Starr County

Starr County is located in the southernmost part of Texas along the Rio Grande, directly bordering Mexico and situated west of Hidalgo County in the Lower Rio Grande Valley region. Established in 1848 and named for Texas statesman James H. Starr, the county developed as part of the historic ranching corridor of South Texas and later became closely tied to cross-border trade and agriculture. Starr County is small in population, with about 65,000 residents, and is predominantly rural, with scattered towns and extensive open land. The landscape consists of brush country and river plains, supporting cattle ranching and irrigated farming, while government services, education, and retail also contribute to employment. Culturally, the county has a strong Hispanic majority and deep linguistic and family connections to the borderlands. The county seat is Rio Grande City.

Starr County is located in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas along the U.S.–Mexico border, with Rio Grande City serving as the county seat. The county is part of a predominantly Hispanic/Latino border region with strong cross-border economic and cultural ties.

Population Size

According to the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts for Starr County, Texas, Starr County had a population of 65,920 (2020 Census).

Age & Gender

Age and sex measures are reported by the U.S. Census Bureau for Starr County in QuickFacts and related Census tables. Key age-group and sex distributions are available via the Starr County QuickFacts page (Demographics section), which includes:

• Population under 18 years
• Population 65 years and over
• Female persons (%) (with male share implied as the complement)

For full age detail (single-year or 5-year age bands) and sex cross-tabs, county-level tables are accessible through the U.S. Census Bureau’s data.census.gov portal (search: “Starr County, Texas” and select age/sex tables from the American Community Survey).

Racial & Ethnic Composition

The U.S. Census Bureau reports race and Hispanic/Latino origin separately. Summary measures for Starr County are published on the QuickFacts page for Starr County, Texas, including:

• Hispanic or Latino (%)
• Race categories (e.g., White alone, Black or African American alone, American Indian and Alaska Native alone, Asian alone, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, Two or more races)

Household & Housing Data

County-level household and housing indicators are reported by the U.S. Census Bureau on the Starr County QuickFacts page, including:

• Number of households
• Average household size
• Owner-occupied housing unit rate
• Median value of owner-occupied housing units
• Median gross rent
• Housing units and related housing characteristics (selected measures)

For local government and planning resources, visit the Starr County official website.

Starr County, Texas is a rural, border county with dispersed settlements, which tends to reduce the economic incentives for dense fixed-line networks and can constrain reliable home internet access for digital communication such as email.

Direct, county-level email usage statistics are not routinely published, so email adoption is summarized using proxies from the U.S. Census Bureau (data.census.gov), primarily American Community Survey (ACS) indicators on broadband subscriptions and computer access. Lower household broadband and device availability generally corresponds to lower routine email access, especially for account setup, password recovery, and large attachments.

Age structure influences email adoption because older adults are typically less likely to use email frequently than working-age adults; Starr County’s age distribution from ACS profiles provides the best public proxy for this factor (see ACS subject tables). Gender composition is available in ACS but is not a strong standalone predictor of email use relative to age, income, education, and connectivity.

Connectivity limitations are commonly reflected in lower broadband subscription rates and reliance on mobile service; infrastructure context is documented through federal broadband mapping such as the FCC National Broadband Map.

Starr County is a sparsely populated county in South Texas on the U.S.–Mexico border, with its county seat in Rio Grande City and the largest community in Roma. The county’s settlement pattern is dominated by small cities, colonias, and dispersed rural areas along the Rio Grande and across brush country, with long distances between towers and fewer high-elevation sites than in urban Texas. These characteristics tend to produce coverage that is uneven at fine geographic scales, particularly for higher-frequency 5G layers and for indoor reception. Population and housing characteristics referenced below are available from the U.S. Census Bureau (QuickFacts for Starr County).

Network availability (coverage) vs. household adoption (use)

Network availability refers to where mobile providers report service (voice/data coverage and advertised speeds).
Household adoption refers to whether residents subscribe to mobile service and whether they rely on mobile service as their primary internet connection.

County-level coverage and county-level adoption are not always published in a single, directly comparable dataset. Coverage is best measured through national coverage maps and federal broadband availability filings, while adoption is best measured through survey-based household indicators that are typically published at state or multi-county geographies rather than for individual counties.

Mobile penetration or access indicators (household access and subscription)

• Mobile-only and broadband subscription indicators are commonly measured via the American Community Survey (ACS) (for example: presence of a computer, type of internet subscription). ACS tables can be queried for Starr County through data.census.gov.
  • Limitation: ACS does not provide a simple “mobile phone penetration rate” at the county level comparable to international “mobile subscriptions per 100 people.” Instead, it provides household internet subscription categories (including cellular data plans) and device availability measures.
• County health and population context (age structure, income, educational attainment, housing) that correlates with subscription patterns can be sourced from Census.gov QuickFacts.
  • Limitation: QuickFacts summarizes many socioeconomic measures but does not directly report “mobile phone ownership.”

Mobile internet usage patterns (4G/5G availability and practical connectivity)

Reported 4G LTE and 5G availability

• FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC) mobile availability provides the most authoritative federal reporting of where providers claim mobile broadband coverage. The FCC publishes this through its mapping program at FCC National Broadband Map.
  • This source is appropriate for distinguishing where 4G/5G is reported available in Starr County versus gaps in coverage in rural tracts and along less-traveled roads.
  • Limitation: BDC coverage is based on provider filings and standardized propagation models; it does not measure actual on-the-ground speeds, indoor performance, congestion, or reliability.
• 5G availability in rural South Texas is typically concentrated in populated corridors and towns first, with wider-area coverage more often provided through lower-frequency spectrum layers. The FCC map and carrier maps remain the most direct county-specific way to verify presence of 5G layers in Starr County at a granular level.
  • Limitation: Public datasets generally do not provide countywide, provider-neutral statistics for the share of residents “actively using 5G” or the share of traffic on 5G vs. LTE.

Typical real-world factors affecting mobile internet performance in the county

• Distance to sites and backhaul constraints: Rural segments and low-density housing increase the cost per served user for new cell sites and fiber backhaul, contributing to greater variability in throughput and latency than in metro counties.
• Border geography and international coordination: Border counties can experience RF-planning constraints related to cross-border spectrum coordination and interference management. This is a recognized planning consideration for border-area networks, but it is not published as a county-specific performance metric.
• Indoor coverage variability: Construction types and distance from towers influence indoor signal quality; indoor performance is not directly captured in FCC availability layers.

Common device types (smartphones vs. other devices)

• Smartphones dominate consumer mobile access nationally, and in rural counties mobile broadband access is often smartphone-centered due to lower upfront cost compared with fixed broadband installation.
  • County-specific limitation: Publicly available federal datasets do not routinely publish smartphone vs. feature phone shares at the county level.
• Household device availability can be approximated using ACS “computer type” measures (desktop/laptop/tablet) and internet subscription types on data.census.gov. These measures indicate whether households have computing devices beyond phones, which often correlates with whether mobile service is the primary internet connection.
  • Limitation: ACS “computer” measures do not explicitly count smartphones as “computers” in the same way and are not a direct smartphone ownership measure.

Demographic and geographic factors influencing mobile usage in Starr County

• Rurality and low population density: Dispersed settlement patterns and large rural areas tend to increase reliance on mobile networks where fixed broadband is limited, while also making ubiquitous high-capacity coverage more difficult. Starr County’s rural characteristics and population density context are summarized in Census.gov QuickFacts.
• Income and affordability constraints: Counties with lower median household income and higher poverty rates typically show higher price sensitivity in broadband subscription choices, which can increase dependence on mobile plans or prepaid offerings. County income and poverty indicators are available via Census.gov.
  • Limitation: The specific share of residents using prepaid vs. postpaid mobile service is not published as a standard county statistic in federal datasets.
• Educational attainment and digital access: Educational attainment correlates with device ownership diversity (PC/tablet) and home broadband subscription. Starr County educational attainment measures can be referenced through Census.gov QuickFacts.
• Colonias and unincorporated areas: Parts of Starr County include colonias and unincorporated settlements where infrastructure investment, including fixed broadband and robust indoor mobile coverage, can lag incorporated areas. This often manifests as greater dependence on mobile connectivity, but the degree of mobile-only reliance is not consistently quantified at county scale in a single public dataset.
• Transportation corridors and town centers: Reported 4G/5G availability and capacity are generally stronger near Rio Grande City, Roma, and major road corridors, with more variability away from these areas. Verification at address or road-segment level is best performed using the FCC National Broadband Map.
  • Limitation: Provider-reported corridor coverage does not guarantee consistent performance during peak usage or indoors.

Data sources that support county-specific statements (and their limits)

• FCC mobile coverage/availability (network availability): FCC National Broadband Map (provider-reported mobile broadband availability; not usage/adoption).
• County socioeconomic and household indicators (adoption correlates; some subscription measures via ACS): Census.gov QuickFacts and detailed tables at data.census.gov.
• Texas broadband planning context: The Texas Broadband Development Office (BDO) provides statewide and regional planning materials and may include mapping and program documentation relevant to underserved areas, though it does not consistently publish mobile adoption rates at the county level.

Summary distinction: availability vs. adoption in Starr County

• Availability: Best documented through the FCC’s provider-reported mobile coverage layers, which indicate where 4G LTE and 5G are claimed to be available across Starr County.
• Adoption: Best approximated through ACS household internet subscription categories (including cellular data plans) and broader socioeconomic indicators, but county-level “mobile phone ownership” and “5G usage share” are not standard published statistics in the main federal datasets used for local broadband assessments.

Starr County is in South Texas along the U.S.–Mexico border in the Rio Grande Valley, with Rio Grande City and Roma as its main population centers. The county is predominantly Hispanic/Latino and bilingual, with cross‑border family, commerce, and media ties that tend to support heavy use of mobile-first messaging and social platforms for local news, community updates, and interpersonal communication.

User statistics (penetration / share of residents using social media)

• County-specific penetration: Publicly available, county-level estimates of “% of residents active on social media” are generally not produced by major survey programs; most authoritative sources report U.S.-level (and sometimes state-level) patterns.
• Best available benchmark for Starr County: Using national benchmarks, about 69% of U.S. adults use at least one social media site (2023). Source: Pew Research Center: Social Media Use in 2023.
• Local context affecting likely usage: Starr County has a relatively young age profile and strong mobile dependence typical of many rural/low‑income areas; nationally, smartphone access is a key driver of social platform participation. Source: Pew Research Center: Mobile Fact Sheet.

Age group trends (highest-use groups)

National patterns (used as the most reliable proxy for Starr County absent county-level surveys) show social media use is highest among younger adults:

• 18–29: ~84% use social media
• 30–49: ~81%
• 50–64: ~73%
• 65+: ~45%
  Source: Pew Research Center social media use tables.
  Implication for Starr County: A younger population structure and large family networks typically align with higher overall usage and heavier use of messaging-centric platforms.

Gender breakdown

Across the U.S., social media use is similar by gender:

• Women: ~71%
• Men: ~67%
  Source: Pew Research Center: Social Media Use in 2023.
  Platform-level differences are more pronounced than overall usage (e.g., Pinterest skews female nationally; YouTube is high for both).

Most‑used platforms (percent using each platform)

Platform reach among U.S. adults (2023) provides the most defensible percentages to describe expected local mixes:

• YouTube: ~83%
• Facebook: ~68%
• Instagram: ~47%
• Pinterest: ~35%
• TikTok: ~33%
• LinkedIn: ~30%
• WhatsApp: ~29%
• Snapchat: ~27%
• X (Twitter): ~22%
  Source: Pew Research Center: platform usage.

Relevance to Starr County: In U.S. Hispanic communities and border regions, WhatsApp use is often elevated relative to some other groups because of cross‑border communication norms; Pew documents substantial WhatsApp adoption in the U.S. overall and publishes demographic breakouts. Source: Pew Research Center demographic platform profiles.

Behavioral trends (engagement patterns and preferences)

• Mobile-first engagement dominates: Nationally, smartphone access is widespread and social usage is strongly mobile-centered, supporting frequent short sessions, messaging, and video consumption. Source: Pew Research Center: Mobile Fact Sheet.
• Video is a primary consumption mode: YouTube’s broad reach (83% of adults) indicates high baseline demand for video; TikTok and Instagram further reinforce short-form video habits. Source: Pew Research Center platform adoption.
• Messaging and community updates are central: Facebook (groups, local pages) and WhatsApp (group chats) align with common community information flows in smaller counties—local events, school updates, family networks, and informal commerce—while Instagram and TikTok skew toward younger audiences and creator-led content.
• Age-based platform clustering: Younger adults concentrate more on Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat; older adults over-index on Facebook and YouTube. This age sorting is consistent in Pew’s platform-by-age breakouts. Source: Pew Research Center: platform use by age.

Starr County family and associate-related public records are primarily maintained through the Texas vital records system and county-level courts and clerk offices. Birth and death records are created and filed as Texas vital records; certified copies are issued through the county’s local registrar functions and through the state. Marriage records are recorded at the county level. Adoption and many family-law matters (including custody and some name changes) are handled through the district court system and are typically not public in full due to statutory confidentiality.

Public databases commonly available include recorded land and official public records indexes (which may reference marital status or family relationships) and court docket/case information, subject to redactions. Starr County provides county office contact points and services through the official site: Starr County, Texas (official website). Statewide vital records information and ordering are provided by Texas Department of State Health Services (Vital Statistics). Court case access and e-filing information are available through Texas Judicial Branch, and statewide court search tools are linked via Texas.gov.

Access occurs online through state portals and available county/court systems, and in person through the appropriate county clerk, district clerk, or local registrar office. Privacy limits commonly apply to birth records for a statutory period, adoption records, and sensitive information subject to redaction (for example, minors’ information and certain personal identifiers).

Types of records available

• Marriage licenses (and marriage applications/returns)
  Starr County maintains records of marriages licensed by the county, including the license, the application information provided to the clerk, and the completed “return” showing the ceremony was performed and recorded.

• Divorce records (district court case files and final decrees)
  Divorce matters are maintained as civil case files in the district court, including the petition, orders, and the Final Decree of Divorce (or final judgment).

• Annulments (court judgments/orders)
  Annulments are maintained as district court civil cases. The record typically includes pleadings and the order/judgment of annulment.

• State-level vital record indexes (marriage verification and divorce verification)
  The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) maintains statewide indexes used to issue verification letters (not certified copies of full court decrees). These are commonly used to confirm that a marriage or divorce is on file in the state index for a given time period.

Where records are filed and how they can be accessed

• Marriage records (county level)
  Filed with: Starr County Clerk (as the county’s recorder for marriage licenses).
  Access: Copies are typically requested from the Starr County Clerk’s office. Older records may also be available through recorded instruments search services or in-office public terminals, depending on the county’s systems.

• Divorce and annulment records (court level)
  Filed with: Starr County District Clerk (as clerk for district courts) and maintained under the specific case cause number.
  Access: Copies are typically obtained from the District Clerk’s office. Some counties provide online case information portals; availability and level of document access varies by court and record type.

• State verification (Texas DSHS Vital Statistics)
  Filed with: Texas DSHS Vital Statistics maintains statewide indexes (not the full county marriage file or the full court file).
  Access: Requests are made through DSHS for marriage/divorce verification letters for covered years.
  Reference: Texas DSHS Vital Statistics.

Typical information included in these records

• Marriage license / application / return

  • Full names of the parties
  • Date and place the license was issued
  • Age/date of birth (as recorded at issuance), and sometimes birthplace
  • County clerk file number, book/page or instrument/reference number
  • Officiant name/title and date/place of ceremony (on the return)
  • Signatures/attestations as required by Texas law at the time of filing

• Divorce decree (final judgment) and court file

  • Names of parties and case/cause number
  • Court and county of filing; dates of filing and judgment
  • Grounds/findings and confirmation the marriage is dissolved
  • Provisions on property division, debts, and name change (when ordered)
  • Provisions on children (when applicable): conservatorship, possession/access, child support, medical support
  • Related orders (temporary orders, protective orders in the file when applicable)

• Annulment order/judgment and court file

  • Names of parties and case/cause number
  • Court and county of filing; date of judgment
  • Findings supporting annulment under Texas law and disposition of the case
  • Orders addressing property and children (when applicable)

Privacy or legal restrictions

• Public access framework

  • Marriage licenses recorded by the county clerk are generally treated as public records, subject to redaction rules for sensitive identifiers.
  • Divorce and annulment case files are generally public court records, but access is limited when records are sealed or restricted by law or court order.

• Common restrictions and redactions

  • Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, and similar sensitive identifiers are commonly subject to confidentiality protections and redaction requirements in public records.
  • Sealed records: A court may seal documents or limit access in specific cases. Sealed portions are not available to the general public.
  • Records involving minors: Certain information about minors may be restricted, and courts may limit public access to sensitive filings.
  • Protective order and family violence-related information may have additional confidentiality protections depending on the document type and applicable law.

• Certified copies and legal use

  • Certified copies are issued by the record custodian (County Clerk for marriage records; District Clerk for divorce/annulment court records) and are used for legal identity and status purposes.
  • DSHS verification letters confirm the existence of a record in the statewide index for a covered time period but do not substitute for a certified court decree or the county marriage record.

Starr County is in South Texas along the U.S.–Mexico border, with Rio Grande City as the county seat and Roma as another principal community. The county is largely rural with small-city service centers, a predominantly Hispanic/Latino population, comparatively young age structure, and household incomes below Texas and U.S. averages; cross-border trade, public-sector services, and local retail/services shape much of the community context. For baseline population and demographic context, see the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts profile for Starr County.

Education Indicators

Public school systems and campuses

• Primary public school districts serving Starr County: Rio Grande City Grulla ISD and Roma ISD. These two districts account for most public K–12 enrollment and campuses in the county.
• Number of public schools and school names: A single authoritative, up-to-date, countywide campus list is not consistently published in one place; the most reliable public references are district and state directories. School names and campus rosters are available through:
  • The Texas Education Agency (TEA) district and campus information (state administrative directory)
  • District websites (campus listings): Rio Grande City Grulla ISD; Roma ISD
    Proxy note: Many national data aggregators list campus counts and names, but these can lag behind TEA updates (openings, consolidations, renamings).

Student–teacher ratios and graduation rates

• Student–teacher ratios (proxy): TEA publishes staffing and enrollment used to derive ratios; ratios in South Texas border districts commonly fall in the high teens to low 20s per teacher, varying by grade level and staffing year. The most current district-level staffing/enrollment figures are accessible via the TEA Texas Academic Performance Reports (TAPR) (select the most recent year and the relevant district).
• Graduation rates: Texas reports high school graduation using longitudinal cohort metrics in TAPR. District graduation rates for Roma ISD and Rio Grande City Grulla ISD are reported annually in the TEA TAPR district reports.
  Data availability note: County-level aggregation is not always presented as a single value in TAPR; district-level values are the standard reporting unit.

Adult educational attainment (countywide)

• High school diploma or higher (age 25+): Starr County’s share is below Texas and U.S. averages, reflecting a large proportion of adults without a high school diploma.
• Bachelor’s degree or higher (age 25+): Starr County’s share is well below Texas and U.S. averages.
  The most recent county estimates for both indicators are published in QuickFacts (American Community Survey 5-year estimates).

Notable programs (STEM, CTE, AP/dual credit)

• Career and Technical Education (CTE): Both districts report CTE participation and program offerings through state accountability documents and district communications; South Texas districts commonly emphasize healthcare pathways, business/IT, public safety, and skilled trades aligned with regional labor demand. Program participation indicators appear in TAPR under college/career/military readiness measures: TEA TAPR.
• Advanced Placement (AP), dual credit, and industry-based certifications: These are tracked in TEA college readiness and CCMR indicators. District-level counts and rates are in TAPR and accountability summaries (most recent year): TEA TAPR.
• STEM: STEM offerings are typically embedded through math/science sequences, CTE-STEM pathways, robotics/coding clubs, and partner programs; the most consistent public verification is through district course catalogs and TEA program reporting rather than a single countywide dataset.

School safety measures and counseling resources

• Safety measures (Texas statewide framework): Texas public schools follow required safety planning, emergency operations procedures, visitor management practices, and student threat assessment processes under state guidance. The statewide reference point is the TEA School Safety and Security program page.
• Counseling and mental health supports: Districts typically provide school counseling services and connect to mental/behavioral health resources consistent with TEA guidance on student supports. State reference: TEA Mental Health resources.
  Local specificity note: Staffing levels (counselors, social workers) are reported through district staffing files and TAPR components rather than a single countywide summary.

Employment and Economic Conditions

Unemployment (most recent available)

• Unemployment rate: The benchmark series for counties is the BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS). Starr County’s most recent annual and monthly unemployment rates are published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics LAUS program.
  Proxy note: Starr County has historically reported higher unemployment than Texas overall; the exact “most recent year” value should be taken from the current LAUS annual average table for Starr County.

Major industries and employment sectors

• County employment is typically concentrated in:
  • Educational services and public administration (school districts and government services)
  • Health care and social assistance
  • Retail trade and accommodation/food services
  • Transportation/warehousing and trade-related services tied to border proximity
  • Construction (residential and public works), with smaller shares in manufacturing
    Sector composition for residents is available from the American Community Survey “industry by occupation” profiles via data.census.gov (search Starr County, TX; tables for industry/occupation).

Common occupations and workforce breakdown

• Common occupational groups for residents typically include:
  • Service occupations (food service, cleaning/maintenance, personal care)
  • Sales and office occupations
  • Transportation and material moving
  • Education, training, and library (public school employment is a major local anchor)
  • Healthcare support and practitioner roles (often centered around local clinics/hospitals in the region)
    The most recent county occupational distribution is available through ACS occupation tables on data.census.gov.

Commuting patterns and mean commute time

• Mean commute time: ACS provides mean travel time to work at county level; Starr County’s mean is typically lower than major metro areas but influenced by dispersed rural settlement patterns and commuting to regional hubs. The most recent value is published in QuickFacts (commute time) and in detailed ACS tables on data.census.gov.
• Typical commuting pattern: Predominantly car-based commuting; public transit usage is generally low in rural South Texas counties. Mode share is available via ACS commuting tables on data.census.gov.

Local employment versus out-of-county work

• A meaningful portion of employed residents work within the county in public education, local government, retail/services, while another share commutes to nearby counties for broader job access (regional healthcare systems, larger retail/industrial sites, and government services). The standard county-to-county commuting flow dataset is the Census LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES), which provides home-to-work patterns.

Housing and Real Estate

Homeownership and rental share

• Homeownership rate and renter share: Starr County is a majority owner-occupied market, with a substantial renter segment in Rio Grande City and Roma and more owner-occupied housing in rural areas. The most recent owner/renter shares are in QuickFacts and detailed ACS housing tenure tables on data.census.gov.

Median property values and recent trends

• Median owner-occupied home value: Published via ACS in QuickFacts. Starr County’s median value is generally below Texas’s median, consistent with lower local incomes.
• Recent trends (proxy): Like much of Texas, values increased notably during 2020–2022; rural-border counties often saw moderate appreciation from a lower base and more variable listing volumes than metro areas. A consistent “trend line” is not provided by ACS alone; trend assessment commonly uses multi-year ACS comparisons or market datasets not uniformly available for all rural counties.

Typical rent prices

• Median gross rent: Reported in QuickFacts (ACS). Starr County rents are typically below the Texas median, with variation by proximity to Rio Grande City/Roma and by unit type.

Housing types and built environment

• Housing types: Predominantly single-family detached homes, with smaller shares of mobile/manufactured homes and limited multifamily inventory (apartments) concentrated near town centers and along principal corridors.
• Rural lots and low-density development: Unincorporated areas feature larger lots, agricultural/ranch land adjacency, and housing patterns driven by roadway access rather than subdivision-style development.

Neighborhood characteristics (proximity to schools/amenities)

• The most amenity-accessible neighborhoods are typically in and around Rio Grande City and Roma, where schools, clinics, grocery/retail, and municipal services cluster. Outlying communities generally have longer driving distances to comprehensive services, with schools serving as key community anchors.

Property tax overview (rates and typical cost)

• Property tax structure: Texas relies heavily on local property taxes assessed by county appraisal districts and levied by school districts, counties, and cities/special districts.
• Rates and typical homeowner cost (proxy):
  • Effective property tax rates in Texas commonly fall around the high-1% to mid-2% range of market value, varying by jurisdiction and exemptions.
  • Starr County homeowner tax bills are often lower in dollar terms than metro areas because taxable values are lower, though rates can be comparable.
    Authoritative local levy and appraisal information is maintained by the Starr County appraisal and tax offices; statewide explanatory reference: Texas Comptroller property tax overview.
    Data availability note: A single countywide “average homeowner tax bill” varies materially by school district and exemptions (homestead, over-65, disability) and is not consistently published as one uniform statistic.

Primary source set used/appropriate for “most recent” county values: Census QuickFacts (ACS 5-year), ACS detailed tables, BLS LAUS unemployment, and TEA district/campus and TAPR accountability reporting.