Willacy County, Texas: commercial real estate data.
Willacy County, Texas had an estimated 20,027 residents on July 1, 2024, down 0.7 percent since the 2020 census base of 20,162, across 591 square miles. County output reached $684.5 m in 2024, 189 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 3 7(a) approvals worth $3.8 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Willacy County
How many people live in Willacy County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202420,139
- Households5,691
- Average household size3.54
- Median household income$54,180
- Median age34.3
- Median gross rent$809 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$73,600
- Home value to household income1.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher14.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree3.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over13,061
- Population under 184,756
- Share under 1823.6 percent
- Population 65 and over2,967
- Share 65 and over14.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6412,416
- Civilian labor force8,823
- Unemployment rate7.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over57.4 percent
- Rank by population among Texas counties121st of 254
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1873rd of 3,222
Willacy County is the 121st largest of 254 Texas counties by population. A median home costs 1.4 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.6 percent against 14.7 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Willacy County
Is Willacy County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202420,027
- Census 2020 base population20,162
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.67 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202424
- Births, 2024229
- Deaths, 2024220
- Natural change, 20249
- Net domestic migration, 2024-8
- Net international migration, 202422
- Total net migration, 202414
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-141
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2079th of 3,144
The county has lost 0.67 percent of its population 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.
Willacy County
Where are people moving to Willacy County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving318
- People arriving, from those returns569
- Tax returns filed by households leaving343
- Net household movement-25
- Adjusted gross income arriving$9.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-1.2 m
- Average income of an arriving household$30,233
- Average income of a leaving household$31,601
- Largest single originCameron County (82 households)
- Largest single destinationCameron County (117 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cameron County | 82 | 167 | $2.7 m |
| Hidalgo County | 51 | 107 | $1.8 m |
Households arriving report $1,368 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Cameron 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.
Willacy County
What is the Willacy County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$684.5 m
- County GDP, 2023$707.2 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-3.2 percent
- GDP change over five years48.3 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Texas areas BEA publishes170th of 254
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2165th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$33,987
Output grew -3.2 percent in the latest year and 48.3 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.
Willacy County
Employment by industry in Willacy County
- Covered employment, annual average4,297
- Establishments reporting318
- Average annual pay$44,749
- Average weekly wage$861
- Health care and social assistance, employment545
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$41,495
- Accommodation and food services, employment440
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$18,302
- Retail trade, employment335
- Retail trade, average annual pay$36,638
- Finance and insurance, employment96
- Finance and insurance, average annual pay$74,939
- Arts, entertainment and recreation, employment42
- Real estate and rental and leasing, employment36
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 545 | 31 | $41,495 |
| Accommodation and food services | 440 | 32 | $18,302 |
| Retail trade | 335 | 35 | $36,638 |
| Finance and insurance | 96 | 16 | $74,939 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 42 | 4 | $27,619 |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 36 | 12 | $32,409 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 545 jobs, 12.7 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Willacy County
How many businesses are in Willacy County?
- Establishments, all industries189
- Employment at those establishments3,004
- Annual payroll$118.1 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents9.4
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. 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.
Willacy County
Building permits in Willacy County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202436
- Declared construction value permitted$7.2 m
- Single family units authorized36
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$200,796
- Units authorized per 1,000 households6.3
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.
Willacy County
SBA loans in Willacy County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded3
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$3.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,251,667
- Median 7(a) approval$40,000
- Largest single approval$3,700,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)38
- Jobs per approval12.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active3
- Distinct industries receiving approvals3
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer33.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter2
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals33.3 percent
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Willacy County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Willacy County
Do SBA loans in Willacy County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full0
- Charged off1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure2
- Status: Charged off1
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.
Willacy County
How large is Willacy County?
- Land area591 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Texas counties230th of 254
- Width, east to west38.5 mi
- Height, north to south21.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land34
- Establishments per square mile0.32
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.
Willacy County
Flood risk in Willacy County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Willacy County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 480664
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book4
- Of those, participating in the NFIP4
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Willacy 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 Willacy County (community 480664), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Willacy 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. 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 Willacy 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 Willacy County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202420,139
- Households5,691
- Average household size3.54
- Median household income$54,180
- Median age34.3
Common questions
Willacy County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Willacy County, Texas?
The Census Bureau estimates 20,027 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 20,139, in 5,691 households, ranking 121st of 254 Texas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Willacy County's population growing?
The population has fallen 0.67 percent since the 2020 census base of 20,162, to 20,027 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 229 births against 220 deaths, with net migration of 14. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Willacy County?
$54,180. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $73,600, which is 1.4 times income, and median gross rent is $809 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Willacy County?
189 establishments, employing 3,004 people with an annual payroll of $118.1 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 Willacy County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 545 jobs, 12.7 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 4,297 jobs at an average annual pay of $44,749, or $861 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Willacy County?
3 7(a) approvals totaling $3.8 m since FY2020, across 3 lenders, with a median approval of $40,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Willacy County?
36 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $7.2 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Willacy 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 Willacy County come from?
The largest single origin is Cameron County, with 82 households. Arriving households report an average income of $30,233 against $31,601 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Willacy 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 Willacy 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.
Willacy County
Cities and places in Willacy.
10 Census places lie wholly or partly in Willacy County. All 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raymondville | city | 10,185 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Lyford | city | 2,054 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lasara | CDP | 1,467 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Sebastian | CDP | 1,021 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Los Angeles | CDP | 553 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| San Perlita | city | 462 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Port Mansfield | CDP | 245 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ranchette Estates | CDP | 229 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Zapata Ranch | CDP | 190 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Santa Monica | CDP | 98 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby