Like all states, Texas has certain places that are going on hard times. These Texas places have an above-average percentage of people living in poverty, out of work, or not making as much as they should be.
Even as the economy continues to improve, it’s worthwhile to look at the places in each state struggling to make ends meet. So we set our sites on locating the poorest places in Texas.
To do so, we used Saturday Night Science to analyze the newest Census data from the American Community Survey for the 366 cities in Texas with more than 5,000 people.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Poorest Places In Texas For 2025:
What’s the poorest city in Texas? According to the facts, Prairie View is the poorest place in Texas for 2025.
This isn’t a commentary on the people that live there or the vibrant culture and traditions of these places. Instead, it’s just a look at the facts.
For more Texas reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Texas
- Cheapest Places To Live In Texas
- Most Dangerous Places In Texas
- The poorest states in the US
- The poorest cities in the US
The 10 Poorest Cities In Texas For 2025
1. Prairie View
/10
Population: 8,220
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Income: $19,106 (lowest)
Poverty Rate: 37.3% (3rd highest)
People In Poverty: 3,062
More on Prairie View: Data
Prairie View, unfortunately, ranks as the poorest place in Texas thanks to combination of low pay and and a lack of jobs.
The city of 8,220 people averages the lowest median household income in Texas and the 3rd highest poverty rate. At the very least, the cost of living ranks in the bottom 15% of place in the state, so things like housing are relatively affordable.
2. Roma
/10
Population: 11,543
Rank Last Year: 4 (Up 2)
Median Income: $27,741 (2nd lowest)
Poverty Rate: 34.2% (5th highest)
People In Poverty: 3,946
More on Roma: Data
The second poorest city in Texas is Roma.
The city ranks as having the 5th highest incidence of poverty and 2nd lowest median household income. However, the unemployment rate ‘only’ ranks as the 4th highest in the Lone Star State.
3. Mexia
/10
Population: 6,867
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Median Income: $36,589 (3rd lowest)
Poverty Rate: 34.6% (4th highest)
People In Poverty: 2,377
More on Mexia: Data
Placing as the third poorest city, Mexia’s median income ranks as the 3rd lowest.
And that’s a sign that there’s a relatively substantial jump in the quality of the economy from second to third place on our list. The poverty rate is 34.62% and ranks near the bottom of places in the state.
But what makes up for the relatively low incomes of the city is its low cost of living. The income you do make here goes further than in most parts of the Lone Star State.
4. Crystal City
/10
Population: 6,241
Rank Last Year: 33 (Up 29)
Median Income: $38,598 (6th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 41.1% (highest)
People In Poverty: 2,566
More on Crystal City: Data
Crystal City ranks as the fourth poorest place in Texas.
The town ranks as having the 6th lowest median household income and the highest incidence of poverty in the state.
That being said, there’s still a ton of cultural diversity in the city as it hosts many events throughout the year.
5. Donna
/10
Population: 16,774
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 3)
Median Income: $38,082 (5th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 40.4% (2nd highest)
People In Poverty: 6,781
More on Donna: Data
The fifth poorest city in Texas is Donna.
The city ranks as having the 5th lowest median income in the state. However, an extremely low cost of living prevents a good number of folks from living in poverty as the poverty rate only ranks as the 2nd highest in Texas.
Still not the best news for Donna.
6. Rio Grande City
/10
Population: 15,258
Rank Last Year: 18 (Up 12)
Median Income: $41,369 (10th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 33.9% (6th highest)
People In Poverty: 5,173
More on Rio Grande City: Data
Rio Grande City ranks as the sixth poorest place in the Lone Star State.
It ranks as having the 6th highest incidence of poverty and the 17th highest unemployment rate.
7. Robstown
/10
Population: 10,222
Rank Last Year: 7 (No Change)
Median Income: $39,124 (8th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 31.0% (11th highest)
People In Poverty: 3,172
More on Robstown: Data
Robstown places as the seventh poorest city in Texas.
The city of over 10,222 ranks as having the 11th highest incidence of poverty in the state. However, it has a very low cost of living which helps to pay the bills each month.
8. Nacogdoches
/10
Population: 32,104
Rank Last Year: 6 (Down 2)
Median Income: $38,855 (7th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 30.8% (13th highest)
People In Poverty: 9,884
More on Nacogdoches: Data
Nacogdoches ranks as the eighth poorest city in Texas.
The big issue for the town is the unemployment rate which ranks as one of the highest in the state.
9. Raymondville
/10
Population: 10,243
Rank Last Year: 11 (Up 2)
Median Income: $42,148 (14th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 31.5% (9th highest)
People In Poverty: 3,223
More on Raymondville: Data
Raymondville couldn’t stay out of the top ten poorest places in Texas; it ranks number 9.
While the median income is the 14th lowest, there are a substantial number of people that live below the poverty line. Overall, Raymondville ranks as having the 9th most people living in poverty of all the places we analyzed in Texas.
10. Mercedes
/10
Population: 16,449
Rank Last Year: 16 (Up 6)
Median Income: $41,753 (13th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 31.5% (10th highest)
People In Poverty: 5,176
More on Mercedes: Data
And rounding out the top ten poorest cities in Texas is Mercedes.
The city of 16,449 people ranks in the bottom 20% for both median income and poverty rate in the Lone Star State.
Methodology: How We Determined The Poorest Places In Texas for 2025
The first thing that comes to most people’s minds when they think about determining the poorest places is to simply the poverty rate. That is, the number of people living below a federally established level of income for a household of a certain size.
However, we don’t think that one statistic wholly encompasses what it means to be one of the “poorest places”. So we used Saturday Night Science to look at this set of criteria from the newly released 2019-2023 American Community Survey:
- Poverty Level
- Median Household Income
After we collected the data for all 366 places with more than 5,000 people in Texas, we ranked each place from 1 to 366 for each of the criteria, with 1 being the poorest.
We then averaged all the rankings for a place into a “Poor Score” with the place having the lowest overall Poor Score, Prairie View, crowned the “Poorest Place In Texas For 2025”.
This report has been updated for 2025, which is our tenth time ranking the poorest places in Texas.
Summary: The Poorest Cities In Texas For 2025
Like we said earlier, when we set out to identify the poorest places in Texas, we weren’t sure what we’d encounter, but it ended up being some of the best places to live in Texas.
When you look at the data, the cities and places mentioned above meet the criteria for being at the very bottom of the income ladder for everyone that lives there.
If you’re curious enough, here are the richest cities in Texas, according to data:
-
Richest: Parker
2nd Richest: West University Place
3rd Richest: Southlake
For more Texas reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In Texas
- Safest Places In Texas
- Worst Places To Live In Texas
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Texas
Detailed List Of The Poorest Places To Live In Texas
| Rank | City | Population | Poverty Rate | Median Income | People In Poverty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prairie View | 8,220 | 37.3% | $19,106 | 3,062 |
| 2 | Roma | 11,543 | 34.2% | $27,741 | 3,946 |
| 3 | Mexia | 6,867 | 34.6% | $36,589 | 2,377 |
| 4 | Crystal City | 6,241 | 41.1% | $38,598 | 2,566 |
| 5 | Donna | 16,774 | 40.4% | $38,082 | 6,781 |
| 6 | Rio Grande City | 15,258 | 33.9% | $41,369 | 5,173 |
| 7 | Robstown | 10,222 | 31.0% | $39,124 | 3,172 |
| 8 | Nacogdoches | 32,104 | 30.8% | $38,855 | 9,884 |
| 9 | Raymondville | 10,243 | 31.5% | $42,148 | 3,223 |
| 10 | Mercedes | 16,449 | 31.5% | $41,753 | 5,176 |
| 11 | La Feria | 6,821 | 28.7% | $42,992 | 1,956 |
| 12 | Jasper | 7,215 | 28.7% | $42,407 | 2,067 |
| 13 | San Benito | 24,677 | 28.0% | $41,445 | 6,907 |
| 14 | Sansom Park | 5,387 | 26.4% | $40,993 | 1,424 |
| 15 | Port Arthur | 55,779 | 29.1% | $45,752 | 16,226 |
| 16 | Hutchins | 5,713 | 28.4% | $45,250 | 1,621 |
| 17 | Brownfield | 8,803 | 27.1% | $43,189 | 2,390 |
| 18 | Alice | 17,797 | 30.4% | $46,963 | 5,417 |
| 19 | Commerce | 9,211 | 26.7% | $43,051 | 2,463 |
| 20 | Center | 5,198 | 32.4% | $50,731 | 1,682 |
| 21 | Pharr | 79,809 | 29.8% | $49,884 | 23,775 |
| 22 | Palmview | 15,650 | 27.1% | $46,274 | 4,241 |
| 23 | Paris | 24,678 | 25.8% | $45,439 | 6,369 |
| 24 | Alton | 19,205 | 28.1% | $48,777 | 5,390 |
| 25 | Jacksonville | 14,186 | 28.9% | $50,469 | 4,106 |
| 26 | Crockett | 6,318 | 22.9% | $41,528 | 1,444 |
| 27 | Pearsall | 8,841 | 24.4% | $45,293 | 2,160 |
| 28 | Huntsville | 46,917 | 24.4% | $45,401 | 11,443 |
| 29 | Sinton | 5,513 | 23.6% | $44,753 | 1,301 |
| 30 | Marshall | 23,646 | 25.8% | $49,817 | 6,088 |
| 31 | Brownsville | 188,023 | 24.9% | $48,675 | 46,723 |
| 32 | Sweetwater | 10,484 | 23.4% | $45,720 | 2,449 |
| 33 | College Station | 122,280 | 28.6% | $51,776 | 34,923 |
| 34 | San Marcos | 68,920 | 26.7% | $51,030 | 18,401 |
| 35 | Uvalde | 15,344 | 26.3% | $50,967 | 4,037 |
| 36 | Plainview | 19,893 | 22.7% | $45,991 | 4,511 |
| 37 | Gladewater | 6,297 | 27.2% | $52,100 | 1,713 |
| 38 | Penitas | 6,355 | 28.3% | $52,857 | 1,797 |
| 39 | Bay City | 17,816 | 26.6% | $51,898 | 4,747 |
| 40 | Gonzales | 7,180 | 23.6% | $50,324 | 1,693 |
| 41 | Texarkana | 36,039 | 21.6% | $49,240 | 7,773 |
| 42 | Waco | 141,925 | 24.0% | $51,468 | 34,019 |
| 43 | Wharton | 8,671 | 21.2% | $47,692 | 1,836 |
| 44 | Kingsville | 25,061 | 31.0% | $55,649 | 7,766 |
| 45 | Marlin | 5,500 | 18.2% | $38,000 | 1,001 |
| 46 | Port Isabel | 5,098 | 22.3% | $50,775 | 1,134 |
| 47 | San Juan | 35,674 | 24.5% | $53,440 | 8,754 |
| 48 | Hidalgo | 14,250 | 24.6% | $53,667 | 3,504 |
| 49 | Lamesa | 8,527 | 20.6% | $50,533 | 1,753 |
| 50 | Beeville | 13,518 | 21.5% | $51,250 | 2,905 |
| 51 | South Houston | 16,017 | 23.5% | $52,611 | 3,765 |
| 52 | Brownwood | 18,805 | 18.9% | $47,821 | 3,550 |
| 53 | Liberty | 8,491 | 21.9% | $52,341 | 1,856 |
| 54 | Bonham | 10,594 | 23.3% | $53,232 | 2,468 |
| 55 | Alamo | 20,008 | 24.5% | $54,234 | 4,909 |
| 56 | Vernon | 9,947 | 18.9% | $48,855 | 1,877 |
| 57 | Weslaco | 41,437 | 25.0% | $54,995 | 10,367 |
| 58 | Galena Park | 10,527 | 23.8% | $54,167 | 2,506 |
| 59 | Livingston | 5,728 | 21.6% | $52,385 | 1,234 |
| 60 | Breckenridge | 5,182 | 18.4% | $46,989 | 952 |
| 61 | Navasota | 8,170 | 18.4% | $48,646 | 1,503 |
| 62 | Cameron | 5,385 | 25.9% | $57,126 | 1,396 |
| 63 | Bellmead | 10,550 | 22.1% | $54,048 | 2,330 |
| 64 | Harlingen | 71,669 | 24.6% | $55,891 | 17,594 |
| 65 | Socorro | 36,237 | 20.1% | $52,100 | 7,298 |
| 66 | Palestine | 18,888 | 17.5% | $46,228 | 3,307 |
| 67 | Sealy | 6,933 | 25.1% | $57,237 | 1,736 |
| 68 | Edinburg | 102,561 | 25.7% | $57,789 | 26,347 |
| 69 | Eagle Pass | 28,186 | 21.5% | $54,952 | 6,065 |
| 70 | Mineral Wells | 15,130 | 20.8% | $54,210 | 3,139 |
| 71 | Corsicana | 25,344 | 18.3% | $51,240 | 4,630 |
| 72 | Bryan | 86,169 | 23.2% | $56,861 | 19,956 |
| 73 | Rockdale | 5,455 | 16.8% | $47,550 | 914 |
| 74 | Los Fresnos | 8,174 | 33.1% | $64,048 | 2,704 |
| 75 | Humble | 16,489 | 18.1% | $52,927 | 2,991 |
| 76 | Gainesville | 17,688 | 19.9% | $56,341 | 3,526 |
| 77 | Cleveland | 8,137 | 18.8% | $54,888 | 1,527 |
| 78 | Hillsboro | 8,375 | 19.5% | $55,761 | 1,631 |
| 79 | Elsa | 5,688 | 18.8% | $55,519 | 1,067 |
| 80 | Pampa | 16,735 | 17.6% | $53,458 | 2,945 |
| 81 | Galveston | 53,348 | 19.9% | $57,216 | 10,610 |
| 82 | Lufkin | 34,158 | 19.2% | $56,722 | 6,568 |
| 83 | Lacy-Lakeview | 7,247 | 16.2% | $51,301 | 1,176 |
| 84 | Stephenville | 21,345 | 18.4% | $55,504 | 3,916 |
| 85 | Beaumont | 113,710 | 19.8% | $57,530 | 22,560 |
| 86 | Hondo | 8,508 | 21.2% | $58,773 | 1,806 |
| 87 | Mount Pleasant | 16,061 | 16.9% | $53,039 | 2,717 |
| 88 | Giddings | 5,085 | 15.9% | $51,397 | 809 |
| 89 | Kilgore | 13,444 | 19.6% | $58,141 | 2,636 |
| 90 | Jacinto City | 9,458 | 19.0% | $57,703 | 1,795 |
| 91 | Brenham | 18,086 | 18.7% | $57,207 | 3,380 |
| 92 | Everman | 6,060 | 21.4% | $60,068 | 1,295 |
| 93 | Atlanta | 5,434 | 23.7% | $62,675 | 1,286 |
| 94 | Del Rio | 34,638 | 20.1% | $59,588 | 6,965 |
| 95 | McAllen | 143,789 | 20.2% | $60,165 | 28,987 |
| 96 | Yoakum | 5,649 | 13.8% | $49,950 | 778 |
| 97 | Fort Stockton | 8,340 | 29.1% | $69,688 | 2,428 |
| 98 | Edna | 5,994 | 20.2% | $60,765 | 1,211 |
| 99 | Graham | 8,758 | 18.4% | $58,525 | 1,612 |
| 100 | Carthage | 6,568 | 12.0% | $44,738 | 790 |