Abilene, TX

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

2024 Population

180,408

US Senator

John Cornyn

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Cruz

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

34.5

0.291% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

14.2%

7.92% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$67,328

1.3% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$178,700

3.41% 1-year growth

Population & Diversity

Abilene, TX is home to a population of 180k people, from which 96.6% are citizens.

As of 2024, 5.95% of Abilene, TX residents were born outside of the country (10.7k people).

In 2024, there were 5.2 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (112k people) in Abilene, TX than any other race or ethnicity. There were 21.5k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 13.4k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.6%

2024 Citizenship

96.5%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.6% of Abilene, TX residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Abilene, TX was 96.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Abilene, TX compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Abilene, TX

White (Non-Hispanic)
112k ± 541
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
21.5k ± 1.58k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
13.4k ± 585

24.4%

Hispanic Population

44.1k people

24.4% of the people in Abilene, TX are hispanic (44.1k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Abilene, TX as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for Texas.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
2,408,340 ± 36,549 people
India
354,317 ± 14,528 people
El Salvador
223,512 ± 11,564 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Texas was Mexico, the natal country of 2,408,340 Texas residents, followed by India with 354,317 and El Salvador with 223,512.

Foreign-Born Population

5.95%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

10.7k people

2023 Foreign-Born Population

10.7k people

As of 2024, 5.95% of Abilene, TX residents (10.7k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Abilene, TX was 6%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Abilene, TX compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
4,907 ± 661
Vietnam
3,000 ± 388
Gulf War (1990s)
1,908 ± 328

Abilene, TX has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.64 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Abilene, TX.

Economy

The economy of Abilene, TX employs 80.2k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Abilene, TX were Health Care & Social Assistance (12,838 people), Retail Trade (10,437 people), and Educational Services (9,898 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($80,560), Utilities ($71,250), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($61,576).

Employment

Occupations

80.2k

2024 Value

± 2,421

0.662%

1 Year growth

± 4.21%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Abilene, TX grew at a rate of 0.662%, from 79.7k employees to 80.2k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Abilene, TX, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (8,686 people), Sales & Related Occupations (8,262 people), and Management Occupations (7,774 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Abilene, TX.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Texas.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Texas (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

80.2k

2024 Value

± 2,421

0.662%

1 Year growth

± 4.21%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Abilene, TX grew at a rate of 0.662%, from 79.7k employees to 80.2k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Abilene, TX, are Health Care & Social Assistance (12,838 people), Retail Trade (10,437 people), and Educational Services (9,898 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Abilene, TX, though some of these residents may live in Abilene, TX and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$46,511

Median earning men ± $1,998

$34,594

Median earning women ± $1,532

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($73,561), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($66,389), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($64,065).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($47,933), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($46,704), and Wholesale Trade ($45,131).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Texas.

Y-Axis

4.59%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 13.8M people employed in Texas. This represents a 4.59% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 9.63%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Texas.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

276
Other Services (except Public Administration)
253
Construction
228
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$801k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$329k
Retail Trade
$202k
Construction

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Education

The student population of Abilene, TX in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 4,132 male students and 5,999 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Abilene, TX are White (1,149 and 57.8%), Hispanic or Latino (422 and 21.2%), Black or African American (242 and 12.2%), and Two or More Races (83 and 4.18%).

The largest universities in Abilene, TX by number of degrees awarded are Abilene Christian University (1,336 and 64.9%), Hardin-Simmons University (444 and 21.6%), and McMurry University (179 and 8.69%).

The most popular majors in Abilene, TX are General Business Administration & Management (150 and 7.29%), Kinesiology & Exercise Science (82 and 3.98%), and Registered Nursing (80 and 3.89%).

The median tuition cost for private four year colleges is $31,920.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2024 in Abilene, TX, the percentage of applicants admitted was 68.1%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 12.1%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 10,131 (40.8% men and 59.2% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2024 there were 10,131 students enrolled in Abilene, TX, 40.8% men and 59.2% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 4,889 records, of which 60.6% were women and 39.4% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Kinesiology & Exercise Science
82 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
81 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
80 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Abilene, TX was Kinesiology & Exercise Science with 82 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Abilene, TX according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Abilene Christian University
1,336 degrees awarded
Hardin-Simmons University
444 degrees awarded
McMurry University
179 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Abilene Christian University with 1,336 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 731 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Abilene, TX, which is 0.55 times less than the 1,328 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 1,149 degrees mean that there were 2.72 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 422 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($31,920) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($300) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,060) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Abilene, TX was $178,700 in 2024, which is 0.537 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $172,800 to $178,700, a 3.41% increase. The homeownership rate in Abilene, TX is 63.9%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Abilene, TX have an average commute time of 18.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Abilene, TX is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$178,700

Median Property Value 2024

±$7,110

$42,252

Median Property Taxes

±$1,507

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Abilene, TX the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Abilene, TX compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

63.9%

Homeownership

2024

64.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 63.9% of the housing units in Abilene, TX were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 63.5%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Abilene, TX compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$67,328

Median Household Income

± $2,746

66.1k

Number of Households

± 2,098

In 2024, the median household income of the 66.1k households in Abilene, TX grew to $67,328 from the previous year's value of $66,464.

The following chart displays the households in Abilene, TX distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Abilene, TX is from Texas.

0.475

2024 Wage GINI in Texas

0.475

2023 Wage GINI in Texas

In 2024, the income inequality in Texas was 0.475 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0391% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Texas was higher than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in Texas in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Texas across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (78.7%)
Carpooled (9.81%)
Worked At Home (7.96%)

In 2024, 78.7% of workers in Abilene, TX drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.81%) and those who worked at home (7.96%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

18.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Abilene, TX have a shorter commute time (18.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.94% of the workforce in Abilene, TX have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Abilene, TX compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Abilene, TX distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Abilene, TX have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

14.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Abilene, TX (23.9k out of 168k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Abilene, TX is White, followed by Hispanic and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

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