County population in 2012: 11,961 (62% urban, 38% rural); it was 11,600 in 2000 County owner-occupied with a mortgage or a loan houses and condos in 2010: 651 County owner-occupied free and clear houses and condos in 2010: 1,884 County owner-occupied houses and condos in 2000: 2,502 Renter-occupied apartments: 1,038 (it was 926 in 2000)
% of renters here:
27%
State:
36%
Land area: 1298 sq. mi. Water area: 3.2 sq. mi.
Population density: 9 people per square mile
(low).
Mar. 2012 cost of living index in Zavala County: 76.9 (low, U.S. average is 100)
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Industries providing employment: Educational,health and social services (30.5%), Agriculture,forestry,fishing and hunting, and mining (11.6%), Arts,entertainment,recreation,accommodation and food services (11.4%).
Median real estate property taxes paid for housing units with mortgages in 2009: $873 (1.6%) Median real estate property taxes paid for housing units with no mortgage in 2009: $220 (0.7%)
Percentage of residents living in poverty in 2009: 38.3%
(42.1% for White Non-Hispanic residents, 37.9% for Hispanic or Latino residents, 0.0% for American Indian residents, 36.8% for other race residents, 34.1% for two or more races residents) Median age of residents in 2010: 30 years old
(Males: 29 years old, Females: 32 years old)
(Median age for: White residents: 30 years old, Black residents: 15 years old, American Indian residents: 40 years old, Asian residents: 54 years old, Hispanic or Latino residents: 30 years old, Other race residents: 33 years old)
Residents with income below the poverty level in 2009:
This county:
41.8%
Whole state:
15.4%
Residents with income below 50% of the poverty level in 2009:
This county:
21.2%
Whole state:
6.7%
Fair market rent in 2006 for a 1-bedroom apartment in Zavala County is $398 a month. Fair market rent for a 2-bedroom apartment is $484 a month. Fair market rent for a 3-bedroom apartment is $659 a month.
Lakes and reservoirs: Comanche Lake (A), Rocky Lake (B), Crooked Lake (C), Evans Lake (D), Mesteño Lake (E), Fishhook Lake (F), E O Johnson Lake Number 1 (G), E O Johnson Lake Number 2 (H). Display/hide their locations on the map
Streams, rivers, and creeks: Beef Hollow Creek (A), Alligator Slough (B), Windmill Creek (C), Spurler Creek (D), Peña Creek (E), Chaparrosa Creek (F), Palo Blanco Creek (G), Sugar Creek (H), Liveoak Creek (I). Display/hide their locations on the map
Current college students: 460 People 25 years of age or older with a high school degree or higher: 43.4% People 25 years of age or older with a bachelor's degree or higher: 7.6%
Number of foreign born residents: 1,598 (51% naturalized citizens)
Zavala County:
13.8%
Whole state:
13.9%
Year of entry for the foreign-born population
1995 to March 2000: 249
1990 to 1994: 147
1985 to 1989: 116
1980 to 1984: 167
1975 to 1979: 96
1970 to 1974: 155
1970 to 1974: 156
1965 to 1969: 512
Mean travel time to work (commute): 18.1 minutes
Percentage of county residents living and working in this county: 69.0%
Housing units in structures:
One, detached: 2,799
One, attached: 100
Two: 303
3 or 4: 78
5 to 9: 7
20 or more: 2
Mobile homes: 786
Housing units in Zavala County with a mortgage: 349 (0 second mortgage, 0 home equity loan, 0 both second mortgage and home equity loan) Houses without a mortgage: 1,509
Here:
18.8% with mortgage
State:
64.2% with mortgage
Religion statistics:
Percentage of population affiliated with a religious congregations: 47.86%
Here
47.9%
USA
50.2%
Total adherents: 5,552 Total congregations: 14
Adherents
Breakdown of population affiliated with a religious congregations
Name
Catholic Church
Southern Baptist Convention
Assemblies of God
United Methodist Church
Other
Adherents
3,518 (63.4%)
897 (16.2%)
680 (12.2%)
312 (5.6%)
145 (2.6%)
Congregations
2 (14.3%)
4 (28.6%)
2 (14.3%)
3 (21.4%)
3 (21.4%)
Source: Jones, Dale E., et al. 2002. Congregations and Membership in the United States 2000. Nashville, TN: Glenmary Research Center.
Average size of farms: 2752 acres Average value of agricultural products sold per farm: $189,471 Average value of crops sold per acre for harvested cropland: $336.59 The value of nursery, greenhouse, floriculture, and sod as a percentage of the total market value of agricultural products sold: 0.00% The value of livestock, poultry, and their products as a percentage of the total market value of agricultural products sold: 77.79% Average total farm production expenses per farm: $194,949 Harvested cropland as a percentage of land in farms: 4.54% Irrigated harvested cropland as a percentage of land in farms: 57.03% Average market value of all machinery and equipment per farm: $72,504 The percentage of farms operated by a family or individual: 78.99% Average age of principal farm operators: 59 years Average number of cattle and calves per 100 acres of all land in farms: 7.78 Corn for grain: 5084 harvested acres All wheat for grain: 8002 harvested acres Upland cotton: 4322 harvested acres Vegetables: 3,406 harvested acres Land in orchards: 1,860 acres
Tornado activity:
Zavala County historical area-adjusted tornado activity is significantly below Texas state average. It is 3.0 times below overall U.S. average. Tornadoes in this county have caused one injury recorded between 1950 and 2004. On 3/18/1964, a category 1 (max. wind speeds 73-112 mph) tornado injured one person and caused between $5000 and $50,000 in damages.
Earthquake activity:
Zavala County-area historical earthquake activity is significantly below Texas state average. It is 98% smaller than the overall U.S. average.
On 4/9/1993 at 12:29:19, a magnitude 4.3 (4.1 MB, 4.3 LG, Depth: 3.1 mi, Class: Light, Intensity: IV - V) earthquake occurred 99.2 miles away from the county center On 4/3/2005 at 14:39:16, a magnitude 3.5 (3.5 LG, Depth: 3.1 mi, Class: Light, Intensity: II - III) earthquake occurred 46.0 miles away from the county center On 5/16/1993 at 15:30:19, a magnitude 3.0 (3.0 LG, Depth: 3.1 mi) earthquake occurred 96.5 miles away from the county center Magnitude types: regional Lg-wave magnitude (LG), body-wave magnitude (MB)
Most recent natural disasters:
Texas Wildfires, Incident Period: March 14, 2008 to September 1, 2008, Emergency Declared (EM-3284): March 14, 2008, FEMA Id: FEMA-EM-3284, Natural disaster type: Fire
Texas Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, Incident Period: June 16, 2007 to August 3, 2007, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared (DR-1709): June 29, 2007, FEMA Id: FEMA-DR-1709, Natural disaster type: Storm, Tornado, Flood
Texas Hurricane Rita, Incident Period: September 23, 2005 to October 14, 2005, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared (DR-1606): September 24, 2005, FEMA Id: FEMA-DR-1606, Natural disaster type: Hurricane
Texas Hurricane Rita, Incident Period: September 20, 2005 to October 14, 2005, Emergency Declared (EM-3261): September 21, 2005, FEMA Id: FEMA-EM-3261, Natural disaster type: Hurricane
Texas Hurricane Katrina, Incident Period: August 29, 2005 to October 1, 2005, Emergency Declared (EM-3216): September 2, 2005, FEMA Id: FEMA-EM-3216, Natural disaster type: Hurricane
Texas Hurricane Claudette, Incident Period: July 15, 2003 to July 28, 2003, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared (DR-1479): July 17, 2003, FEMA Id: FEMA-DR-1479, Natural disaster type: Hurricane
Texas Severe Storms and Flooding, Incident Period: June 29, 2002 to July 31, 2002, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared (DR-1425): July 4, 2002, FEMA Id: FEMA-DR-1425, Natural disaster type: Storm, Flood
Texas Extreme Fire Hazard, Incident Period: August 30, 1993 to November 15, 1993, Emergency Declared (EM-3113): September 10, 1993, FEMA Id: FEMA-EM-3113, Natural disaster type: Fire
Texas Severe Storm, Thunderstorms, Incident Period: December 20, 1991 to January 14, 1992, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared (DR-930): December 26, 1991, FEMA Id: FEMA-DR-930, Natural disaster type: Storm
The number of natural disasters in Zavala County (9) is smaller than the US average (12). Major Disasters (Presidential) Declared: 5 Emergencies Declared: 4
Other production occupations including supervisors (7%)
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations (6%)
Laborers and material movers, hand (5%)
Carpenters (5%)
Electrical equipment mechanics and other installation, maintenance, and repair occupations including supervisors (5%)
Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides (16%)
Preschool, kindergarten, elementary and middle school teachers (11%)
Secretaries and administrative assistants (9%)
Cashiers (7%)
Other teachers and instructors, education, training, and library occupations (4%)
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations (4%)
Counselors, social workers, and other community and social service specialists (4%)
Most common places of birth for the foreign-born residents (%):
Mexico (98%)
Korea (1%)
Honduras (1%)
El Salvador (1%)
India (0%)
Most common first ancestries reported in Zavala County (%):
German (2%)
United States or American (2%)
English (1%)
Irish (0%)
Swedish (0%)
Scotch-Irish (0%)
Scottish (0%)
Means of transportation to work:
Drove a car alone: 2,010 (68%)
Carpooled: 649 (22%)
Bus or trolley bus: 21 (1%)
Walked: 79 (3%)
Other means: 138 (5%)
Worked at home: 75 (3%)
Owners and renters by unit type in %
Breakdown of mean house values by ages of householders
People in group quarters in Zavala County, Texas in 2000:
260 people in other types of correctional institutions
80 people in local jails and other confinement facilities (including police lockups)
22 people in homes for the mentally ill
348 people in federal detention centers
61 people in local jails and other municipal confinement facilities
Average gross adjusted income of non-migrant taxpayers in this county in 2005 was $22,770.
6.30% of this county's 2006 resident taxpayers lived in other counties in 2005 ($18,924 average adjusted gross income)
Here:
6.30%
Texas average:
8.37%
10 or fewer of this county's residents moved from foreign countries.
4.54% relocated from other counties in Texas ($14,735 average AGI)
1.76% relocated from other states ($4,185 average AGI)
Zavala County:
1.76%
Texas average:
3.06%
Percentage of residents relocating from other counties or countries
Top counties from which taxpayers relocated into this county between 2005 and 2006:
6.25% of this county's 2005 resident taxpayers moved to other counties in 2006 ($19,191 average adjusted gross income)
Here:
6.25%
Texas average:
7.44%
10 or fewer of this county's residents moved to foreign countries.
