Like all states, Texas has certain places that are going on hard times. These Texas places have an above-average percentage of people living in poverty, out of work, or not making as much as they should be.
Even as the economy continues to improve, it’s worthwhile to look at the places in each state struggling to make ends meet. So we set our sites on locating the poorest places in Texas.
To do so, we used Saturday Night Science to analyze the newest Census data from the American Community Survey for the 360 cities in Texas with more than 5,000 people.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Poorest Places In Texas For 2024:
What’s the poorest city in Texas? According to the facts, Prairie View is the poorest place in Texas for 2024.
This isn’t a commentary on the people that live there or the vibrant culture and traditions of these places. Instead, it’s just a look at the facts.
For more Texas reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Texas
- Cheapest Places To Live In Texas
- Most Dangerous Places In Texas
- The poorest states in the US
- The poorest cities in the US
The 10 Poorest Cities In Texas For 2024
1. Prairie View
/10
Population: 8,039
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Income: $19,238 (lowest)
Poverty Rate: 44.7% (highest)
People In Poverty: 3,590
More on Prairie View: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Prairie View, unfortunately, ranks as the poorest place in Texas thanks to combination of low pay and and a lack of jobs.
The city of 8,039 people averages the lowest median household income in Texas and the highest poverty rate. At the very least, the cost of living ranks in the bottom 15% of place in the state, so things like housing are relatively affordable.
2. Donna
/10
Population: 16,742
Rank Last Year: 4 (Up 2)
Median Income: $34,049 (5th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 38.0% (2nd highest)
People In Poverty: 6,366
More on Donna: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
The second poorest city in Texas is Donna.
The city ranks as having the 2nd highest incidence of poverty and 5th lowest median household income. However, the unemployment rate ‘only’ ranks as the 205th highest in the Lone Star State.
3. Mexia
/10
Population: 6,907
Rank Last Year: 6 (Up 3)
Median Income: $33,239 (4th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 36.6% (3rd highest)
People In Poverty: 2,527
More on Mexia: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Placing as the third poorest city, Mexia’s median income ranks as the 4th lowest.
And that’s a sign that there’s a relatively substantial jump in the quality of the economy from second to third place on our list. The poverty rate is 36.59% and ranks near the bottom of places in the state.
But what makes up for the relatively low incomes of the city is its low cost of living. The income you do make here goes further than in most parts of the Lone Star State.
4. Roma
/10
Population: 11,531
Rank Last Year: 5 (Up 1)
Median Income: $26,951 (2nd lowest)
Poverty Rate: 33.7% (6th highest)
People In Poverty: 3,882
More on Roma: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Roma ranks as the fourth poorest place in Texas.
The town ranks as having the 2nd lowest median household income and the 6th highest incidence of poverty in the state.
That being said, there’s still a ton of cultural diversity in the city as it hosts many events throughout the year.
5. Los Fresnos
/10
Population: 8,081
Rank Last Year: 12 (Up 7)
Median Income: $39,536 (16th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 34.6% (5th highest)
People In Poverty: 2,796
More on Los Fresnos: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
The fifth poorest city in Texas is Los Fresnos.
The city ranks as having the 16th lowest median income in the state. However, an extremely low cost of living prevents a good number of folks from living in poverty as the poverty rate only ranks as the 5th highest in Texas.
Still not the best news for Los Fresnos.
6. Robstown
/10
Population: 10,246
Rank Last Year: 19 (Up 13)
Median Income: $35,417 (6th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 30.4% (16th highest)
People In Poverty: 3,115
More on Robstown: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Robstown ranks as the sixth poorest place in the Lone Star State.
It ranks as having the 16th highest incidence of poverty and the 13th highest unemployment rate.
7. Nacogdoches
/10
Population: 32,148
Rank Last Year: 13 (Up 6)
Median Income: $37,612 (9th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 30.9% (13th highest)
People In Poverty: 9,930
More on Nacogdoches: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Nacogdoches places as the seventh poorest city in Texas.
