Port Arthur is home to 55,828 people in Texas. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 13% of adults. The poverty rate is 29.0%, above the 12.5% national rate. The typical home is worth $107,400, having roughly tripled since 2000. That trails the Texas median by roughly 41%. Median household income is $46,354, under the $82,259 national median.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $46,354, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 35.5
US median: 38.9
Less educated
13% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 65%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Port Arthur
What changed most since 1990
Hispanic share7.6% → 36.4%(+28.9 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
White share45.2% → 15.8%(−29.3 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Homes owned by their occupants65.0% → 58.0%(−7.0 pts)US over the same years: +0.9 pts
Port Arthur's population equals 22% of Jefferson County's. Its number of people who work from home equals 5.9% of the county's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 37% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)18.1%(354)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)25.2%(494)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era33.1%(648)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.5%(68)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.6%(11)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 1,958 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Port Arthur, decade by decade
Port Arthur population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
58,724
$44,516
$70,562
10.0%
76.3
2000
57,755
$48,192
$65,033
9.3%
84.4
2010
53,818
$44,948
$84,876
9.5%
86.8
2020
56,039
$45,808
$83,267
11.2%
85.7
2024
55,828
$46,354
$107,400
12.8%
83.1
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
