Dem 16,761 votes Rep
2016 REP +40.2%
28.8% 69%
Dem 14,707 votes Rep
2012 REP +39.1%
30.1% 69.2%
Dem 14,087 votes Rep
2008 REP +31.2%
34.2% 65.4%
Dem 14,418 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Wharton County, Texas

Wharton County, Texas has a total population of 41,794, making it the 1,172nd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Wharton County is 38.1 years, which is 2.1% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Wharton County is $66,924, which ranks #1,439 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 10.9% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 13.6%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.9%.

The median home value in Wharton County is $189,900, 32.6% below the national median. Renters in Wharton County pay a median gross rent of $1,046 per month. The homeownership rate is 72.3%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Wharton County, 20.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 38.5% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 85.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 28.6 min.

Wharton County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 43.3% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (42.0%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (10.9%).

All data for Wharton 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.