The city of over 32,148 ranks as having the 13th highest incidence of poverty in the state. However, it has a very low cost of living which helps to pay the bills each month.
8. La Feria
/10
Population: 6,848
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 2)
Median Income: $38,656 (13th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 31.5% (10th highest)
People In Poverty: 2,159
More on La Feria: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
La Feria ranks as the eighth poorest city in Texas.
The big issue for the town is the unemployment rate which ranks as one of the highest in the state.
9. Jasper
/10
Population: 7,131
Rank Last Year: 7 (Down 2)
Median Income: $38,796 (14th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 31.1% (12th highest)
People In Poverty: 2,217
More on Jasper: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Jasper couldn’t stay out of the top ten poorest places in Texas; it ranks number 9.
While the median income is the 14th lowest, there are a substantial number of people that live below the poverty line. Overall, Jasper ranks as having the 12th most people living in poverty of all the places we analyzed in Texas.
10. San Benito
/10
Population: 24,766
Rank Last Year: 8 (Down 2)
Median Income: $38,100 (11th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 29.8% (19th highest)
People In Poverty: 7,380
More on San Benito: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
And rounding out the top ten poorest cities in Texas is San Benito.
The city of 24,766 people ranks in the bottom 20% for both median income and poverty rate in the Lone Star State.
Methodology: How We Determined The Poorest Places In Texas for 2024
The first thing that comes to most people’s minds when they think about determining the poorest places is to simply the poverty rate. That is, the number of people living below a federally established level of income for a household of a certain size.
However, we don’t think that one statistic wholly encompasses what it means to be one of the “poorest places”. So we used Saturday Night Science to look at this set of criteria from the newly released 2018-2022 American Community Survey:
- Poverty Level
- Median Household Income
After we collected the data for all 360 places with more than 5,000 people in Texas, we ranked each place from 1 to 360 for each of the criteria, with 1 being the poorest.
We then averaged all the rankings for a place into a “Poor Score” with the place having the lowest overall Poor Score, Prairie View, crowned the “Poorest Place In Texas For 2024”.
This report has been updated for 2024, which is our tenth time ranking the poorest places in Texas.
Summary: The Poorest Cities In Texas For 2024
Like we said earlier, when we set out to identify the poorest places in Texas, we weren’t sure what we’d encounter, but it ended up being some of the best places to live in Texas.
