Wharton County, Texas: commercial real estate data.
Wharton County, Texas had an estimated 42,035 residents on July 1, 2024, up 1.1 percent since the 2020 census base of 41,590, across 1,086 square miles. 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 since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Wharton County
How many people live in Wharton County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202441,794
- 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-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1172nd of 3,222
Wharton County is the 80th largest of 254 Texas counties by population. A median home costs 2.8 times median household income, which is affordable 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's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202442,035
- Census 2020 base population41,590
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.07 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024180
- 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 of 3,144
The county has grown 1.07 percent since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Wharton County
Where are people moving to Wharton County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving810
- People arriving, from those returns1,655
- Tax returns filed by households leaving813
- Net household movement-3
- Adjusted gross income arriving$45.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$906,000
- Average income of an arriving household$55,570
- Average income of a leaving household$54,251
- Largest single originFort Bend County (227 households)
- Largest single destinationFort Bend County (167 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Bend County | 227 | 522 | $14.4 m |
| Harris County | 161 | 324 | $8.8 m |
| Matagorda County | 50 | 93 | $2.4 m |
| Brazoria County | 39 | 89 | $2.6 m |
| Colorado County | 32 | 60 | $1.2 m |
Households arriving report $1,319 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Fort Bend 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.
Wharton County
What is the Wharton County economy?
- 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 the Texas areas BEA publishes88th of 254
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1051st of 3,127
- 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
Employment by industry in Wharton County
- Covered employment, annual average16,408
- Establishments reporting1,154
- Average annual pay$51,177
- Average weekly wage$984
- Retail trade, employment2,662
- Retail trade, average annual pay$41,675
- Health care and social assistance, employment2,425
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$55,166
- Manufacturing, employment1,446
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$59,595
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, employment1,413
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, average annual pay$45,993
- Accommodation and food services, employment1,240
- Wholesale trade, employment829
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 2,662 | 146 | $41,675 |
| Health care and social assistance | 2,425 | 76 | $55,166 |
| Manufacturing | 1,446 | 51 | $59,595 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 1,413 | 142 | $45,993 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,240 | 78 | $19,144 |
| Wholesale trade | 829 | 59 | $71,069 |
| Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction | 691 | 50 | $81,152 |
| Construction | 683 | 95 | $56,618 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 2,662 jobs, 16.2 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Wharton County
How many businesses are 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. 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.
Wharton County
Building permits in Wharton County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024184
- Declared construction value permitted$48.0 m
- Single family units authorized150
- Multifamily units authorized34
- Multifamily share of units18.5 percent
- Average declared value per unit$260,687
- Units authorized per 1,000 households11.6
Single-family homes are 81.5 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Wharton County
SBA loans in Wharton County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded18
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$10.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$605,639
- Median 7(a) approval$346,350
- 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
- 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)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$21.5 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.
Wharton County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in 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
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.
Wharton County
SBA lending by place in Wharton County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending4
- El Campo, approvals10
- Wharton, approvals6
- Louise, approvals1
- Boling, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| El Campo | 10 | $7,015,700 |
| Wharton | 6 | $2,395,000 |
| Louise | 1 | $1,424,000 |
| Boling | 1 | $66,800 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Wharton County
How large 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
Flood risk in Wharton County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Wharton County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 480652
- Communities in the county 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
- Radon levels in Wharton County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Wharton County (community 480652), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Wharton County in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 9, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 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 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.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202441,794
- 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?
The Census Bureau estimates 42,035 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 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's population growing?
The population has grown 1.07 percent since the 2020 census base of 41,590, to 42,035 on July 1, 2024. 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 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 employment by industry in Wharton County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 2,662 jobs, 16.2 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 16,408 jobs at an average annual pay of $51,177, or $984 a week. 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 totaling $10.9 m since FY2020, across 10 lenders, with a median approval of $346,350, plus 13 504 approvals worth $10.6 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Wharton County?
184 housing units were authorized 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 Fort Bend County, with 227 households. Arriving households report an average income of $55,570 against $54,251 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?
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.
Wharton County
Cities and places in Wharton.
7 Census places lie wholly or partly in Wharton County. All 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Campo | city | 12,202 | 10 | Wholly in this county |
| Wharton | city | 8,724 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| East Bernard | city | 3,053 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Louise | CDP | 890 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Boling | CDP | 374 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Hungerford | CDP | 171 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Iago | CDP | 49 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby