Port Lavaca, Calhoun County, Texas Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Port Lavaca, Texas, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Port Lavaca, Texas. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Port Lavaca, Texas. The estimated population of Port Lavaca, Texas is 11,654 people, with a median age of 36.7.

We can look at the total population in Port Lavaca over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
11,654
-3% -5.49%
2020
12,015
-1.09% -
2019
12,147
-1.27% -
2018
12,303
-0.23% -
2017
12,331
- -

Population of Port Lavaca, Texas by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
25.8%
29%
-11.03%
Black/African American
2.9%
4.1%
-29.27%
Native
0%
0.1%
-100.00%
Hispanic
63%
58.3%
+8.06%
Asian
6.8%
8.1%
-16.05%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0.1%
-100.00%
Two Or More Races
1.5%
0.3%
+400.00%
Other
0%
0%
0.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Port Lavaca, Texas by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 36.7 +1.38% 36.2 -0.55% 37.2 +3.33%
2020 36.2 -1.63% 36.4 -1.09% 36 -2.17%
2019 36.8 -1.87% 36.8 0% 36.8 -2.65%
2018 37.5 +1.9% 36.8 +2.51% 37.8 -0.79%
2017 36.8 - 35.9 - 38.1 -

The median age of Port Lavaca, Texas gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 671 -3.62% 900 -14.19% 640 761
10 to 19 996 -5.2% 1,034 -12.71% 933 886
20 to 29 751 +18.87% 747 -1.54% 864 728
30 to 39 855 +3.68% 616 +13.55% 880 696
40 to 49 859 -17.45% 981 -52.01% 689 551
50 to 59 687 -8.39% 791 -14.06% 603 672
60 to 69 651 +17.53% 517 +12.09% 768 561
70+ 519 +19.56% 756 +8% 610 812

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Port Lavaca, Texas is $58,221.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Port Lavaca.

  • Under 25
    $47,885.00
  • 25 to 44
    $77,904.00
  • 45 to 64
    $65,164.00
  • 65 and over
    $38,813.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Port Lavaca, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Port Lavaca, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Port Lavaca, Texas is currently $77,385.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

4.66% of households in Port Lavaca are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Port Lavaca against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    13.76%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    29.74%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    19.27%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    11.49%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    13.88%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    7.21%
  • $200,000 or more
    4.66%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Port Lavaca is $29,509.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Port Lavaca by the total population of Port Lavaca.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Port Lavaca, Texas, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Port Lavaca to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    8.55%
  • Bachelor's degree
    20.07%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    14.43%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    54.05%
  • Less than high school diploma
    2.89%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Port Lavaca that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Port Lavaca over the age of 16 is 9,356.

Of those people, a total of 63.30% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Port Lavaca is 60.40%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 922 34.80% 22.40%
20 to 24 years 777 80.40% 0.00%
25 to 29 years 815 82.00% 4.20%
30 to 34 years 672 82.60% 4.70%
35 to 44 years 1,460 90.50% 7.80%
45 to 54 years 1,235 87.90% 1.40%
55 to 59 years 724 64.00% 0.00%
60 to 64 years 800 71.10% 0.90%
65 to 74 years 911 30.40% 5.40%
75 years and over 1,040 3.20% 0.00%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Port Lavaca. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 6,587 62.20% 4.70%
Black or African American 379 62.00% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaska Native 18 0.00% 0.00%
Asian 756 67.50% 0.00%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.00% 0.00%
Other 606 55.00% 0.00%
Two or more races 1,010 73.30% 9.70%
Hispanic or Latino 5,525 67.00% 6.60%
Not Hispanic or Latino 2,710 54.30% 1.40%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Port Lavaca as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Port Lavaca is 5,654, with median earnings of $36,318.00.

Women in Port Lavaca, Texas earning approximately 56.90% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 5,654 $36,318.00
Male 3,229 $47,702.00
Female 2,425 $27,129.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 407 $78,173.00
Business and Financial 98 $23,958.00
Computer and Mathematical 23 $0.00
Architecture and Engineering 123 $87,344.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 122 $100,513.00
Community and Social Service 74 $52,102.00
Legal 0 $0.00
Educational and Library 352 $56,657.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 57 $40,156.00
Healthcare Practitioners 152 $41,897.00
Healthcare Support 143 $15,428.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 139 $73,642.00
Law Enforcement 120 $38,250.00
Food Preparation and Serving 262 $14,273.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 402 $19,688.00
Personal Care and Service 78 $2,499.00
Sales 365 $27,679.00
Office and Administrative Support 484 $32,500.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 110 $32,195.00
Construction and Extraction 602 $32,557.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 276 $57,475.00
Production 763 $45,389.00
Transportation and Material Moving 166 $35,923.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 259 $81,099.00 148 $26,429.00
Business and Financial 0 $0.00 98 $23,958.00
Computer and Mathematical 0 $0.00 23 $0.00
Architecture and Engineering 109 $91,146.00 14 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 51 $0.00 71 $45,511.00
Community and Social Service 52 $0.00 22 $0.00
Legal 0 $0.00 0 $0.00
Educational and Library 60 $68,333.00 292 $55,964.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 21 $0.00 36 $8,077.00
Healthcare Practitioners 25 $0.00 127 $60,344.00
Healthcare Support 0 $0.00 143 $15,428.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 112 $0.00 27 $0.00
Law Enforcement 120 $38,250.00 0 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 93 $13,750.00 169 $14,568.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 194 $28,831.00 208 $11,346.00
Personal Care and Service 29 $0.00 49 $2,499.00
Sales 74 $28,929.00 291 $26,680.00
Office and Administrative Support 49 $54,886.00 435 $32,055.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 110 $32,195.00 0 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 535 $33,835.00 67 $24,594.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 276 $57,475.00 0 $0.00
Production 678 $46,087.00 85 $31,094.00
Transportation and Material Moving 156 $36,115.00 10 $0.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 4,230 households in Port Lavaca, with an average household size of 2.7 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 2,986 families in Port Lavaca with an average family size of 3.17 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 2,277 224 485 1,244
Average Household Size 3.22 3.15 3.55 1.32
Total Families 2,277 224 485 0
Average Household Size 3.17 2.64 3.43 0

Poverty

Of the 2,986 families in Port Lavaca, 7.70% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Port Lavaca:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 4,835 housing units in Port Lavaca, Texas.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 4,230 87.49%
Vacant 605 12.51%

21.32% of the total 4,835 housing units in Port Lavaca are rental units. This is approximately 1,031 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 3,099 are occupied by the owner - or 64.10% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Port Lavaca is $719.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Port Lavaca that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    100
  • Less than $500
    0
  • $500 to $999
    870
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    132
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    23
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    6
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    0
  • $3,000 or more
    0

Property Value

The median value of a property in Port Lavaca is $108,500.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Port Lavaca that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    439
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    933
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    903
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    363
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    314
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    111
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    36
  • $1,000,000 or more
    0

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Port Lavaca. The chart below shows the number of properties in Port Lavaca that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    75
  • 1940 to 1949
    189
  • 1950 to 1959
    1,183
  • 1960 to 1969
    972
  • 1970 to 1979
    697
  • 1980 to 1989
    938
  • 1990 to 1999
    349
  • 2000 to 2009
    302
  • 2010 to 2013
    130
  • 2014 or later
    0

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Port Lavaca that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    172
  • 1 vehicle available
    1,187
  • 2 vehicles available
    2,177
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    694

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Port Lavaca get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Port Lavaca that commute to work in a particular way.

15.8 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Port Lavaca.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    382
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    1,169
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    792
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    1,419
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    779
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    95
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    535
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    45
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    13
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    45
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    39
  • 90 or more minutes
    75

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Port Lavaca, Texas in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.