The 10 Richest Counties in Texas
If you have the American map on your table, you will see Texas state lying in the South-Central part of the nation. In 1845, Texas joined the state of the Union. Different geographical sources state that the state has a 1,600-kilometer stretch from the South to the North.
Water bodies mark its boundaries. Some prominent physical features marking its boundaries are the Red River in the Eastern part, the Sabina River forms its boundary with Louisiana to the East, and the Gulf of Mexico, where the coastline separates the state from Mexico.
Before joining the other American state, Texas was a colony of the Spanish empire from 1821 to 1826. The most outstanding feature of the Texans is their cowboy culture.
According to Britannica, everyday economic activities in Texas include agricultural wealth, urban centers that exhibit a high sense of cultural life, and gas and oil exploitation. Over the years, different counties in Texas have developed various sources of income that have contributed to the collective net worth of the state. In this article, we shall be discussing the ten richest counties in Mexico.
Factors to Consider When Ranking the Wealth of an Area
Before we get into the ranking of the ten wealthiest counties in Texas, it is good that we guide you on the information you shall encounter. The key parameters shall be the median household income, median property value, and county poverty rating.
The education level of each country’s population is significant because it shows how many people can be absorbed into the formal sector.
Major economic activities must also be given priority and the region’s largest employers. In some cases, we shall look at the health status of the general population because it plays a significant role in determining the nature and availability of the labor force.
For directional purposes, we shall also mention the exact location of each county. The information herein combines analyzing the U.S. Population census reports of 2020, BEA data, IRS SOI Tax Statistics, and information from the National Association of Realtors.
10. Glasscock County (Per Capita Income of $30,062)
The average median household income for the residents of Glasscock County was recorded to be $74,375 in 2020. However, 8.8% 0f the population is rated to live at the poverty line. The county is one of the least populated, with the 202 censuses reporting that it had 1116 inhabitants, with whites making 95% of the population and 2.7% being African Americans.
In addition, the county’s median gross rent of $920 between 2016 and 2020. There is a meager residential growth rate, with no one obtaining a building permit in 201121. The county located in the Western part of the state has agriculture as the main economic activity. Principal crops are grain sorghums, wheat, cotton, sheep, and beef cattle.
It also has 56,000 acres which are irrigated. Whereas there is no manufacturing in this county, it produces oil. Surprisingly, there has never been a railway line in the county, with significant roads being State Highway 137, Farm Road 33, and State Highway 158. There are also recorded cases of domestic fishing in lakes Curry and Dewey, and some locals take hunting as part of their recreational activities. The area is sparsely populated, with only 436 households recorded in the 2020 census. In the same census, the county had a per capita income of $30,062.
9. Hays County (Per Capita Income of $32,988)
Hays County is one of the fastest growing economies in Texas, with various studies rating its business growth rate above 10%. The county has a per capita income of $32,988, a median household income of $68,724, and 9.6 % of its population is in poverty. In terms of literacy level, 905 of those who attained the age of 25 by 2020 had attended high school education, and 38.6% had bachelor’s degrees. It has a population that is estimated to be above 241,000. Located in the Edwards plateau, it has its headquarters in San Marcos. In addition, it has a strong culture of agriculture.
8. Gillespie County (Per Capita Income of $34,689)
Gillespie County has its local government seat at Fredericksburg, and a comparative analysis of the 2020 census shows that it had a population of 26,725. The county is located in the Edwards Plateau part of Texas state. The 1,062 square miles county has Interstate 10, U.S. Highway 87, and State Highway 16 as part of its major highways. According to Texas Demographics, the county has a median household income of $61,445.
The county recorded a per capita income of $34,689 between 2016 and 2020, and it has 9.2% of its population living within the poverty line. The employment rate in the county has been growing with a 1.03% growth between 2019 and 2020. Among the top companies in the county are the Little All Stars Day Care, Hill County Deer Processing, Crime Stoppers, and the Giddings Economic Development Corporation.
Regarding health, 23.9% of the population under 65 years had no health insurance by 2020. 89.7% of those who had attained the age of 25 years by 2020 had gone beyond the high school level, and among them, 34.1% had attained a bachelor’s degree. The median gross rent between 2016-2022 was $993.
7. Dallas County (Per Capita Income of $35,384)
At the Northern Central of Texas lies the grand County of Dallas. It borders the Rockwall and Kaufman to the East, Collin, and Denton to the North, and Tarrant County to the West. A key geographical feature of the county is the Trinity River which, together with its tributaries, form the primary source of water for the count’s residents. The 2020 census revealed that Dallas is the 2nd most populated County in America, with a population of 2.6 million.
The headquarters of the county is in Dallas City, which also houses its major economic powers. It highly depends on the Dallas group of colleges spread across different parts of the county, together with the Dallas Baptist University, the University of Dallas, and the Southern Methodist University. Besides its wide network area, the county is served by the Love Field and Dallas International commercial airports.
The county also records the highest number of Veterans, with the latest records showing that they are almost 92,201. The median gross rent is $1,159, the median household income is $61,870, and in 2020 it recorded a per capita income of $35,384).
Among its population, 32.5 % have attained university education. Dallas is the home of giant companies specializing in food manufacturing, logistics, I.T. Services, and telecommunications. Among the major companies in Dallas are AT&T, Solera, Tellabs, Pinnacle Group, and Texas Instruments.
