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COUNTY

Rusk County

Texas · 54,854 residents (2025 est.) · 924 sq mi
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The short version

With 52,842 people, Rusk County is a county in Texas. 18% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. 79% of homes are owner-occupied. Home values have roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $171,300. The foreign-born share is 6%. There are 57 people per square mile.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 39.1
US median: 38.9
Less educated
18% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 64%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
52,842
+12%since 2000
from 47,372 in 2000
54,854 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
57 / sq mi
+9%since 2009
from 52 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
39.1
+3%since 2000
from 38.1 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
924 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
43K46K49K52K55K19902000201020202024Rusk County
202453K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.4%(2,865)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.6%(2,976)
US avg: 6%
10 to 147.3%(3,860)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.4%(3,393)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.4%(3,372)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3413.2%(6,965)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4413.5%(7,152)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412.2%(6,456)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6412.4%(6,578)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7410.6%(5,623)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.7%(2,487)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.1%(1,115)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$68,658
+15%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $32,898 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$33,876
+103%since 2000
from $16,674 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
46.2%
+22.1 ptssince 2009
from 24.2% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
14.4%
−0.2 ptssince 2000
from 14.6% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.480
+4%since 2010
from 0.462 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade11%
US avg: 9.9%
Information10.5%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade8.6%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance6.6%
US avg: 5.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing5.8%
US avg: 1.6%
Manufacturing4.7%
US avg: 0.4%
Other services4.6%
US avg: 6.7%
Professional, scientific, technical4.3%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing3.8%
US avg: 2.2%
Public administration3.6%
US avg: 4.8%
Education & health services2.3%
US avg: 0.9%
Arts, entertainment, food2.1%
US avg: 1.9%
Construction1.1%
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$171,300
+64%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $57,500 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,015
+33%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $419 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
78.8%
−1.0 ptssince 2000
from 79.9% in 2000
21.2% rent
Vacancy rate
15.4%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 14.8% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.65 people
+7%since 2009
from 2.48 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
16.0%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 16.7% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
36.8%
+11.3 ptssince 2009
from 25.5% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
2.5
+28%since 2009
from 2.0 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
43
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic71.2%(33,737)
Black19.1%(9,037)
Hispanic / Latino8.4%(3,998)
Asian0.2%(112)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic61.4%(32,458)
Black13.2%(6,964)
Hispanic / Latino19.1%(10,088)
Asian0.4%(191)
Other5.9%(3,141)
Diversity Score
71
+17%since 2009
from 60 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
20
Unchangedsince 2020
from 20 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican15.5%(8,180)
Salvadoran1.1%(558)
Puerto Rican0.7%(369)
Spaniard0.2%(100)
Colombian0.2%(93)
Honduran0.1%(36)
Ecuadorian0.1%(29)
Cuban0%(16)
Peruvian0%(16)
+ 3 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Vietnamese0.1%(74)
Cambodian0.1%(47)
Chinese0.1%(38)
Filipino0.1%(35)
Korean0%(1)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.3%(175)
Tongan0.2%(107)
Guamanian0%(11)
Ancestry
American19.2%(10,152)
English11.3%(5,948)
Irish8.8%(4,642)
German6.9%(3,663)
Italian1.7%(895)
French1.3%(713)
Scottish1.3%(663)
Scotch-Irish0.6%(315)
Norwegian0.6%(296)
Dutch0.5%(257)
Czech0.4%(189)
+ 22 more ancestry groups with data
Swedish0.3%(179)
Welsh0.2%(128)
Polish0.2%(111)
West Indian0.2%(95)
British0.2%(84)
Hungarian0.1%(71)
Russian0.1%(64)
Arab0.1%(59)
Danish0.1%(51)
Nigerian0.1%(38)
Lebanese0.1%(32)
Austrian0.1%(32)
Greek0.1%(32)
Canadian0.1%(29)
Turkish0.1%(28)
Swiss0%(17)
Haitian0%(16)
Jamaican0%(16)
Belgian0%(7)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
17.5%
+4.8 ptssince 2000
from 12.8% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
84.8%
+10.7 ptssince 2000
from 74.1% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
5.9%
+1.2 ptssince 2000
from 4.7% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
26.6 min
+66%since 2000
from 16.0 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
83.9%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 84.8% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.6%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 9.3% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.2%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
5.1%
+2.6 ptssince 2009
from 2.5% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.1%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 1.9% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.1%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.3% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
4.5%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 4.5% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.5%
−0.3 ptssince 2011
from 4.8% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
52.9%
−1.2 ptssince 2011
from 54.2% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
65.7%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 64.8% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
13.8%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 14.0% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
31.2%
+5.7 ptssince 2009
from 25.5% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
52.9%
+1.1 ptssince 2009
from 51.8% in 2009
Female
47.1%
−1.1 ptssince 2009
from 48.2% in 2009
Foreign born
6.3%
+1.1 ptssince 2009
from 5.2% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
7.0%
−5.4 ptssince 2009
from 12.4% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
15.6%
+0.4 ptssince 2012
from 15.2% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
13.7%
−8.1 ptssince 2013
from 21.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
79.6%
+20.2 ptssince 2017
from 59.4% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
91.7%
+4.5 ptssince 2020
from 87.2% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
87.1%
+4.6 ptssince 2020
from 82.5% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
86.1%
−0.8 ptssince 2016
from 86.8% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
13.3%
+1.2 ptssince 2016
from 12.1% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married35.1%(8,062)
Married48.4%(11,138)
Widowed3.7%(846)
Divorced12.8%(2,953)
Women 15+
Never married26.5%(5,347)
Married50.7%(10,202)
Widowed10.4%(2,104)
Divorced12.4%(2,489)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
13.7%
−8.1 ptssince 2013
from 21.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
47.1%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 47.6% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
13.8%
−0.9 ptssince 2020
from 14.7% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
20.6%
+1.5 ptssince 2020
from 19.1% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
19.1%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 17.9% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.6%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 2.4% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
60.2%
−0.8 ptssince 2020
from 61.0% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
37.8%
+3.6 ptssince 2020
from 34.2% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

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)22.1%(637)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)29.3%(845)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era28.4%(818)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.5%(100)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II3.7%(108)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 2,883 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
Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare Rusk County to nearby counties

RUSK COUNTY VS
Gregg County
Income$66,550−3%
Home value$203,400+19%
Population126,095+130%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RUSK COUNTY VS
Panola County
Income$64,894−5%
Home value$158,100−8%
Population23,018−58%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RUSK COUNTY VS
Cherokee County
Income$61,261−11%
Home value$169,300−1%
Population53,337−3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RUSK COUNTY VS
Nacogdoches County
Income$53,555−22%
Home value$169,200−1%
Population66,035+20%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Rusk County, Texas?

Rusk County, Texas has about 52,842 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Rusk County, Texas?

The typical household in Rusk County, Texas earns about $68,658 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Rusk County, Texas expensive?

In Rusk County, Texas, the median home is worth about $171,300, and the typical rent is about $1,015 a month.

How educated are people in Rusk County, Texas?

About 17.5% of adults age 25 and over in Rusk County, Texas hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Rusk County, Texas?

About 14.4% of people in Rusk County, Texas live below the federal poverty line.

Has Rusk County, Texas grown since 1990?

Yes, Rusk County, Texas has grown since 1990. The population has added about 9,107 residents, a change of about 21 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

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