county

Karnes County, TX

Demographic and economic profile of Karnes County, TX, sourced from the US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) via Data USA.

AI Overview

Karnes County is a small South Texas county of 14,819 people with an economy that punches well above its population size—GDP per capita of $447,467 points to a heavy concentration in oil and gas extraction. The available labor force is limited, with a participation rate of just 43.8% and only 16.0% of residents holding a bachelor's degree, though worker earnings of $32,891 and housing costs anchored by a $136,900 median home value keep labor relatively affordable. The county has shed 3.7% of its population over five years, and a poverty rate of 21.3% alongside an unemployment rate of 4.6% reflect ongoing structural pressures in the local economy.

Claude Sonnet 4.6 · generated Jul 6, 2026 · derived from cached Census, BEA & ACS data on this page

Population

14,819

Census ACS · as of 2023

Median Household Income

$60,214

Data USA · as of 2024

Median Age

38.1 yrs

Data USA · as of 2024

Population Growth (5-year)

-3.7% since 2018

Karnes County lost population at this rate over the prior 5-year ACS5 window.

Demographics

Race & Ethnicity

  • White Alone7,630 (51.0%)
  • Two Races Including Some Other Race3,774 (25.2%)
  • Some Other Race Alone1,581 (10.6%)
  • Black or African American Alone1,424 (9.5%)
  • Two Races Excluding Some Other Race, & Three or More Races479 (3.2%)
  • Asian Alone45 (0.3%)

Data USA · as of 2024

Top Languages Spoken at Home

  1. 1.Spanish3,517
  2. 2.Vietnamese227
  3. 3.Russian, Polish, or other Slavic65
  4. 4.Other Indo-European55
  5. 5.German or other West Germanic38

Census ACS · as of 2023

Population Under 18

20.1%

Census ACS · as of 2023

Working-Age (18–64)

65.0%

Census ACS · as of 2023

Population 65 and Over

14.9%

Census ACS · as of 2023

Foreign-Born Population

3.7%

Data USA · as of 2024

Veterans

471

Data USA · as of 2024

Economy

GDP per Capita

$447,467

Data USA · as of 2023

Cost of Living Index

—

Not yet cached

Per Capita Income

$28,251

Census ACS · as of 2023

Unemployment Rate

4.6%

Census ACS · as of 2023

Poverty Rate

21.3%

Census ACS · as of 2023

Top Industries

  1. 1.Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance1,103
  2. 2.Construction (Group)693
  3. 3.Public Administration (Group)619
  4. 4.Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining577
  5. 5.Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation, & Accommodation & Food Services525

Data USA · as of 2024

Top Occupations

  1. 1.Service Occupations1,570
  2. 2.Management, Business, Science, & Arts Occupations1,485
  3. 3.Sales & Office Occupations1,060
  4. 4.Natural Resources, Construction, & Maintenance Occupations730
  5. 5.Production, Transportation, & Material Moving Occupations502

Data USA · as of 2024

Specialized Industries (Location Quotient)

  1. 1.Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining (LQ 7.36×)594
  2. 2.Public Administration (LQ 2.12×)507
  3. 3.Construction (LQ 1.67×)585
  4. 4.Information (LQ 1.63×)155
  5. 5.Other Services (LQ 1.30×)311

Census ACS · as of 2023

Housing

Median Home Value

$136,900

Census ACS · as of 2023

Median Gross Rent

$872/mo

Census ACS · as of 2023

Homeownership Rate

62.4%

Data USA · as of 2024

Home Value Distribution

  • $300,000 to $399,999329 (11.1%)
  • $200,000 to $249,999270 (9.1%)
  • $80,000 to $89,999207 (7.0%)
  • $250,000 to $299,999200 (6.8%)
  • $90,000 to $99,999193 (6.5%)
  • $100,000 to $124,999193 (6.5%)

Data USA · as of 2024

Education

Bachelor's Degree or Higher

16.0%

Census ACS · as of 2023

High School Diploma or Higher

77.2%

Census ACS · as of 2023

Workforce

Labor Force Participation

43.8%

Census ACS · as of 2023

Median Worker Earnings

$32,891

Census ACS · as of 2023

Mean Commute Time

20.9 min

Data USA · as of 2024

Households Without a Vehicle

8.4%

Census ACS · as of 2023

How People Get to Work

  • Drove Alone3,901 (75.1%)
  • Carpooled614 (11.8%)
  • Walked244 (4.7%)
  • Worked At Home238 (4.6%)
  • Other137 (2.6%)
  • Bicycle57 (1.1%)

Data USA · as of 2024

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Data: US Census Bureau American Community Survey, served via Data USA and the Census Bureau API. See each metric tile for the specific dataset.