6. Comal County (Per Capita Income of $39,942)
Comal County had a median household income of $80,781, a per capita income of $39,942, a median property value of $293,600, and a poverty rate of 7.66%, according to the 2020 U.S. population census.
In the county, males have a higher income rate of 1.39 times that of their female counterparts, earning $50,589. In total, the economy of this county has employed almost 68,800 people. The largest employers in Comal County are healthcare and social assistance, construction, mining, gas exploitation, agriculture, and fishing, in that order.
Some of the leading employers in the area are the Comal District schools, Schlitterbahn Waterpark, Wal-Mart Distribution Center, the New Braunfels ISD, and others. The county’s median household income has a growth rate of 1.06%.
In Comal County, female students are more than male stunts with a ratio of 63:5. The majority are white -non -Hispanic (66.6%), white (Hispanic) at 20.5%, among others. The percentage of those who are foreign-born is 5.88%. Though the county may not rank as the richest, it has a noticeable 89.2% of its population having a medical cover, and 48.9% is among those with employee health plans. Per year, physicians attend an average of 1546 patients.
5. Rockwall County (Per Capita income of $45,461)
Rockwall County is located in the Blackland Prairies and is the smallest county in Texas. Most of the county’s land is fertile and produces high yields. The median household income in the county is $105, 956 and the per capita income between 2016-2020 was $45,461.
It has one of the lowest poverty rates at 4.8%. 69.0% of the population aged 16 years and above form the county’s civilian labor force, and 61.6% are women.
The county has a high literacy level, with 93% of those aged 25 years and above having attained high school education and 42.9% having bachelor’s degrees. The county’s median value of owner-occupied houses is $283,000, and the median gross Trent between 2016-2020 is $1,472.
The county, measuring only 149 square miles, has a median income of $100,920. According to the Dallas Culture, the county recorded a population of 116,000 in 2021, which was a 7.94% growth from the 2020 records.
4. Kendall County (Per Capita Income of $47,724)
One of the key natural features of the Texas state is the Edwards Plateau, and it is on this plateau where Kendall County lies. Recent population census rates the population of Kendall County to be slightly above forty-four thousand.
It is among the countries with the highest population growth of 5.16%. According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has 60.9% of its population in the civilian labor force, with 52.3% of them being women. The county’s median household income by 2020 was $98,862, with a per capita income of $47,724. The percentage of persons who were living in poverty was 6.7%.
It has a considerable number of veterans, estimated to be around 3,500. In terms of education, the county has 94.1% of its population aged over 25 years having completed high school, and 45.3% have attained higher education status (bachelor’s degree). The median gross rent in the county between 2016 to 2020 was $1,278.
3. Midland County (Per Capita Income of $59,283)
Midland seats in the Western part of Texas, U.S. The country is the home of 12 Hereford cattle ranches in the region. In addition, it is also the trade and financial center of the Permian Basin, which is famous for oil, gas, salt, anhydrite, and potassium. Since 1923 the county has been among the leading in oil production.
Those interested in examining the county’s mining history can visit the Midland’s Permian Basin Petroleum Museum. Among the earliest learning institutions in the County is Midland College which was founded in 1969. Among the famous people to be produced by the county is Laura Bush (former American first lady). The county enjoys a $59,283 per capita investment income, with the medium home value being $279,569.
2. Denton County (Per Capita Income of $62,994)
Denton county has a population of about 906,422 people, according to the latest U. S census. It has its local government sitting in Denton city, and some of the noticeable geographical features of the county are Lewisville and Ray Roberts Lake.
The county borders Cooke County to the north, Dallas to the southeast, and Wise County to the West. According to Data USA, the median household income for the county is $90,354, the median property value is $297,100, and it has a per capita income of $62,994.
Key learning institutions in the county are the University of North Texas, Texas Woman’s University, and Ogle School Hair Nails-Denton. in terms of population composition, the majority are white (non-Hispanic) (58.2%), with the African Americans rating at 9.68% and Asians rating at 9.12% and the other groups sharing the remaining percentage.
The county has a high literacy level, with 92.8% attaining high school education and 45.8% of them managing to attain a bachelor’s degree, contributing to its citizens’ high employability rate. Lastly, the county has 6.9% of its population living in poverty.
1. Travis County (Per Capita Income of $73,032)
You shall find Travis County quietly lying in the Southern Central part of Texas. According to the 2020 census, the county’s population was 1.3 million. It is in this county where the Capital city of Texas lies-Austin. Recent surveys have demonstrated that Travis County is among those with the highest property tax.
The per capita investment of Travis County is $38,381, and it enjoys a median home value of $519,353 and a per capita income of $73,032. According to the Info please, it has 72.0% of its population in the labor force, with the majority of employed people being females.
Significant occupations in the county are management professionals (43.7%) and service occupations (12.6 %), among others. One of the menaces that have affected the people of this county is smoking, with the adult smoking rate at 9.9%.
Among the significant public learning institutions in the county is the Austin Independent School District, which is the home of two schools for kids with special needs: the Texas School for the Deaf, another for the Blind, and the Visually Impaired.
In Conclusion
Next time you look for areas to invest in and earn good profits in Texas, look for the above counties. At least each county has a central area on which it bases its economic strength, and ensure that you understand it before making your investment decision.
However, it is always good to keep in touch with different business journals that can give you extra information on new areas of economic exploitation in the counties.