4.87% relocated to other counties in Texas ($16,215 average AGI)
1.37% relocated to other states ($2,971 average AGI)
Zavala County:
1.37%
Texas average:
2.17%
Percentage of residents relocating to other counties or countries
Top counties to which taxpayers relocated from this county between 2005 and 2006:
Births per 1000 population from 1990 to 1999: 19.8 Births per 1000 population from 2000 to 2006: 18.6
Births per 1000 population in Zavala County
Deaths per 1000 population from 1990 to 1999: 7.5 Deaths per 1000 population from 2000 to 2006: 8.0
Deaths per 1000 population in Zavala County
Infant deaths per 1000 live births from 1990 to 1999: 5.4 Infant deaths per 1000 live births from 2000 to 2006: 5.3
Infant deaths per 1000 live births in Zavala County
Persons enrolled in hospital insurance and/or supplemental medical insurance (Medicare) in July 1, 2003: 1,622 (1,335 aged, 287 disabled) Population without health insurance coverage in 2000: 37% Children under 18 without health insurance coverage in 2000: 38%
General practice office based MDs per 100,000 population in 2005: 2356.730 Medical specialist MDs per 100,000 population in 2005: 601.9
Total deaths per 100,000 population, July 2005 - July 2006: 33.91
EPA green book nonattainment status in 2004-2006: 1 Crimes per 100,000 population in 1996: 1
Household type by relationship:
Households: 11,268
In family households: 10,337 (1,644 male householders, 1,120 female householders)
1,669 spouses, 4,280 children (4,053 natural, 66 adopted, 161 stepchildren), 826 grandchildren, 150 brothers or sisters, 84 parents, 142 other relatives, 270 non-relatives
In nonfamily households: 931 (388 male householders (335 living alone)), 421 female householders (373 living alone)), 122 nonrelatives
In group quarters: 409 (all institutionalized)
Size of family households: 812 2-persons, 606 3-persons, 543 4-persons, 413 5-persons, 221 6-persons, 169 7-or-more-persons.
15.2% of residents of Zavala County speak English at home.
84.5% of residents speak Spanish at home (51% speak English very well, 30% speak English well, 12% speak English not well, 7% don't speak English at all).
0.1% of residents speak other Indo-European language at home (100% speak English very well).
0.2% of residents speak Asian or Pacific Island language at home (18% speak English very well, 82% speak English well).
In fiscal year 2004:
Federal Government expenditure: $75,522,000 ($6455 per capita) Department of Defense expenditure: $307,000 Federal direct payments to individuals for retirement and disability: $18,458,000 Federal other direct payments to individuals: $17,129,000 Federal direct payments not to individuals: $3,984,000 Federal grants: $34,842,000 Federal procurement contracts: $292,000 ($112,000 Department of Defense) Federal salaries and wages: $818,000 ($0,000 Department of Defense) Federal Government direct loans: $504,000 Federal guaranteed/insured loans: $213,000 Federal Government insurance: $9,235,000
Population change from April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2005:
Births: 1,026
Here:
87 per 1000 residents
State:
85 per 1000 residents
Deaths: 414
Here:
35 per 1000 residents
State:
35 per 1000 residents
Net international migration: +170
Here:
+14 per 1000 residents
State:
+29 per 1000 residents
Net internal migration: -573
Here:
-49 per 1000 residents
State:
+10 per 1000 residents
Population growth in Zavala County
Total withdrawal of fresh water for public supply: 2.23 millions of gallons per day (all from ground)
Median number of rooms in houses and condos:
Here:
4.6
State:
5.8
Median number of rooms in apartments:
Here:
3.5
State:
3.8
Year house built
2005 or later: 134
2000 to 2004: 306
1990 to 1999: 529
1980 to 1989: 379
1970 to 1979: 920
1960 to 1969: 836
1950 to 1959: 532
1940 to 1949: 303
1939 or earlier: 259
Rooms in houses/apartments in Zavala County, Texas
69% of Zavala County residents lived in the same house 5 years ago. Out of people who lived in different houses, 70% lived in this county. Out of people who lived in different counties, 59% lived in Texas.
Zavala County:
69.4%
State average:
51.6%
Place of birth for U.S.-born residents:
This state: 8746
Northeast: 22
Midwest: 647
South: 128
West: 343
Median price asked for vacant for-sale houses in 2000: $12,500
Housing units lacking complete plumbing facilities: 9%
Housing units lacking complete kitchen facilities: 7%
Year Householders Moved Into Unit:
Most commonly used house heating fuel in Zavala County
30.0 years
33.0 years
(49.1%)
(50.9%)
, Frio County 
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.
