Brewster County, Texas: commercial real estate data.
Brewster County, Texas had an estimated 9,508 residents on July 1, 2024, down 0.4 percent since the 2020 census base of 9,547, across 6,184 square miles. County output reached $611.3 m in 2024, 285 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 12 7(a) approvals worth $8.2 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Brewster County
How many people live in Brewster County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20249,503
- Households4,951
- Average household size1.92
- Median household income$56,212
- Median age40.9
- Median gross rent$839 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$227,000
- Home value to household income4.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher45.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree17.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over7,214
- Population under 181,588
- Share under 1816.7 percent
- Population 65 and over2,515
- Share 65 and over26.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 645,400
- Civilian labor force4,807
- Unemployment rate3.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over60.7 percent
- Rank by population among Texas counties169th of 254
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2526th of 3,222
Brewster County is the 169th largest of 254 Texas counties by population. A median home costs 4.0 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 26.5 percent against 16.7 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Brewster County
Is Brewster County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20249,508
- Census 2020 base population9,547
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.41 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-71
- Births, 202469
- Deaths, 202498
- Natural change, 2024-29
- Net domestic migration, 2024-106
- Net international migration, 202463
- Total net migration, 2024-43
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-162
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1990th of 3,144
The county has lost 0.41 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. The population fell in 2024 from both sources: deaths exceeded births and more people left than moved in.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Brewster County
Where are people moving to Brewster County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving359
- People arriving, from those returns633
- Tax returns filed by households leaving392
- Net household movement-33
- Adjusted gross income arriving$22.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-5.5 m
- Average income of an arriving household$63,084
- Average income of a leaving household$71,895
- Largest single originEl Paso County (24 households)
- Largest single destinationBexar County (25 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Paso County | 24 | 43 | $1.1 m |
Households arriving report $8,811 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is El Paso County, 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.
Brewster County
What is the Brewster County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$611.3 m
- County GDP, 2023$556.5 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20249.8 percent
- GDP change over five years54.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Texas areas BEA publishes180th of 254
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2260th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$64,329
Output grew 9.8 percent in the latest year and 54.6 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.
Brewster County
Employment by industry in Brewster County
- Covered employment, annual average4,526
- Establishments reporting456
- Average annual pay$51,286
- Average weekly wage$986
- Accommodation and food services, employment1,033
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$30,972
- Retail trade, employment613
- Retail trade, average annual pay$34,555
- Health care and social assistance, employment337
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$59,614
- Wholesale trade, employment182
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$77,079
- Construction, employment129
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment115
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 1,033 | 70 | $30,972 |
| Retail trade | 613 | 49 | $34,555 |
| Health care and social assistance | 337 | 33 | $59,614 |
| Wholesale trade | 182 | 25 | $77,079 |
| Construction | 129 | 30 | $71,385 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 115 | 46 | $72,139 |
| Other services, except public administration | 107 | 21 | $38,927 |
| Information | 101 | 10 | $71,236 |
Accommodation and food services is the largest private sector at 1,033 jobs, 22.8 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Brewster County
How many businesses are in Brewster County?
- Establishments, all industries285
- Employment at those establishments2,234
- Annual payroll$79.4 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents30.0
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Brewster County
Building permits in Brewster County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20247
- Declared construction value permitted$820,106
- Single family units authorized7
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$117,158
- Units authorized per 1,000 households1.4
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Brewster County
SBA loans in Brewster County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded12
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$8.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$687,175
- Median 7(a) approval$300,000
- Largest single approval$2,710,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)74
- Jobs per approval6.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active6
- Distinct industries receiving approvals10
- Median 7(a) term172 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer25.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms3
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter4
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Most active lenderTransPecos Banks, SSB. (6)
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Brewster County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Brewster County
Do SBA loans in Brewster County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded3
- Paid in full3
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full3
- Status: Exempt from disclosure7
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed2
Only 3 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Brewster County
SBA lending by place in Brewster County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending2
- Alpine, approvals11
- Terlingua, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Alpine | 11 | $8,112,000 |
| Terlingua | 1 | $134,100 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Brewster County
How large is Brewster County?
- Land area6,184 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Texas counties1st of 254
- Width, east to west89.1 mi
- Height, north to south117 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land2
- Establishments per square mile0.05
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.
Brewster County
Flood risk in Brewster County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Brewster County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 480084
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book2
- Of those, participating in the NFIP2
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Brewster County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Brewster County (community 480084), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Brewster County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Brewster 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 Brewster County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20249,503
- Households4,951
- Average household size1.92
- Median household income$56,212
- Median age40.9
Common questions
Brewster County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Brewster County, Texas?
The Census Bureau estimates 9,508 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 9,503, in 4,951 households, ranking 169th of 254 Texas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Brewster County's population growing?
The population has fallen 0.41 percent since the 2020 census base of 9,547, to 9,508 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 69 births against 98 deaths, with net migration of -43. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Brewster County?
$56,212. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $227,000, which is 4.0 times income, and median gross rent is $839 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Brewster County?
285 establishments, employing 2,234 people with an annual payroll of $79.4 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Brewster County?
Accommodation and food services is the largest private sector at 1,033 jobs, 22.8 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 4,526 jobs at an average annual pay of $51,286, or $986 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Brewster County?
12 7(a) approvals totaling $8.2 m since FY2020, across 6 lenders, with a median approval of $300,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Brewster County?
7 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $820,106. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Brewster County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Brewster County come from?
The largest single origin is El Paso County, with 24 households. Arriving households report an average income of $63,084 against $71,895 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Brewster 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 Brewster County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Brewster County
Cities and places in Brewster.
4 Census places lie wholly or partly in Brewster County. All 4 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine | city | 6,014 | 11 | Wholly in this county |
| Marathon | CDP | 283 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Terlingua | CDP | 178 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Study Butte | CDP | 114 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby