Should You Open a Business in Wharton County?
Before you sign a lease, here is what the record shows about the customer base and the flood risk.
Fact — government / primary source
The county’s population has been essentially flat since 2010 — 41,570 at the 2020 census, up only about 1.1% in a decade. That is a thin, slow-growing customer base.
Source: U.S. Census (2020); World Population Review estimates
Fact — government / primary source
“More than a third of all homes and buildings” in the city of Wharton were damaged by Harvey floodwaters, and roughly three quarters of the city’s area lies in the 100-year floodplain.
Source: Col. Rhett Blackmon, USACE Galveston District, Nov. 29, 2023
Fact — government / primary source
163 Wharton businesses were damaged in Hurricane Harvey.
Source: ABC13 Houston (2017)
Our take — opinion
Your grand-opening ribbon and your flood-insurance binder should arrive the same week.
In fairness — a positive fact
A federally funded levee is finally under construction (Phase 1 broke ground November 2023), and Wharton County Junior College anchors the county with campuses and facilities.
Source: USACE Galveston District; Wharton County Junior College