• county
  • FIPS 48227
  • Largest town: Big Spring

Howard County, Texas

Howard County had 30,833 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 900.8 square miles of land. It ranks 94th of 254 in Texas by population and 141st by land area.

Population
30,833
#94 of 254 in Texas · #1,418 in US
Area
900.8 sq mi
#141 of 254 in Texas · #848 in US
Density
34 / sq mi
#100 of 254 in Texas · #1,813 in US
Median household income
$63,398
#102 of 254 in Texas · #1,526 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

Howard County within Texas. Pin: Austin.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Howard County

Howard County population, land area and income

Howard County had 30,833 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 900.8 square miles of land. It ranks 94th of 254 in Texas by population and 141st by land area. That works out to 34.2 people per square mile, below the US average of 96.3, and below the national county median.

The median county-equivalent in Texas has 19,267 residents; Howard County is somewhat larger.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $63,398 is above the national county median among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

30,833

3144th1st

1418th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

901 sq mi

3144th1st

848th of 3,144 (US)

Density

34.2 / sq mi

3144th1st

1813th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$63,398

3143rd1st

1526th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Texas (254)

Population

30,833

254th1st

94th of 254 (TX)

Land area

901 sq mi

254th1st

141st of 254 (TX)

Density

34.2 / sq mi

254th1st

100th of 254 (TX)

Median household income

$63,398

254th1st

102nd of 254 (TX)

How Howard County's population changed since 2020

Howard County lost 3,974 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a drop of 11.4%. That ranks 249th of 254 in Texas for growth. The median Texas county changed by +2.1%, and the state as a whole by +7.0%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Howard County recorded 1,612 births and 1,922 deaths, a natural change of -310. Net international migration added +659 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to -4,738. The largest single component was domestic migration, which removed 4,738 people.

34.8k202034.4k202130.7k202230.7k202330.8k2024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
1,612
Deaths
1,922
Net international migration
+659
Net domestic migration
-4,738
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+129

