By the Numbers
Every figure below is cited. Rows marked ‡ come from commercial aggregators rather than government data — treat those with more caution.
| Metric | Wharton County | Comparison | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 census) | 41,570 — up only ~1.1% since 2010 | Texas grew ~16% same decade | U.S. Census |
| Median household income | $66,924 | Texas $78,476 · U.S. $80,734 (~80%) | Census Reporter, ACS 2024 5-year |
| Per capita income | $34,628 | — | Census Reporter, ACS 2024 5-year |
| Poverty rate | 13.6% | U.S. 12.5% | Census Reporter |
| Child poverty | 21.3% | — | Census Reporter; Data USA |
| Effective property-tax rate ‡ | ~1.63% (one consultant cites ~2.1%) | U.S. median ~1.02% | Ownwell; O'Connor |
| School district rating (2024–25) | Wharton ISD: D | El Campo ISD: B | TEA via Texas Tribune; Leader-News |
| Hospital | Closed Nov 2016; reopened 2018 (OakBend) | ~18 months with no hospital | Victoria Advocate; Community Impact |
Crime: the sources conflict
Crime data for Wharton County genuinely conflicts depending on who is counting and at what level. We show both rather than cherry-picking.
Third-party data — commercial aggregator, treat with more caution
BestPlaces reports Wharton County property crime at 43.1 vs. a U.S. figure of 35.4, and violent crime 23.2 vs. 22.7. CrimeGrade assigns the county a “C-” and ranks it in the 31st percentile for safety.
Source: BestPlaces; CrimeGrade (commercial aggregators, county-level)
Fact — government / primary source
FBI-based data for the city of Wharton shows a 2019–2024 violent-crime rate 46.5% below the national average.
Source: FBI-based city data via CrimeExplorer (2019–2024)