State
County
Land Area
106.7 sq mi
Density
1,169.1/sq mi
2020 Growth Rate
0.52%
Growth Since 2010
6.53%
Rank in State
Rank in Country
Metro Population
173,880
Abilene is a city located in Texas. With a 2020 population of 124,710, it is the 29th largest city in Texas and the 226th largest city in the United States. Abilene is currently growing at a rate of 0.52% annually and its population has increased by 6.53% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 117,063 in 2010. Abilene reached it's highest population of 124,710 in 2021. Spanning over 112 miles, Abilene has a population density of 1,169 people per square mile.
The average household income in Abilene is $67,808 with a poverty rate of 16.49%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to $924 per month, and the median house value is $120,400. The median age in Abilene is 31.6 years, 31 years for males, and 32.3 years for females. For every 100 females there are 105.4 males.
Abilene's Dyess Air Force Base, combined with rapid expansion particularly in the southwest, southeast and northeast sections of the city, has led to continued population growth in Abilene. Recent expansions in the city, as well as initiatives to lure in new businesses, have contributed to Abilene’s population growth. While growth has slowed down since the population boom in the early 20th century, it is still steady, with the most recent estimates showing an increase of 4.4% since the last census in 2010. This indicates that Abilene is continuing to grow at a slower—but still steady—rate.
Cattle ranching and trade helped to build the city of Abilene. The area was founded officially in 1881 and was marked into lots that were sold quickly to the campers that were looking to make a living in Texas. The first college came just ten years later.
In 1940, the city funded the purchase of enough land to provide a US Army base just outside of town. The station brought thousands of people to the area and helped strengthen the economy and the population during and after the Second World War.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Abilene was:
2019 and 2020 population is estimated by projecting the raw 2018 numbers.
Year | Total Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | 173,880 | 910 | 0.52% |
2020 | 172,970 | 910 | 0.53% |
2019 | 172,060 | 910 | 0.53% |
2018 | 171,150 | 721 | 0.42% |
2017 | 170,429 | 412 | 0.24% |
2016 | 170,017 | 329 | 0.19% |
2015 | 169,688 | 1,346 | 0.79% |
2014 | 168,342 | 869 | 0.52% |
2013 | 167,473 | 31 | 0.02% |
2012 | 167,442 | 808 | 0.48% |
2011 | 166,634 | 1,049 | 0.63% |
2010 | 165,585 | 0.00% |
Race | Population | Percentage |
---|---|---|
White | 89,658 | 72.21% |
Some Other Race | 13,584 | 10.94% |
Black or African American | 13,161 | 10.60% |
Two or More Races | 3,860 | 3.11% |
Asian | 2,820 | 2.27% |
American Indian and Alaska Native | 1,068 | 0.86% |
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 5 | 0.00% |
Type | Count | Average Size | Owned |
---|---|---|---|
All | 42,786 | 2.58 | 54 |
Married | 19,325 | 3.24 | 69.7 |
Non Family | 15,454 | 1.36 | 41.1 |
Female | 6,160 | 3.4 | 39.3 |
Male | 1,847 | 3.21 | 48.2 |
3.19
Average Family Size
2.58
Average Household Size
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Less Than 9th Grade | 3,533 | 4.64% |
9th to 12th Grade | 6,277 | 8.24% |
High School Graduate | 24,542 | 32.20% |
Some College | 18,035 | 23.66% |
Associates Degree | 5,941 | 7.79% |
Bachelors Degree | 11,616 | 15.24% |
Graduate Degree | 6,274 | 8.23% |
Name | Total | High School | Bachelors |
---|---|---|---|
White | 47,401 | 44,183 | 14,261 |
Hispanic | 17,835 | 13,045 | 1,539 |
Black | 7,684 | 6,254 | 956 |
Other Race | 7,647 | 5,184 | 460 |
Asian | 1,850 | 1,570 | 793 |
Multiple Races | 1,702 | 1,412 | 233 |
Native American | 619 | 577 | 106 |
Islander | 4 | 4 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among islander people with a rate of 100.00%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 42.86%.
$32,474
Average Earnings
$39,500
Average Male
$27,596
Average Female
80.79% of Abilene residents speak only English, while 19.21% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 15.12% of the population.
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
---|---|---|---|
White | 66,966 | 8,500 | 12.69% |
Hispanic | 29,733 | 6,538 | 21.99% |
Other | 12,002 | 2,826 | 23.55% |
Black | 9,651 | 2,509 | 26.00% |
Asian | 2,648 | 484 | 18.28% |
Native | 914 | 316 | 34.57% |
Multiple | 2,765 | 313 | 11.32% |
16.49%
Overall Poverty Rate
14.82%
Male Poverty Rate
18.02%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Abilene is Native, with 34.57% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Abilene is Multiple, with 11.32% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 4.05%. Among those working part-time, it was 27.00%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 24.18%.
42.8%
Overall Marriage Rate
42.8%
Male Marriage Rate
42.7%
Female Marriage Rate
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
---|---|---|
White | 7,206 | 10.67% |
Hispanic | 1,292 | 5.82% |
Black | 909 | 9.73% |
Other | 510 | 5.46% |
2 or More | 184 | 8.14% |
Indian | 112 | 14.56% |
Asian | 70 | 3.15% |
7.52%
Veteran Poverty Rate
32.38%
Veteran Disability Rate
61.3%
Labor Force Participation
55.1%
Employment Rate
3.6%
Unemployment Rate
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
93.23%
Native Born
6.77%
Foreign Born
3.89%
Non Citizen
2.88%
Naturalized
93.23% of Abilene residents were born in the United States, with 66.32% having been born in Texas. 3.89% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Year | Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | 124,710 | 645 | 0.52% |
2020 | 124,065 | 645 | 0.52% |
2019 | 123,420 | 645 | 0.53% |
2018 | 122,775 | 589 | 0.48% |
2017 | 122,186 | 303 | 0.25% |
2016 | 121,883 | 176 | 0.14% |
2015 | 121,707 | 1,059 | 0.88% |
2014 | 120,648 | 851 | 0.71% |
2013 | 119,797 | -56 | -0.05% |
2012 | 119,853 | 1,091 | 0.92% |
2011 | 118,762 | 957 | 0.81% |
2010 | 117,805 | 1,875 | 0.16% |
2000 | 115,930 | 9,276 | 0.84% |
1990 | 106,654 | 8,339 | 0.82% |
1980 | 98,315 | 8,662 | 0.93% |
1970 | 89,653 | -715 | -0.08% |
1960 | 90,368 | 44,798 | 7.09% |
1950 | 45,570 | 18,958 | 5.53% |
1940 | 26,612 | 3,437 | 1.39% |
1930 | 23,175 | 12,901 | 8.47% |
1920 | 10,274 | 1,070 | 1.11% |
1910 | 9,204 | 5,793 | 10.44% |
1900 | 3,411 | 217 | 0.66% |
1890 | 3,194 | 0.00% |