When you look at the data, the cities and places mentioned above meet the criteria for being at the very bottom of the income ladder for everyone that lives there.
If you’re curious enough, here are the richest cities in Texas, according to data:
- Richest: West University Place
2nd Richest: Southlake
3rd Richest: Lucas
For more Texas reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In Texas
- Safest Places In Texas
- Worst Places To Live In Texas
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Texas
Detailed List Of The Poorest Places To Live In Texas
| Rank | City | Population | Poverty Rate | Median Income | People In Poverty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prairie View | 8,039 | 44.7% | $19,238 | 3,590 |
| 2 | Donna | 16,742 | 38.0% | $34,049 | 6,366 |
| 3 | Mexia | 6,907 | 36.6% | $33,239 | 2,527 |
| 4 | Roma | 11,531 | 33.7% | $26,951 | 3,882 |
| 5 | Los Fresnos | 8,081 | 34.6% | $39,536 | 2,796 |
| 6 | Robstown | 10,246 | 30.4% | $35,417 | 3,115 |
| 7 | Nacogdoches | 32,148 | 30.9% | $37,612 | 9,930 |
| 8 | La Feria | 6,848 | 31.5% | $38,656 | 2,159 |
| 9 | Jasper | 7,131 | 31.1% | $38,796 | 2,217 |
| 10 | San Benito | 24,766 | 29.8% | $38,100 | 7,380 |
| 11 | Raymondville | 10,301 | 33.1% | $42,109 | 3,411 |
| 12 | Crockett | 6,365 | 27.2% | $37,500 | 1,734 |
| 13 | Huntsville | 46,202 | 27.1% | $37,419 | 12,516 |
| 14 | Lamesa | 8,571 | 28.4% | $39,434 | 2,429 |
| 15 | Sinton | 5,505 | 34.6% | $46,411 | 1,906 |
| 16 | Mercedes | 16,361 | 29.2% | $43,243 | 4,782 |
| 17 | Pearsall | 8,870 | 28.0% | $41,761 | 2,482 |
| 18 | Rio Grande City | 15,256 | 30.0% | $44,307 | 4,581 |
| 19 | Galena Park | 10,641 | 30.4% | $45,614 | 3,238 |
| 20 | Pharr | 79,434 | 30.4% | $45,016 | 24,155 |
| 21 | Alice | 17,916 | 27.7% | $43,017 | 4,966 |
| 22 | Palmview | 15,245 | 26.4% | $41,483 | 4,029 |
| 23 | Alton | 18,493 | 28.1% | $44,317 | 5,198 |
| 24 | Brownfield | 8,912 | 25.6% | $41,228 | 2,281 |
| 25 | Hutchins | 5,633 | 25.5% | $39,929 | 1,434 |
| 26 | Port Isabel | 5,137 | 26.2% | $42,601 | 1,345 |
| 27 | Gladewater | 6,166 | 31.7% | $47,749 | 1,952 |
| 28 | Commerce | 9,078 | 24.9% | $41,382 | 2,264 |
| 29 | Uvalde | 15,342 | 28.8% | $47,289 | 4,410 |
| 30 | Marlin | 5,478 | 21.7% | $31,240 | 1,188 |
| 31 | Port Arthur | 55,897 | 26.7% | $45,357 | 14,924 |
| 32 | Hidalgo | 14,075 | 26.9% | $45,919 | 3,787 |
| 33 | San Marcos | 67,143 | 27.6% | $47,394 | 18,565 |
| 34 | Crystal City | 6,332 | 30.4% | $49,211 | 1,926 |
| 35 | Wharton | 8,669 | 21.1% | $37,722 | 1,829 |
| 36 | Kingsville | 25,265 | 33.1% | $50,963 | 8,370 |
| 37 | Brownsville | 186,999 | 26.1% | $46,735 | 48,769 |
| 38 | Breckenridge | 5,230 | 20.9% | $38,500 | 1,093 |
| 39 | Bay City | 17,869 | 28.6% | $50,212 | 5,106 |
| 40 | Paris | 24,574 | 22.0% | $44,022 | 5,408 |
| 41 | Beeville | 13,637 | 26.7% | $47,815 | 3,645 |
| 42 | Waco | 140,545 | 24.8% | $47,421 | 34,812 |
| 43 | Penitas | 6,313 | 27.1% | $50,110 | 1,710 |
| 44 | Alamo | 19,811 | 24.1% | $47,398 | 4,780 |
