Jim Wells County, Texas: commercial real estate data.
Jim Wells County, Texas has a population of 38,850 across 865 square miles, down 0.0 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.85 bn in 2024, 783 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 13 7(a) approvals worth $13.8 m.
121 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Jim Wells County
How many people live in Jim Wells County
- Population38,850
- Households13,279
- Average household size2.93
- Median household income$51,896
- Median age35.7
- Median gross rent$938 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$123,600
- Home value to household income2.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income21.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher16.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree4.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over24,780
- Population under 1810,609
- Share under 1827.3 percent
- Population 65 and over6,319
- Share 65 and over16.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6421,922
- Civilian labor force16,387
- Unemployment rate6.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over58.0 percent
- Rank by population among Texas counties81st of 254
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1231st
Jim Wells County is the 81st largest of 254 Texas counties by population. A median home costs 2.4 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 27.3 percent against 16.3 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Jim Wells County
Is Jim Wells County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.04 percent
- Census 2020 base population38,901
- Births, 2024545
- Deaths, 2024493
- Natural change, 202452
- Net domestic migration, 2024-64
- Net international migration, 202486
- Total net migration, 202422
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-156
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1846th
The county has lost 0.04 percent of its population since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Jim Wells County
Where people moving to Jim Wells County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving861
- People arriving, from those returns1,797
- Adjusted gross income arriving$37.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$43,861
- Largest single originJim Wells County Non-migrants (13,698 households)
- Largest single destination (13,698 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Wells County Non-migrants | 13,698 | 29,679 | $723.4 m |
| Nueces County | 213 | 431 | $10.5 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 195 | 386 | $8.4 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 104 | 222 | $4.5 m |
| Duval County | 87 | 215 | $2.9 m |
| Bexar County | 62 | 115 | $2.7 m |
| San Patricio County | 53 | 115 | $2.7 m |
| Other flows - West | 43 | 95 | $1.8 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Jim Wells 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.
Jim Wells County
What the Jim Wells County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.85 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.87 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-0.7 percent
- GDP change over five years33.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among Texas counties113th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1350th
- GDP per resident$47,746
Output grew -0.7 percent in the latest year and 33.6 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.
Jim Wells County
Who employs people in Jim Wells County
- Covered employment, annual average15,016
- Establishments reporting871
- Average annual pay$47,794
- Average weekly wage$919
- Sector 21, employment2,040
- Sector 21, average annual pay$108,464
- Sector 72, employment1,667
- Sector 72, average annual pay$16,916
- Sector 44-45, employment1,554
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$35,254
- Sector 42, employment508
- Sector 42, average annual pay$75,475
- Sector 23, employment380
- Sector 53, employment309
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 21 | 2,040 | 64 | $108,464 |
| Sector 72 | 1,667 | 79 | $16,916 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,554 | 122 | $35,254 |
| Sector 42 | 508 | 54 | $75,475 |
| Sector 23 | 380 | 53 | $50,740 |
| Sector 53 | 309 | 34 | $66,889 |
| Sector 56 | 286 | 30 | $53,510 |
| Sector 81 | 261 | 62 | $38,493 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 2,040 jobs, 13.6 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.
Jim Wells County
What businesses operate in Jim Wells County
- Establishments, all industries783
- Employment at those establishments12,790
- Annual payroll$473.3 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents20.2
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.
Jim Wells County
What is being built in Jim Wells County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20244
- Declared construction value permitted$789,694
- Single family units authorised4
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$197,424
- Units authorised per 1,000 households0.3
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Jim Wells County
How much SBA lending happens in Jim Wells County
- 7(a) approvals recorded13
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$13.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,057,877
- Median 7(a) approval$250,000
- 10th percentile approval$15,000
- 90th percentile approval$3,550,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)150
- Jobs per approval11.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active10
- Distinct industries receiving approvals12
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer38.5 percent
- Loans on real estate terms5
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter8
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals7.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFitness and Recreational Sports Centers (2)
- Most active lenderWells Fargo Bank National Association (3)
- 504 approvals recorded3
- 504 gross approval dollars$3.3 m
- Average 504 approval$1,116,000
- Median 504 approval$842,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval8.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved7.8
- Most active CDCLiftFund, Inc. (2)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals81.3 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$17.1 m
The average approval of $1,057,877 sits well above the median of $250,000, 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. 38.5 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.
Jim Wells County
Do SBA loans in Jim Wells County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full0
- Charged off1
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure12
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 1 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.
Jim Wells County
Which parts of Jim Wells County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- ALICE, approvals7
- ORANGE GROVE, approvals5
- Corpus Christi, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| ALICE | 7 | $13,038,400 |
| ORANGE GROVE | 5 | $514,000 |
| Corpus Christi | 1 | $200,000 |
ALICE accounts for 7 approvals against 5 in ORANGE GROVE. 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.
Jim Wells County
How big is Jim Wells County
- Land area865 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Texas counties179th of 254
- Width, east to west26.8 mi
- Height, north to south55 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land45
- Establishments per square mile0.91
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.
Jim Wells County
What hazards affect Jim Wells County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book5
- Of those, participating in the NFIP5
- 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 Jim Wells 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 Jim Wells County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population38,850
- Households13,279
- Average household size2.93
- Median household income$51,896
- Median age35.7
Common questions
Jim Wells County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Jim Wells County, Texas?
38,850, in 13,279 households, ranking 81st of 254 Texas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Jim Wells County growing?
The population has fallen 0.04 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 545 births against 493 deaths, with net migration of 22. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Jim Wells County?
$51,896. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $123,600, which is 2.4 times income, and median gross rent is $938 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Jim Wells County?
783 establishments, employing 12,790 people with an annual payroll of $473.3 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 Jim Wells County?
Average annual pay is $47,794, or $919 a week, across 15,016 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Jim Wells County?
13 7(a) approvals totalling $13.8 m since FY2020, across 10 lenders, with a median approval of $250,000, plus 3 504 approvals worth $3.3 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Jim Wells County?
4 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $789,694. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Jim Wells 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 Jim Wells County come from?
The largest single origin is Jim Wells County Non-migrants, with 13,698 households. Arriving households report an average income of $43,861 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 Jim Wells 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 Jim Wells 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.