Hale County, Texas: commercial real estate data.
Hale County, Texas had an estimated 31,953 residents on July 1, 2024, down 1.8 percent since the 2020 census base of 32,526, across 1,005 square miles. County output reached $1.77 bn in 2024, 645 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 7 7(a) approvals worth $5.0 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Hale County
How many people live in Hale County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202432,131
- Households11,024
- Average household size2.91
- Median household income$51,897
- Median age34.4
- Median gross rent$836 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$116,500
- Home value to household income2.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher15.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over20,040
- Population under 188,446
- Share under 1826.3 percent
- Population 65 and over4,575
- Share 65 and over14.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6419,110
- Civilian labor force14,535
- Unemployment rate5.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over61.4 percent
- Rank by population among Texas counties90th of 254
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1418th of 3,222
Hale County is the 90th largest of 254 Texas counties by population. A median home costs 2.2 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 26.3 percent against 14.2 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Hale County
Is Hale County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202431,953
- Census 2020 base population32,526
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.76 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-61
- Births, 2024357
- Deaths, 2024348
- Natural change, 20249
- Net domestic migration, 2024-223
- Net international migration, 2024153
- Total net migration, 2024-70
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-971
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2437th of 3,144
The county has lost 1.76 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. More people left than moved in during 2024 and births over deaths did not make up the difference, so the population fell.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Hale County
Where are people moving to Hale County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving653
- People arriving, from those returns1,322
- Tax returns filed by households leaving781
- Net household movement-128
- Adjusted gross income arriving$28.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-20.6 m
- Average income of an arriving household$44,251
- Average income of a leaving household$63,329
- Largest single originLubbock County (175 households)
- Largest single destinationLubbock County (254 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lubbock County | 175 | 377 | $8.3 m |
| Floyd County | 43 | 85 | $1.5 m |
| Swisher County | 27 | 61 | $771,000 |
| Randall County | 22 | 42 | $1.0 m |
Households arriving report $19,078 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Lubbock 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.
Hale County
What is the Hale County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$1.77 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.74 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20241.3 percent
- GDP change over five years33.3 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Texas areas BEA publishes116th of 254
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1378th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$54,951
Output grew 1.3 percent in the latest year and 33.3 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.
Hale County
Employment by industry in Hale County
- Covered employment, annual average10,866
- Establishments reporting854
- Average annual pay$48,708
- Average weekly wage$937
- Transportation and warehousing, employment1,349
- Transportation and warehousing, average annual pay$60,286
- Retail trade, employment1,319
- Retail trade, average annual pay$33,295
- Accommodation and food services, employment952
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$19,182
- Manufacturing, employment694
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$58,857
- Other services, except public administration, employment373
- Construction, employment352
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,349 | 35 | $60,286 |
| Retail trade | 1,319 | 105 | $33,295 |
| Accommodation and food services | 952 | 58 | $19,182 |
| Manufacturing | 694 | 26 | $58,857 |
| Other services, except public administration | 373 | 61 | $48,077 |
| Construction | 352 | 56 | $55,466 |
| Wholesale trade | 297 | 38 | $72,984 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 290 | 53 | $72,056 |
Transportation and warehousing is the largest private sector at 1,349 jobs, 12.4 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Hale County
How many businesses are in Hale County?
- Establishments, all industries645
- Employment at those establishments8,604
- Annual payroll$353.0 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents20.1
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.
Hale County
Building permits in Hale County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20246
- Declared construction value permitted$1.6 m
- Single family units authorized6
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$259,657
- Units authorized per 1,000 households0.5
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.
Hale County
SBA loans in Hale County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded7
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$5.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$721,371
- Median 7(a) approval$350,000
- Largest single approval$2,883,600
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)61
- Jobs per approval8.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active6
- Distinct industries receiving approvals5
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer14.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter5
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- 504 approvals recorded5
- 504 gross approval dollars$3.2 m
- Average 504 approval$635,000
- Median 504 approval$576,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval17.4
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved27.4
- Most active CDCCaprock Business Finance Corporation, Inc. (3)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$8.2 m
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.
Hale County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Hale County
Do SBA loans in Hale County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full1
- Status: Cancelled1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure4
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Only 1 loan has 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.
Hale County
SBA lending by place in Hale County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending2
- Plainview, approvals4
- Abernathy, approvals3
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Plainview | 4 | $1,991,000 |
| Abernathy | 3 | $3,058,600 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Hale County
How large is Hale County?
- Land area1,005 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Texas counties72nd of 254
- Width, east to west30.2 mi
- Height, north to south33.7 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land32
- Establishments per square mile0.64
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.
Hale County
Flood risk in Hale County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Hale County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 481223
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book3
- Of those, participating in the NFIP3
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Hale 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 Hale County (community 481223), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Hale 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 Hale 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 Hale County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202432,131
- Households11,024
- Average household size2.91
- Median household income$51,897
- Median age34.4
Common questions
Hale County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Hale County, Texas?
The Census Bureau estimates 31,953 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 32,131, in 11,024 households, ranking 90th of 254 Texas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Hale County's population growing?
The population has fallen 1.76 percent since the 2020 census base of 32,526, to 31,953 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 357 births against 348 deaths, with net migration of -70. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Hale County?
$51,897. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $116,500, which is 2.2 times income, and median gross rent is $836 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Hale County?
645 establishments, employing 8,604 people with an annual payroll of $353.0 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 Hale County?
Transportation and warehousing is the largest private sector at 1,349 jobs, 12.4 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 10,866 jobs at an average annual pay of $48,708, or $937 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Hale County?
7 7(a) approvals totaling $5.0 m since FY2020, across 6 lenders, with a median approval of $350,000, plus 5 504 approvals worth $3.2 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Hale County?
6 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.6 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Hale 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 Hale County come from?
The largest single origin is Lubbock County, with 175 households. Arriving households report an average income of $44,251 against $63,329 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Hale 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 Hale 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.
Hale County
Cities and places in Hale.
6 Census places lie wholly or partly in Hale County. All 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plainview | city | 19,711 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Abernathy | city | 3,278 | 3 | 85.0 percent here, 15.0 percent Lubbock County |
| Seth Ward | CDP | 2,205 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hale Center | city | 2,037 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Petersburg | city | 699 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Edmonson | town | 120 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby