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Big Spring, TX
Key Indicators
A quick look at key numbers
Population
23,975
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Age
36.4
years ∙ half population younger than 36.4, half older
Diversity Index
58.2%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Nativity
11.8%
foreign-born population
Geographic Context
Location, size, and surroundings
About
Big Spring is a city within Howard County, Texas, United States.
Co-ordinates
DEC32.238341° N, 101.485739° W
DMS32° 14′ 18.03″ N, 101° 29′ 08.66″ W
Population Density & area
1,255/sq mi
(483.4/km²)
Demographics & Living
Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition
Population Composition
Key characteristics of the population
Sex Distribution
57.1%
male
Male
57.1%
Female
42.9%
males per 100 females
Big Spring
132.9
Howard County
125.8
Texas
99.6
Nativity
11.8%
foreign-born population
% Foreign-born
Big Spring
11.8%
Howard County
9.8%
Texas
17.6%
Age Distribution
How the population is spread across age groups
Median Age
36.4
years ∙ half population younger than 36.4, half older
Dependency ratio
47.8
dependents per 100 working-age adults
Big Spring
47.8
Howard County
56.2
Texas
62.4
AGE DISTRIBUTION
Distribution of age group
Median age
| Big Spring | Howard County | Texas | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age Group | |||
| Children (Under 18) | 20.2% | 22.6% | 25% |
| Working age (18-64) | 67.7% | 64% | 61.6% |
| Senior (65+) | 12.1% | 13.4% | 13.4% |
| Dependency ratio | |||
| Total dependency ratio | 47.8 | 56.2 | 62.4 |
| Child dependency ratio | 29.9 | 35.3 | 40.6 |
| Old-age dependency ratio | 17.9 | 20.9 | 21.8 |
Racial & Ethnic Composition
Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares
Race & Ethnicity
Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.
Diversity Index
58.2%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Big Spring
58.2%
Howard County
58.4%
Texas
67.1%
Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.
RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION
Race & Ethnicity
Percentage of Big Spring population
| Big Spring | Howard County | Texas | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino | 53.2% | 47.7% | 39.7% |
| Mexican | 39.3% | 37.3% | 32.1% |
| Puerto Rican | 0.8% | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Cuban | 1.2% | 0.9% | 0.5% |
| Other Hispanic / Latino | 12% | 8.9% | 6.3% |
| Not Hispanic or Latino | 46.8% | 52.3% | 60.3% |
| One race | 43.5% | 49.2% | 57.2% |
| White | 36.1% | 43.1% | 39.1% |
| Black or African American | 5.5% | 4.5% | 11.9% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.1% |
| Asian | 1.2% | 1% | 5.5% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0.1% |
| Some Other Race | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.4% |
| Two or more races (Multiracial) | 3.3% | 3.1% | 3.1% |
Household & Families Composition
Household size, type, and family structure
Household structure
61%
family
Family
61%
Non family
39%
% family households
Big Spring
61%
Howard County
63.8%
Texas
67.7%
Average household size
2.29
persons per household
Household & Family COMPOSITION
Households
Percentage of Big Spring population
| Big Spring | Howard County | Texas | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total households | 9,061 | 12,191 | 10,992,816 |
| Average houshold size | 2.29 | 2.39 | 2.69 |
| Family households | 5,523 | 7,779 | 7,443,447 |
| Average family size | 2.86 | 2.96 | 3.3 |
| Married couple family | 3,542 | 5,454 | 5,376,819 |
| Other families | 1,981 | 2,325 | 2,066,628 |
| Male householder | 670 | 862 | 591,475 |
| Female householder | 1,311 | 1,463 | 1,475,153 |
| Non-family households | 3,538 | 4,412 | 3,549,369 |
| One-person households | 3,132 | 3,971 | 2,885,361 |
| Male householder | 1,718 | 2,157 | 1,366,738 |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 347 | 537 | 338,159 |
| Female householder | 1,414 | 1,814 | 1,518,623 |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 500 | 707 | 643,272 |
| Other living arrangements | 406 | 441 | 664,008 |
Housing Profile
Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens
Total housing units
10,462
housing units
Big Spring
10,462
Howard County
14,048
Texas
12,128,515
Occupancy status
86.6%
occupied
Occupied
86.6%
Vacant
13.4%
vacancy rate
Big Spring
13.4%
Howard County
13.2%
Texas
9.4%
Housing Characteristics
How the housing supply is structured and used
Types of Housing unit
79.8%
Single family houses
Median Year Built
1964
Half of houses were built before 1964, and half after.
Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.
Housing Characteristics
Units, rooms & bedrooms
Physical characteristics of housing units
| Big Spring | Howard County | Texas | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rooms per unit | |||
| Median rooms | 5.1 | 5.3 | 5.4 |
| 1–3 rooms | 15.1% | 14.2% | 17.1% |
| 4–6 rooms | 65.1% | 62.9% | 52.8% |
| 7+ rooms | 19.9% | 22.9% | 30.1% |
| Bedrooms | |||
| No bedroom / studio | 2.1% | 1.6% | 3% |
| 1 bedroom | 12.7% | 11.2% | 12.7% |
| 2 bedrooms | 27.2% | 24.8% | 21% |
| 3 bedrooms | 47.3% | 47.8% | 39.5% |
| 4+ bedrooms | 10.8% | 14.6% | 23.9% |
| At a glance | |||
| Median year built | 1964 | 1966 | 1992 |
| Total housing units | 10,462 | 14,048 | 12,128,515 |
Occupancy Profile
Who is inside and how they use it
Homeownership
64.7%
owners
Renter-occupied
35.3%
Owner-occupied
64.7%
homeownership rate
Big Spring
64.7%
Howard County
69.5%
Texas
62.6%
Average household size
2.43
Owner-occupied
2.05
Renter-occupied
owner-occupied average size
Big Spring
2.43
Howard County
2.52
Texas
2.87
Housing Characteristics
Occupied unit characteristics
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
| Big Spring | Howard County | Texas | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total occupied units | 9,061 | 12,191 | 10,992,816 |
| Year moved in | |||
| 2020 or later | 28.3% | 26.9% | 30.1% |
| 2010 to 2019 | 41% | 40% | 40.4% |
| 2000 to 2009 | 16.4% | 16.2% | 15.4% |
| 1999 or earlier | 14.3% | 16.9% | 14.1% |
| Occupants per room | |||
| 1.00 or fewer | 95.6% | 95.1% | 95.2% |
| 1.01 to 1.50 | 3.3% | 3% | 3.2% |
| 1.51 or more | 1.1% | 1.9% | 1.6% |
| Vehicles availability | |||
| No vehicles | 7.1% | 6.3% | 5.4% |
| 1 vehicle | 38.2% | 34.8% | 33% |
| 2 vehicles | 38.4% | 38.6% | 39.3% |
| 3 or more vehicles | 16.3% | 20.3% | 22.3% |
| House heating fuel used | |||
| Gas | 56.5% | 50.3% | 37.4% |
| Electricity | 42.8% | 48.9% | 61.2% |
| Solar | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Fuel oil, kerosene etc | 0% | 0% | 0.1% |
| All other fuels | 0.2% | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| No fuel used | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Selected characteristics | |||
| Lacking complete plumbing | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| Lacking complete kitchen | 1.4% | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| No telephone service available | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.9% |
Housing Value
What owner-occupied units are worth
Median home value
$140,200
owner-occupied units
Housing Cost Burden
21.9%
of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened
Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.