| 45 | College Station | 120,451 | 28.5% | $52,397 | 34,280 |
| 46 | Carthage | 6,549 | 20.0% | $42,788 | 1,311 |
| 47 | Socorro | 35,429 | 23.5% | $47,649 | 8,311 |
| 48 | Harlingen | 71,497 | 26.0% | $50,367 | 18,560 |
| 49 | Plainview | 20,113 | 21.6% | $46,274 | 4,346 |
| 50 | Jacksonville | 14,104 | 23.7% | $49,750 | 3,338 |
| 51 | Alpine | 5,997 | 20.3% | $46,619 | 1,218 |
| 52 | Sweetwater | 10,546 | 18.3% | $44,306 | 1,930 |
| 53 | Texarkana | 36,156 | 22.0% | $48,054 | 7,957 |
| 54 | Marshall | 23,509 | 22.8% | $49,162 | 5,362 |
| 55 | Palestine | 18,741 | 18.1% | $43,759 | 3,388 |
| 56 | Elsa | 5,721 | 18.2% | $44,505 | 1,042 |
| 57 | Livingston | 5,672 | 21.7% | $47,952 | 1,230 |
| 58 | Gainesville | 17,459 | 21.8% | $49,170 | 3,799 |
| 59 | San Juan | 35,463 | 23.7% | $51,497 | 8,390 |
| 60 | South Houston | 16,169 | 23.0% | $51,006 | 3,717 |
| 61 | Center | 5,221 | 31.2% | $57,875 | 1,631 |
| 62 | Edinburg | 100,964 | 25.7% | $54,139 | 25,988 |
| 63 | Weslaco | 40,858 | 24.7% | $53,517 | 10,079 |
| 64 | Eagle Pass | 28,166 | 23.3% | $52,254 | 6,562 |
| 65 | Navasota | 7,843 | 19.5% | $47,793 | 1,532 |
| 66 | Stephenville | 21,020 | 19.6% | $48,088 | 4,119 |
| 67 | Bellmead | 10,480 | 21.9% | $51,474 | 2,297 |
| 68 | Sansom Park | 5,387 | 24.9% | $54,909 | 1,343 |
| 69 | Cuero | 8,138 | 22.5% | $53,386 | 1,834 |
| 70 | Bryan | 84,820 | 24.6% | $55,234 | 20,874 |
| 71 | Brownwood | 18,820 | 17.6% | $45,412 | 3,319 |
| 72 | Beaumont | 114,573 | 20.4% | $53,745 | 23,361 |
| 73 | Cameron | 5,356 | 24.3% | $57,076 | 1,303 |
| 74 | Freeport | 10,738 | 18.1% | $50,704 | 1,945 |
| 75 | Everman | 6,102 | 23.0% | $56,420 | 1,402 |
| 76 | Vernon | 10,018 | 17.4% | $47,528 | 1,745 |
| 77 | Littlefield | 5,939 | 17.6% | $48,962 | 1,045 |
| 78 | Lacy-Lakeview | 7,190 | 16.7% | $46,311 | 1,199 |
| 79 | Corsicana | 25,107 | 17.7% | $49,353 | 4,438 |
| 80 | Brenham | 17,655 | 18.2% | $52,664 | 3,206 |
| 81 | McAllen | 142,722 | 21.0% | $56,326 | 29,943 |
| 82 | Pampa | 16,861 | 18.0% | $52,966 | 3,038 |
| 83 | Rockdale | 5,424 | 13.9% | $39,911 | 756 |
| 84 | Mission | 85,755 | 20.3% | $56,421 | 17,391 |
| 85 | Levelland | 12,607 | 17.5% | $50,707 | 2,210 |
| 86 | El Paso | 677,181 | 18.9% | $55,710 | 128,258 |
| 87 | Yoakum | 5,841 | 14.2% | $44,627 | 827 |
| 88 | Kaufman | 7,520 | 18.1% | $55,349 | 1,357 |
| 89 | Del Rio | 34,722 | 18.8% | $57,072 | 6,524 |
| 90 | Galveston | 53,265 | 19.2% | $57,453 | 10,253 |
| 91 | Richmond | 11,931 | 17.1% | $51,832 | 2,040 |
| 92 | Brookshire | 5,187 | 20.9% | $58,712 | 1,086 |
| 93 | Hondo | 8,424 | 18.5% | $57,819 | 1,557 |
| 94 | Wichita Falls | 102,482 | 17.8% | $55,584 | 18,211 |
| 95 | Atlanta | 5,453 | 25.5% | $62,215 | 1,389 |
| 96 | Primera | 5,219 | 23.9% | $61,108 | 1,245 |
| 97 | Cleveland | 7,756 | 13.9% | $46,875 | 1,081 |
| 98 | Belton | 23,137 | 17.9% | $57,025 | 4,148 |
| 99 | Fort Stockton | 8,404 | 28.4% | $65,657 | 2,387 |
| 100 | Lubbock | 258,190 | 19.3% | $58,734 | 49,727 |