Where Howard County is

The Census internal point of Howard County is at 32.303400, -101.438700. It sits in UTM zone 14N. The map shades Texas's 254 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Howard County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Cass County: +0.6%Jackson County: +1.9%Lipscomb County: -5.2%Hall County: +1.0%Hemphill County: -6.9%Kent County: -7.4%Dallam County: +5.4%Bandera County: +8.7%Culberson County: +3.1%Howard County: -11.4%Lavaca County: +1.2%Zavala County: -4.7%Taylor County: +3.7%Ellis County: +19.6%McLennan County: +3.5%Parker County: +20.2%Kinney County: +2.1%Uvalde County: +2.3%Haskell County: -0.0%Coke County: +2.3%Dickens County: -2.0%Colorado County: +4.0%Hansford County: -4.7%Collingsworth County: -1.2%Comanche County: +5.4%Crosby County: -1.3%Andrews County: +1.6%Atascosa County: +7.1%Brooks County: -5.0%Burnet County: +12.6%La Salle County: +0.4%Terry County: -1.6%Throckmorton County: +5.6%Yoakum County: -1.2%Hockley County: +0.0%Rockwall County: +25.5%Schleicher County: -5.8%Swisher County: -1.0%Motley County: -4.6%Hale County: -1.6%King County: -19.5%Hays County: +19.7%Irion County: +0.9%Bastrop County: +17.2%Blanco County: +16.6%Kimble County: +2.5%Dawson County: -5.7%Loving County: -28.4%Scurry County: -4.2%Sterling County: +0.2%Garza County: -20.1%Shackelford County: +1.9%Stonewall County: -0.8%Titus County: +0.8%Hopkins County: +5.3%Callahan County: +6.3%Childress County: +0.3%Lubbock County: +5.1%Dimmit County: -4.7%Donley County: -2.7%Baylor County: +2.1%Johnson County: +16.4%Glasscock County: +3.2%Sutton County: -2.6%Runnels County: -1.7%Ector County: +2.7%Kaufman County: +34.4%Jack County: +10.7%Mitchell County: -0.5%Falls County: +4.7%Castro County: +0.6%Palo Pinto County: +6.3%Limestone County: +1.9%Kerr County: +2.3%Franklin County: +5.2%Roberts County: +1.7%Young County: +2.2%Erath County: +4.2%Cochran County: +0.7%Hutchinson County: -4.2%Floyd County: -6.2%Mason County: +0.5%Parmer County: -1.9%Eastland County: +2.8%McMullen County: -5.4%Randall County: +6.5%Armstrong County: -2.3%Hamilton County: +4.8%Hartley County: -6.4%Nolan County: -3.7%Lynn County: +6.2%Menard County: -2.5%Karnes County: +2.2%Cottle County: -7.4%Winkler County: -4.8%Jeff Davis County: -10.4%Stephens County: +4.2%Bell County: +7.3%Borden County: -13.2%Madison County: +3.1%Fisher County: -0.3%Camp County: +5.9%Gillespie County: +5.2%Liberty County: +24.4%Upton County: -5.3%Waller County: +13.7%Fort Bend County: +15.6%Montgomery County: +19.9%Crockett County: -9.5%Sherman County: -0.7%Rusk County: +2.2%Wichita County: +0.3%Moore County: +2.8%Pecos County: -3.1%Webb County: +2.0%Kleberg County: -1.8%Fayette County: +4.0%Aransas County: +6.9%Presidio County: -6.9%Archer County: +7.0%Cherokee County: +5.2%Galveston County: +4.5%Comal County: +23.2%Concho County: +0.3%Jim Hogg County: -5.4%DeWitt County: +2.1%Brewster County: -0.6%Tarrant County: +5.4%Caldwell County: +14.1%Hardin County: +4.1%Fannin County: +7.4%Guadalupe County: +12.4%Clay County: +4.6%Coryell County: +3.9%Medina County: +8.9%Potter County: -3.1%Brown County: +1.5%Marion County: -1.7%Denton County: +14.3%Bee County: +0.6%Wise County: +17.9%Leon County: +5.8%Zapata County: -0.4%Coleman County: +4.0%Reagan County: -8.3%Mills County: +2.5%Reeves County: -19.0%Live Oak County: +5.5%Gaines County: +5.5%Oldham County: +3.4%Trinity County: +6.2%Williamson County: +18.2%San Saba County: -3.8%Wilson County: +10.7%Van Zandt County: +9.3%Lamar County: +2.2%Willacy County: -0.6%Brazos County: +6.4%Llano County: +8.7%Refugio County: -0.0%Martin County: -1.6%Midland County: +7.5%Wilbarger County: -3.0%Briscoe County: +5.1%Gonzales County: +1.8%Kenedy County: -5.7%Cameron County: +2.4%Gregg County: +1.9%Hidalgo County: +4.8%Hunt County: +18.4%Jefferson County: -0.9%Delta County: +8.1%Harris County: +5.8%Carson County: +0.5%Hill County: +7.8%Shelby County: +0.6%Hood County: +11.4%Grayson County: +10.6%Walker County: +9.4%McCulloch County: -1.8%Orange County: +1.6%Lee County: +5.4%Houston County: +0.6%San Jacinto County: +6.5%Robertson County: +5.3%Real County: +0.8%Red River County: +1.2%Sabine County: +1.7%Starr County: +1.1%Lamb County: -2.5%Goliad County: +2.8%El Paso County: +1.0%Wharton County: +1.1%Wheeler County: -3.1%Bexar County: +5.6%Lampasas County: +8.5%Calhoun County: -0.6%Maverick County: +1.7%Henderson County: +6.1%Freestone County: +6.2%Hardeman County: -4.0%Tom Green County: -0.1%Tyler County: +3.7%Chambers County: +19.5%Morris County: +1.8%Burleson County: +14.1%Newton County: -2.1%Upshur County: +7.3%Deaf Smith County: -0.2%Edwards County: -2.6%Bosque County: +4.2%Bowie County: -1.0%Matagorda County: +0.3%Terrell County: -4.3%Knox County: -2.9%Milam County: +5.6%Bailey County: +2.4%Nueces County: -0.1%Victoria County: +0.7%Dallas County: +1.7%Jones County: +5.9%Angelina County: +1.8%Washington County: +5.6%Gray County: -1.4%Grimes County: +13.6%Ochiltree County: -2.4%San Patricio County: +3.8%Val Verde County: +0.8%Foard County: -3.4%Frio County: +6.0%Kendall County: +16.3%Somervell County: +9.7%Panola County: +2.3%Nacogdoches County: +1.7%Ward County: -5.5%Wood County: +8.2%Montague County: +9.2%Duval County: -2.3%Navarro County: +6.9%Anderson County: +2.7%Jim Wells County: -0.0%Cooke County: +6.0%Rains County: +9.3%Austin County: +8.0%Brazoria County: +10.6%Polk County: +7.4%Travis County: +5.2%Collin County: +16.6%San Augustine County: -2.0%Harrison County: +3.7%Smith County: +6.4%Hudspeth County: +13.0%Crane County: -1.7%Jasper County: -0.0%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < -2.0%
  2. < +0.8%
  3. < +3.7%
  4. < +6.9%
  5. ≥ +6.9%
no data

Orange pin: Howard County internal point. Dark pin: Austin.

Internal point

Decimal
32.303400, -101.438700
DMS
32°18'12.24"N 101°26'19.32"W
UTM
14N 270383.5E 3576678.5N
Geohash
9txzg8wsf
Plus code
854W8H36+9G

Towns in Howard County

One incorporated place of 1,000+ people has residents in Howard County, 22,541 people together, or 73% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Howard County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Big Spring with 22,541.

  1. 01Big Spring22,541
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Howard County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 6 neighbors for Howard County. The most populous is Dawson County, TX, with 11,758 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Austin and the nearest big city

Austin is 259.5 miles ESE of Howard County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Midland, TX (population 143,687), 43.9 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Big Spring, TX (population 22,541), 5.3 miles away.

Howard County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Howard County is 48227: state code 48 for Texas plus county code 227. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $63,398.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Howard County, Texas?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 30,833. That is down 3,974 people (11.4%) from the July 2020 estimate of 34,807.

What is the FIPS code of Howard County?

48227. The first two digits (48) are Texas; the last three (227) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Howard County?

Big Spring, with 22,541 residents inside Howard County in 2024.

Which counties border Howard County?

6 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Dawson County, TX; Mitchell County, TX; Martin County, TX; Sterling County, TX; Glasscock County, TX; Borden County, TX.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.