Ward County, Texas: commercial real estate data.
Ward County, Texas has a population of 11,144 across 836 square miles, down 5.2 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $5.27 bn in 2024, 339 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 5 7(a) approvals worth $8.8 m.
116 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Ward County
How many people live in Ward County
- Population11,144
- Households4,388
- Average household size2.54
- Median household income$65,952
- Median age34.5
- Median gross rent$1,118 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$150,700
- Home value to household income2.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income20.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher12.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree3.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over7,237
- Population under 183,255
- Share under 1829.2 percent
- Population 65 and over1,510
- Share 65 and over13.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 646,379
- Civilian labor force5,400
- Unemployment rate2.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over68.4 percent
- Rank by population among Texas counties159th of 254
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2407th
Ward County is the 159th largest of 254 Texas counties by population. A median home costs 2.3 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 29.2 percent against 13.5 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Ward County
Is Ward County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-5.20 percent
- Census 2020 base population11,643
- Births, 2024183
- Deaths, 2024141
- Natural change, 202442
- Net domestic migration, 20247
- Net international migration, 202416
- Total net migration, 202423
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-774
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2990th
The county has lost 5.20 percent of its population since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Ward County
Where people moving to Ward County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving333
- People arriving, from those returns687
- Adjusted gross income arriving$17.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$50,982
- Largest single originWard County Non-migrants (3,851 households)
- Largest single destination (3,851 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ward County Non-migrants | 3,851 | 8,671 | $301.0 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 214 | 454 | $11.0 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 83 | 169 | $4.2 m |
| Other flows - West | 53 | 116 | $2.7 m |
| Ector County | 36 | 64 | $1.8 m |
| Other flows - South | 30 | 53 | $1.5 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Ward 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.
Ward County
What the Ward County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$5.27 bn
- County GDP, 2023$4.96 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.2 percent
- GDP change over five years184.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among Texas counties53rd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents691st
- GDP per resident$473,193
Output grew 6.2 percent in the latest year and 184.1 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.
Ward County
Who employs people in Ward County
- Covered employment, annual average6,516
- Establishments reporting403
- Average annual pay$80,838
- Average weekly wage$1,555
- Sector 23, employment1,167
- Sector 23, average annual pay$91,747
- Sector 54, employment425
- Sector 54, average annual pay$96,526
- Sector 48-49, employment398
- Sector 48-49, average annual pay$124,449
- Sector 44-45, employment355
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$34,770
- Sector 53, employment179
- Sector 31-33, employment158
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 23 | 1,167 | 34 | $91,747 |
| Sector 54 | 425 | 23 | $96,526 |
| Sector 48-49 | 398 | 32 | $124,449 |
| Sector 44-45 | 355 | 31 | $34,770 |
| Sector 53 | 179 | 17 | $76,557 |
| Sector 31-33 | 158 | 12 | $83,278 |
| Sector 42 | 144 | 18 | $86,905 |
| Sector 52 | 88 | 13 | $67,510 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,167 jobs, 17.9 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.
Ward County
What businesses operate in Ward County
- Establishments, all industries339
- Employment at those establishments4,718
- Annual payroll$356.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents30.4
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.
Ward County
What is being built in Ward County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202426
- Declared construction value permitted$4.2 m
- Single family units authorised8
- Multifamily units authorised18
- Multifamily share of units69.2 percent
- Average declared value per unit$160,428
- Units authorised per 1,000 households5.9
Multifamily is 69.2 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Ward County
How much SBA lending happens in Ward County
- 7(a) approvals recorded5
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$8.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,768,200
- Median 7(a) approval$1,756,000
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$3,000,000
- Largest single approval$3,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)61
- Jobs per approval12.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active5
- Distinct industries receiving approvals4
- Median 7(a) term300 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer60.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms3
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter1
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals20.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (2)
- Most active lenderWoori America Bank (1)
- 504 approvals recorded4
- 504 gross approval dollars$7.0 m
- Average 504 approval$1,761,000
- Median 504 approval$1,896,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval20.3
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.5
- Most active CDCLiftFund, Inc. (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals55.6 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$15.9 m
The average approval of $1,768,200 sits close to the median of $1,756,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. 60.0 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.
Ward County
Do SBA loans in Ward County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure5
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 0 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.
Ward County
How big is Ward County
- Land area836 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Texas counties190th of 254
- Width, east to west49.7 mi
- Height, north to south26.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land13
- Establishments per square mile0.41
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.
Ward County
What hazards affect Ward County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book7
- Of those, participating in the NFIP3
- NFIP participation rate42.9 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 Ward 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 Ward County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population11,144
- Households4,388
- Average household size2.54
- Median household income$65,952
- Median age34.5
Common questions
Ward County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Ward County, Texas?
11,144, in 4,388 households, ranking 159th of 254 Texas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Ward County growing?
The population has fallen 5.20 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 183 births against 141 deaths, with net migration of 23. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Ward County?
$65,952. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $150,700, which is 2.3 times income, and median gross rent is $1,118 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Ward County?
339 establishments, employing 4,718 people with an annual payroll of $356.8 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 Ward County?
Average annual pay is $80,838, or $1,555 a week, across 6,516 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Ward County?
5 7(a) approvals totalling $8.8 m since FY2020, across 5 lenders, with a median approval of $1,756,000, plus 4 504 approvals worth $7.0 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Ward County?
26 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $4.2 m. Multifamily was 69.2 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Ward 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 Ward County come from?
The largest single origin is Ward County Non-migrants, with 3,851 households. Arriving households report an average income of $50,982 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 Ward 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 Ward 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.