Starr County, Texas: commercial real estate data.
Starr County, Texas has a population of 66,067 across 1,223 square miles, up 1.0 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.56 bn in 2024, 594 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 10 7(a) approvals worth $2.2 m.
120 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Starr County
How many people live in Starr County
- Population66,067
- Households19,157
- Average household size3.45
- Median household income$37,639
- Median age29.4
- Median gross rent$726 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$95,100
- Home value to household income2.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income23.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher13.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree4.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over37,199
- Population under 1821,472
- Share under 1832.5 percent
- Population 65 and over7,519
- Share 65 and over11.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6437,076
- Civilian labor force26,751
- Unemployment rate10.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over60.0 percent
- Rank by population among Texas counties54th of 254
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents828th
Starr County is the 54th largest of 254 Texas counties by population. A median home costs 2.5 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 32.5 percent against 11.4 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Starr County
Is Starr County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.01 percent
- Census 2020 base population65,921
- Births, 20241,105
- Deaths, 2024517
- Natural change, 2024588
- Net domestic migration, 2024-385
- Net international migration, 2024169
- Total net migration, 2024-216
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-1,658
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1482nd
The county has grown 1.01 percent since the 2020 census base. Births exceeded deaths in 2024 but more people left than arrived, so the population is being sustained internally rather than attracting.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Starr County
Where people moving to Starr County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving579
- People arriving, from those returns1,187
- Adjusted gross income arriving$22.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$38,313
- Largest single originStarr County Non-migrants (23,010 households)
- Largest single destination (23,010 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starr County Non-migrants | 23,010 | 54,217 | $872.0 m |
| Hidalgo County | 247 | 554 | $10.1 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 160 | 301 | $5.7 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 99 | 185 | $3.6 m |
| Harris County | 50 | 101 | $1.8 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 46 | 84 | $1.8 m |
| Other flows - South | 32 | 55 | $881,000 |
| Bexar County | 23 | 46 | $948,000 |
The largest single source of arrivals is Starr 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.
Starr County
What the Starr County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.56 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.58 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-1.4 percent
- GDP change over five years15.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among Texas counties122nd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1483rd
- GDP per resident$23,600
Output grew -1.4 percent in the latest year and 15.8 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.
Starr County
Who employs people in Starr County
- Covered employment, annual average14,746
- Establishments reporting666
- Average annual pay$39,754
- Average weekly wage$765
- Sector 44-45, employment1,887
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$30,198
- Sector 72, employment1,116
- Sector 72, average annual pay$17,364
- Sector 48-49, employment280
- Sector 48-49, average annual pay$48,862
- Sector 52, employment270
- Sector 52, average annual pay$42,196
- Sector 23, employment170
- Sector 22, employment128
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 1,887 | 116 | $30,198 |
| Sector 72 | 1,116 | 68 | $17,364 |
| Sector 48-49 | 280 | 32 | $48,862 |
| Sector 52 | 270 | 54 | $42,196 |
| Sector 23 | 170 | 31 | $73,233 |
| Sector 22 | 128 | 10 | $83,532 |
| Sector 42 | 91 | 20 | $35,788 |
| Sector 51 | 79 | 5 | $43,687 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,887 jobs, 12.8 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job exceeds median household income, which usually means single earner households and a wage base that can carry rent.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Starr County
What businesses operate in Starr County
- Establishments, all industries594
- Employment at those establishments8,704
- Annual payroll$234.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents9.0
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.
Starr County
What is being built in Starr County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20240
- Declared construction value permitted$0
- Single family units authorised0
- Multifamily units authorised0
No residential units were authorised by permit in 2024. In a small county this is common and is not by itself a sign of distress, but it does mean there is no recent residential pipeline to read demand from.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Starr County
How much SBA lending happens in Starr County
- 7(a) approvals recorded10
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$2.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$219,500
- Median 7(a) approval$140,000
- 10th percentile approval$20,000
- 90th percentile approval$679,000
- Largest single approval$679,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)48
- Jobs per approval4.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active7
- Distinct industries receiving approvals9
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer10.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter9
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countGeneral Freight Trucking, Local (2)
- Most active lenderLone Star National Bank (3)
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$566,000
- Average 504 approval$566,000
- Median 504 approval$566,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval11.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved19.4
- Most active CDCTexas Certified Development Company, Inc. (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals90.9 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$2.8 m
The average approval of $219,500 sits well above the median of $140,000, 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. Only 10.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
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.
Starr County
Do SBA loans in Starr County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full0
- Charged off1
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure4
- Status: Cancelled4
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
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.
Starr County
Which parts of Starr County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- RIO GRANDE CITY, approvals8
- ROMA, approvals1
- Garciasville, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| RIO GRANDE CITY | 8 | $2,035,000 |
| ROMA | 1 | $20,000 |
| Garciasville | 1 | $140,000 |
RIO GRANDE CITY accounts for 8 approvals against 1 in ROMA. 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.
Starr County
How big is Starr County
- Land area1,223 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Texas counties39th of 254
- Width, east to west52.7 mi
- Height, north to south37 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land54
- Establishments per square mile0.49
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.
Starr County
What hazards affect Starr County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book4
- Of those, participating in the NFIP4
- 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 Starr 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 Starr County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population66,067
- Households19,157
- Average household size3.45
- Median household income$37,639
- Median age29.4
Common questions
Starr County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Starr County, Texas?
66,067, in 19,157 households, ranking 54th of 254 Texas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Starr County growing?
The population has grown 1.01 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 1,105 births against 517 deaths, with net migration of -216. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Starr County?
$37,639. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $95,100, which is 2.5 times income, and median gross rent is $726 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Starr County?
594 establishments, employing 8,704 people with an annual payroll of $234.8 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 Starr County?
Average annual pay is $39,754, or $765 a week, across 14,746 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Starr County?
10 7(a) approvals totalling $2.2 m since FY2020, across 7 lenders, with a median approval of $140,000, plus 1 504 approvals worth $566,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Starr County?
No residential units were authorised by permit in 2024. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Starr 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 Starr County come from?
The largest single origin is Starr County Non-migrants, with 23,010 households. Arriving households report an average income of $38,313 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 Starr 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 Starr 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.