Texas’ statewide poverty rate declines, several rural counties see increase in poor residents

The number of Texans living in poverty slightly declined during the fiveyear period ending in 2022, though several rural counties saw their share of poor residents increase, according to new U.S. Census Bureau estimates.

An average of 13.9% of Texans lived below the poverty line from 2018 to 2022, down from 16% of Texans in poverty from 2013 to 2017. That decline mirrors a similar reduction in poverty levels nationwide as the share of Americans living in poverty fell from 14.6% to 12.5%.

The past five years encompassed a rollercoaster of an economic period as the COVID-19 pandemic abruptly stunted economic growth and was then followed by a slow period of recovery buoyed by federal child tax credits and infrastructure programs.