Financial characteristics
Property value and housing costs
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
| Big Spring | Howard County | Texas | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property value | |||
| Median Value | $140,200 | $155,600 | $283,800 |
| Under $100,000 | 36.4% | 33.9% | 13.3% |
| $100,000 - $200,000 | 34.6% | 29.8% | 17.9% |
| $200,000 - $300,000 | 18.6% | 19.6% | 22.1% |
| $300,000 - $500,000 | 9.1% | 13.3% | 28% |
| $500,000 - $1,000,000 | 1.2% | 3.3% | 14.9% |
| $1,000,000 and more | 0% | 0% | 3.7% |
| Owner-occupied households | |||
| With a mortgage | 44.9% | 44.2% | 56% |
| Without a mortgage | 55.1% | 55.8% | 44% |
| Median monthly owner costs | |||
| With a mortgage | $1,431 | $1,506 | $2,106 |
| Without a mortgage | $505 | $510 | $678 |
| Gross rent | |||
| Median rent | $1,050 | $1,034 | $1,403 |
Education Profile
How educated is the community and how education pays off
Adults with a college degree
12.8%
of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher
Big Spring
12.8%
Howard County
15.7%
Texas
33.8%
Adults without a high school diploma
21.1%
of adults (25+) without a high school diploma
Big Spring
21.1%
Howard County
18.9%
Texas
14.1%
School Enrollment
Who is enrolled in school and at what level
School enrollment
4,734
population (age 3+) enrolled in school
College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)
28%
of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school
Enrollment & school type
Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split
Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school
| Big Spring | Howard County | Texas | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total enrolled (age 3+) | 4,734 | 7,062 | 7,886,029 |
| Nursery / preschool | 5.3% | 5% | 5.6% |
| K–12 | 71.3% | 76% | 70.6% |
| Kindergarten | 9% | 9.2% | 5.4% |
| Elementary: Grades 1–4 | 22.5% | 22.2% | 21.1% |
| Elementary: Grades 5–8 | 18.2% | 22.3% | 21.8% |
| High School: Grades 9–12 | 21.5% | 22.2% | 22.3% |
| College or graduate school | 23.3% | 19% | 23.9% |
| College, undergraduate | 20.8% | 17.1% | 18.9% |
| Graduate, professional school | 2.5% | 1.9% | 5% |
| College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds | 28% | 30.5% | 36.3% |
| School type | |||
| Public school | 84.5% | 86.2% | 86.9% |
| Private school | 15.5% | 13.8% | 13.1% |
Education Attainment by Level & Gender
What is the highest level of education completed among adults
Education attainment
16,630
population 25 years and over
Attainment by gender
Male vs Female
Adults (25+) · Share within each education level
Educational Attainment Overview
Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)
Highest credential completed · adults 25+
| Big Spring | Howard County | Texas | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population (25+) | 16,630 | 22,132 | 19,717,474 |
| Less than 9th grade | 11% | 10.1% | 7.3% |
| 9th–12th, no diploma | 10.1% | 8.8% | 6.8% |
| High school diploma or GED | 34.6% | 32.5% | 24.3% |
| Some college, no degree | 23.7% | 23.9% | 20.1% |
| Associate's degree | 7.9% | 8.9% | 7.7% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.8% | 15.7% | 33.8% |
| Bachelor's degree | 8.7% | 10.7% | 21.5% |
| Graduate or professional | 4.1% | 5% | 12.3% |
| High School or higher | 79% | 81.1% | 86% |
Earnings by education level
percentage as applicable
Median Earnings
$47,130
Median earnings for adults 25+, by level
Poverty Rate
7.5%
for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher
Outcomes by Education Level
Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)
Adults 25+
| Big Spring | Howard County | Texas | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median earnings | |||
| Population 25+, with earnings | $47,130 | $49,672 | $51,033 |
| Less than high school graduate | $35,174 | $36,434 | $30,970 |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | $39,804 | $42,725 | $37,956 |
| Some college or associate's degree | $48,808 | $52,560 | $46,890 |
| Bachelor's degree | $61,088 | $61,454 | $70,006 |
| Graduate or professional degree | $110,139 | $74,899 | $87,663 |
| Poverty rates | |||
| Less than high school graduate | 29.8% | 26.7% | 24.3% |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | 14.2% | 12.3% | 14.8% |
| Some college or associate's degree | 11.9% | 10.2% | 9.6% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 7.5% | 5% | 4.5% |
About Neilsberg Research
Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.
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