Wharton County, Texas: commercial real estate data.
Wharton County, Texas has a population of 41,794 across 1,086 square miles, up 1.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $2.72 bn in 2024, 997 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 18 7(a) approvals worth $10.9 m.
126 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Wharton County
How many people live in Wharton County
- Population41,794
- Households15,890
- Average household size2.63
- Median household income$66,924
- Median age38.1
- Median gross rent$1,046 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$189,900
- Home value to household income2.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher20.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over27,334
- Population under 1810,622
- Share under 1825.4 percent
- Population 65 and over7,589
- Share 65 and over18.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6423,583
- Civilian labor force19,948
- Unemployment rate4.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over64.0 percent
- Rank by population among Texas counties80th of 254
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1172nd
Wharton County is the 80th largest of 254 Texas counties by population. A median home costs 2.8 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 25.4 percent against 18.2 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Wharton County
Is Wharton County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.07 percent
- Census 2020 base population41,590
- Births, 2024553
- Deaths, 2024489
- Natural change, 202464
- Net domestic migration, 202452
- Net international migration, 202467
- Total net migration, 2024119
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024226
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1459th
The county has grown 1.07 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Wharton County
Where people moving to Wharton County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving810
- People arriving, from those returns1,655
- Adjusted gross income arriving$45.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$55,570
- Largest single originWharton County Non-migrants (15,851 households)
- Largest single destination (15,851 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wharton County Non-migrants | 15,851 | 34,121 | $1.12 bn |
| Fort Bend County | 227 | 522 | $14.4 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 210 | 395 | $10.7 m |
| Harris County | 161 | 324 | $8.8 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 91 | 172 | $4.8 m |
| Matagorda County | 50 | 93 | $2.4 m |
| Other flows - South | 47 | 89 | $2.7 m |
| Other flows - West | 44 | 83 | $2.1 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Wharton 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.
Wharton County
What the Wharton County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$2.72 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.71 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20240.5 percent
- GDP change over five years44.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among Texas counties88th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1051st
- GDP per resident$65,119
Output grew 0.5 percent in the latest year and 44.6 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.
Wharton County
Who employs people in Wharton County
- Covered employment, annual average16,408
- Establishments reporting1,154
- Average annual pay$51,177
- Average weekly wage$984
- Sector 44-45, employment2,662
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$41,675
- Sector 62, employment2,425
- Sector 62, average annual pay$55,166
- Sector 31-33, employment1,446
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$59,595
- Sector 11, employment1,413
- Sector 11, average annual pay$45,993
- Sector 72, employment1,240
- Sector 42, employment829
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 2,662 | 146 | $41,675 |
| Sector 62 | 2,425 | 76 | $55,166 |
| Sector 31-33 | 1,446 | 51 | $59,595 |
| Sector 11 | 1,413 | 142 | $45,993 |
| Sector 72 | 1,240 | 78 | $19,144 |
| Sector 42 | 829 | 59 | $71,069 |
| Sector 21 | 691 | 50 | $81,152 |
| Sector 23 | 683 | 95 | $56,618 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 2,662 jobs, 16.2 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.
Wharton County
What businesses operate in Wharton County
- Establishments, all industries997
- Employment at those establishments11,159
- Annual payroll$525.5 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents23.9
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.
Wharton County
What is being built in Wharton County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024184
- Declared construction value permitted$48.0 m
- Single family units authorised150
- Multifamily units authorised34
- Multifamily share of units18.5 percent
- Average declared value per unit$260,687
- Units authorised per 1,000 households11.6
Multifamily is 18.5 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Wharton County
How much SBA lending happens in Wharton County
- 7(a) approvals recorded18
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$10.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$605,639
- Median 7(a) approval$350,000
- 10th percentile approval$66,800
- 90th percentile approval$1,556,000
- Largest single approval$1,993,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)249
- Jobs per approval13.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active10
- Distinct industries receiving approvals12
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer44.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms8
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter10
- Franchise loans6
- Franchise share of approvals33.3 percent
- Leading industry by approval countGasoline Stations with Convenience Stores (3)
- Most active lenderWallis Bank (5)
- 504 approvals recorded13
- 504 gross approval dollars$10.6 m
- Average 504 approval$815,538
- Median 504 approval$691,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval7.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved9.4
- Most active CDCCapital Certified Development Corporation (5)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals58.1 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$21.5 m
The average approval of $605,639 sits well above the median of $350,000, 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. 44.4 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.
Wharton County
Do SBA loans in Wharton County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded3
- Paid in full2
- Charged off1
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure10
- Status: Cancelled4
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 3 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.
Wharton County
Which parts of Wharton County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending4
- EL CAMPO, approvals10
- WHARTON, approvals6
- LOUISE, approvals1
- BOLING, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| EL CAMPO | 10 | $7,015,700 |
| WHARTON | 6 | $2,395,000 |
| LOUISE | 1 | $1,424,000 |
| BOLING | 1 | $66,800 |
EL CAMPO accounts for 10 approvals against 6 in WHARTON. 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.
Wharton County
How big is Wharton County
- Land area1,086 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Texas counties51st of 254
- Width, east to west48.1 mi
- Height, north to south46.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land38
- Establishments per square mile0.92
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.
Wharton County
What hazards affect Wharton 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
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 9
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
The EPA places the county in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The best Community Rating System class in the county is 9, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for properties in the participating community.
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 Wharton 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 Wharton County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population41,794
- Households15,890
- Average household size2.63
- Median household income$66,924
- Median age38.1
Common questions
Wharton County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Wharton County, Texas?
41,794, in 15,890 households, ranking 80th of 254 Texas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Wharton County growing?
The population has grown 1.07 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 553 births against 489 deaths, with net migration of 119. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Wharton County?
$66,924. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $189,900, which is 2.8 times income, and median gross rent is $1,046 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Wharton County?
997 establishments, employing 11,159 people with an annual payroll of $525.5 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 Wharton County?
Average annual pay is $51,177, or $984 a week, across 16,408 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Wharton County?
18 7(a) approvals totalling $10.9 m since FY2020, across 10 lenders, with a median approval of $350,000, plus 13 504 approvals worth $10.6 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Wharton County?
184 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $48.0 m. Multifamily was 18.5 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Wharton 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 Wharton County come from?
The largest single origin is Wharton County Non-migrants, with 15,851 households. Arriving households report an average income of $55,570 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 Wharton 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 Wharton 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.