Zavala County, Texas

TX · FIPS 48507 Democrat

Located in Texas, Zavala County has a population of 9,412 residents and a median age of 30.8 years, making it the #2,535 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 33.9%. The median home value is $98,800, and the median household income is $36,749, which is 51% below the national median.

9,412
Population
#2,535 of 3,222
$36,749
Median Income
-51.1% #3,109 of 3,222
30.8 years
Median Age
-20.8% #3,163 of 3,222
33.9%
Poverty Rate
+169.2% #3,133 of 3,222

Demographics

Zavala County has a population of 9,412, making it the #2,535 most populous county in the US. The median age is 30.8 years, which is 20.8% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

92.3%
Native Born
7.7%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Zavala County is $36,749, ranking #3,109 out of 3,222 counties — 51.1% below the national median. The poverty rate is 33.9% and unemployment stands at 3.9%.

Income#3,109
$36,749
-51.1%
vs nation
3th percentile
Per Capita#3,124
$20,265
-50.9%
vs nation
3th percentile
Poverty#3,133
33.9%
+169.2%
vs nation
3th percentile
Unemployment#1,294
3.9%
-25.7%
vs nation
60th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Zavala County is $98,800 (-65.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $548/mo and the homeownership rate is 69.0%.

Home Value#3,004
$98,800
-65.0%
vs nation
7th percentile
Rent#3,122
$548
-52.9%
vs nation
3th percentile
Homeownership#2,397
69.0%
+7.2%
vs nation
26th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Zavala County, 11.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 67.1% below the national average, ranking #3,151 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
11.1% −67.1% vs nation
Rank #3,151 of 3,222
2th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Zavala County is 69.9 years. 35.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 17.1% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,879
69.9
-7.0%
vs nation
6th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#3,131
35.9%
+83.5%
vs nation
0th percentile
Diabetes#3,139
20.1%
+80.6%
vs nation
0th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,829
42.3%
+13.4%
vs nation
10th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,032
5.8
+3.7%
vs nation
35th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#3,085
5.9
+31.9%
vs nation
2th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,855
17.1%
+63.7%
vs nation
9th percentile
Physical Inactivity#3,136
42.7%
+61.9%
vs nation
0th percentile
Food Insecurity#3,135
25.5%
+77.0%
vs nation
0th percentile

Substance Use

17.6% of adults in Zavala County smoke , 47.7% are obese , and 15.9% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#1,537
17.6%
-2.0%
vs nation
51th percentile
Adult Obesity#3,116
47.7%
+25.8%
vs nation
1th percentile
Excessive Drinking#342
15.9%
-19.7%
vs nation
89th percentile

Safety

. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 19.1 per 100,000.

Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,480
19.1
-5.7%
vs nation
48th percentile

Families & Children

42.5% of children in Zavala County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 44.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,895
44.6
+104.0%
vs nation
4th percentile
Child Poverty#3,105
42.5%
+123.8%
vs nation
1th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Zavala County is 54.1%. The mean commute time is 22.1 min, which is 19.9% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
54.1% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
22.1 min −19.9% vs nation
Rank #2,517 of 3,222
22th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Zavala County voted Democratic with a margin of 14.4%. The vote was 56.8% Dem / 42.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 17.0 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +14.4%
56.8% 42.4%
Dem 3,492 votes Rep
2020 DEM +31.4%
65.4% 34%
Dem 4,379 votes Rep
2016 DEM +57.3%
77.7% 20.4%
Dem 3,390 votes Rep
2012 DEM +67.6%
83.3% 15.7%
Dem 3,653 votes Rep
2008 DEM +68.8%
84.2% 15.4%
Dem 3,876 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Zavala County, Texas

Zavala County, Texas has a total population of 9,412, making it the 2,535th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Zavala County is 30.8 years, which is 20.8% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Zavala County is $36,749, which ranks #3,109 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 51.1% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 33.9%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.9%.

The median home value in Zavala County is $98,800, 65.0% below the national median. Renters in Zavala County pay a median gross rent of $548 per month. The homeownership rate is 69.0%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Zavala County, 11.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 67.1% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 85.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 22.1 min.

Zavala County is a community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Hispanic or Latino at 92.6% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (6.0%).

All data for Zavala 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.