Howard County, Texas: commercial real estate data.
Howard County, Texas has a population of 32,290 across 901 square miles, down 11.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $10.02 bn in 2024, 737 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 11 7(a) approvals worth $11.6 m.
121 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Howard County
How many people live in Howard County
- Population32,290
- Households12,191
- Average household size2.65
- Median household income$69,649
- Median age36.7
- Median gross rent$1,034 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$155,600
- Home value to household income2.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher15.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over22,132
- Population under 187,297
- Share under 1822.6 percent
- Population 65 and over4,322
- Share 65 and over13.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6420,671
- Civilian labor force14,264
- Unemployment rate5.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over57.1 percent
- Rank by population among Texas counties89th of 254
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1414th
Howard County is the 89th largest of 254 Texas counties by population. A median home costs 2.2 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.6 percent against 13.4 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Howard County
Is Howard County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-11.55 percent
- Census 2020 base population34,860
- Births, 2024380
- Deaths, 2024436
- Natural change, 2024-56
- Net domestic migration, 2024-98
- Net international migration, 2024280
- Total net migration, 2024182
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-4,669
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents3133rd
The county has lost 11.55 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Howard County
Where people moving to Howard County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving650
- People arriving, from those returns1,318
- Adjusted gross income arriving$33.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$51,320
- Largest single originHoward County Non-migrants (10,119 households)
- Largest single destination (10,119 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Howard County Non-migrants | 10,119 | 21,611 | $868.8 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 310 | 606 | $14.4 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 194 | 425 | $10.6 m |
| Other flows - West | 103 | 201 | $5.6 m |
| Other flows - South | 67 | 165 | $3.7 m |
| Midland County | 60 | 132 | $3.5 m |
| Lubbock County | 24 | 33 | $1.0 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 24 | 59 | $1.3 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Howard County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Howard County
What the Howard County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$10.02 bn
- County GDP, 2023$11.77 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-14.9 percent
- GDP change over five years168.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among Texas counties36th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents438th
- GDP per resident$310,263
Output grew -14.9 percent in the latest year and 168.4 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Howard County
Who employs people in Howard County
- Covered employment, annual average12,785
- Establishments reporting922
- Average annual pay$65,285
- Average weekly wage$1,255
- Sector 44-45, employment1,498
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$46,014
- Sector 72, employment1,300
- Sector 72, average annual pay$24,769
- Sector 21, employment884
- Sector 21, average annual pay$96,554
- Sector 23, employment698
- Sector 23, average annual pay$78,112
- Sector 31-33, employment680
- Sector 42, employment504
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 1,498 | 107 | $46,014 |
| Sector 72 | 1,300 | 87 | $24,769 |
| Sector 21 | 884 | 62 | $96,554 |
| Sector 23 | 698 | 65 | $78,112 |
| Sector 31-33 | 680 | 27 | $98,488 |
| Sector 42 | 504 | 47 | $87,711 |
| Sector 56 | 379 | 38 | $54,218 |
| Sector 22 | 376 | 8 | $142,765 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,498 jobs, 11.7 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Howard County
What businesses operate in Howard County
- Establishments, all industries737
- Employment at those establishments9,082
- Annual payroll$548.3 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents22.8
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Howard County
What is being built in Howard County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202475
- Declared construction value permitted$25.4 m
- Single family units authorised68
- Multifamily units authorised7
- Multifamily share of units9.3 percent
- Average declared value per unit$338,129
- Units authorised per 1,000 households6.2
Multifamily is 9.3 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Howard County
How much SBA lending happens in Howard County
- 7(a) approvals recorded11
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$11.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,051,464
- Median 7(a) approval$320,000
- 10th percentile approval$60,000
- 90th percentile approval$3,637,300
- Largest single approval$4,166,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)71
- Jobs per approval6.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active9
- Distinct industries receiving approvals11
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer36.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms4
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter7
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals9.1 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (1)
- Most active lenderNortheast Bank (3)
- 504 approvals recorded5
- 504 gross approval dollars$4.5 m
- Average 504 approval$892,000
- Median 504 approval$237,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval9.4
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved10.5
- Most active CDCCapital Certified Development Corporation (3)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals68.8 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$16.0 m
The average approval of $1,051,464 sits well above the median of $320,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. 36.4 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Howard County
Do SBA loans in Howard County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded4
- Paid in full4
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full4
- Status: Cancelled5
- Status: Exempt from disclosure2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 4 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Howard County
Which parts of Howard County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- BIG SPRING, approvals10
- Big Springs, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| BIG SPRING | 10 | $11,485,300 |
| Big Springs | 1 | $80,800 |
BIG SPRING accounts for 10 approvals against 1 in Big Springs. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Howard County
How big is Howard County
- Land area901 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Texas counties141st of 254
- Width, east to west30.4 mi
- Height, north to south30.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land36
- Establishments per square mile0.82
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Howard County
What hazards affect Howard County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book3
- Of those, participating in the NFIP3
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Howard County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Howard County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population32,290
- Households12,191
- Average household size2.65
- Median household income$69,649
- Median age36.7
Common questions
Howard County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Howard County, Texas?
32,290, in 12,191 households, ranking 89th of 254 Texas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Howard County growing?
The population has fallen 11.55 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 380 births against 436 deaths, with net migration of 182. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Howard County?
$69,649. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $155,600, which is 2.2 times income, and median gross rent is $1,034 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Howard County?
737 establishments, employing 9,082 people with an annual payroll of $548.3 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Howard County?
Average annual pay is $65,285, or $1,255 a week, across 12,785 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Howard County?
11 7(a) approvals totalling $11.6 m since FY2020, across 9 lenders, with a median approval of $320,000, plus 5 504 approvals worth $4.5 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Howard County?
75 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $25.4 m. Multifamily was 9.3 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Howard County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Howard County come from?
The largest single origin is Howard County Non-migrants, with 10,119 households. Arriving households report an average income of $51,320 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Howard County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Howard County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.