RANK #531 / 1001 NAT · #27 / 72 TX · POP 318,884
1YR FORECAST: -1.4%
5YR OUTLOOK: +28%
Lubbock County, Texas, is home to the Lubbock Lake Landmark, an archaeological site with evidence of human habitation dating back 12,000 years. Located on the South Plains of Northwest Texas, Lubbock is approximately 327 miles northwest of Dallas. The county features a generally flat landscape, with elevations between 2,900 and 3,400 feet. Commutes within the city of Lubbock average around 18 minutes, aided by infrastructure like the Marsha Sharp Freeway and Loop 289. Outdoor recreation includes Buffalo Springs Lake and Lake Ransom Canyon for water activities, and numerous parks and trails such as those at Mackenzie Park and the Lubbock Memorial Arboretum.
Life in Lubbock County offers a blend of urban amenities and a community atmosphere. The public school systems, including Lubbock ISD, Frenship ISD, and Lubbock-Cooper ISD, are highly rated. The economy, historically rooted in agriculture and education with Texas Tech University, is expanding into new sectors. Recent economic developments show growth in manufacturing, particularly in pump production for various industries, and the finance sector has seen job increases. The area is also making provisions for new economic opportunities, including a high-tech distribution building.
Lubbock County's data profile doesn't fit any single market profile cleanly — its housing, labor, and demographic signals pull in different directions (home prices +1.3% YoY, population +1.4%, wages +3.9%). About 414 U.S. counties show this kind of mixed-signal pattern.
See all 414 Idiosyncratic Markets counties →Overvalued relative to economy
Below national median
Moderate climate & terrain
Below national median (15x)
Housing looks overvalued at 7.9x — home prices are high relative to local economic output. The typical U.S. county is 4–6x.
Estimated local headcount ranges. Larger employers shown as floor + "+"; smaller employers show exact counts where reported.
Bars show trailing 12-month growth. The dashed Forecast bars are the model's next-12-month projection; the whisker marks the ±1% range (cooling–accelerating).
Source: Redfin · Census BPS — Browse sales on Redfin →
Source: CDC/NCHS vital statistics via County Health Rankings (2020–2022 avg). Rates per 100,000 population. Grade based on homicide rate relative to national average (~6.3). Learn more →
Source: EPA Air Quality System (2021–2023). Grade based on 3-year average median AQI. Learn about AQI →
| PROJECT | AMOUNT | STATUS |
|---|---|---|
|
TeraWulf Abernathy Campus Data Center
TeraWulf, Fluidstack (backed by Google)
|
$1,300M | Under Construction |
|
Leprino Foods Cheese Manufacturing Facility
Leprino Foods
|
$1,000M | Under Construction |
|
Lubbock Data Centers New Construction (936-acre facility)
Calvano Development / Texas Solarworks LLC
|
$500M | Proposed |
|
Plant Agricultural Systems Greenhouses (13 x 1M sq ft)
Plant Agricultural Systems
|
$500M | Planned |
|
Lubbock Battery/Storage Project
Paleo BESS
|
$200M | Planned |
|
The Vineyards at Escondido Ranch (Master-Planned Development)
Unknown
|
$50M | Under Construction |
Source: public records, news, corporate announcements. Amounts are estimates where noted.
Bars show percentile rank among all 1001 counties.
Lubbock County scores 46/100 on the Boom Town Index, landing in the middle of the pack among 1001 U.S. counties (#531). Median household income is $64,155 and job growth is running at +1.1%. The data points to a county with mixed signals — some positive indicators alongside areas that lag faster-growing peers.
Housing in Lubbock County is roughly in line with national affordability norms. The median home costs $214,100 and the income-to-home-value ratio sits at 0.30, with rents averaging $1,178/month. Not a bargain, but not a stretch for most local earners either.
Lubbock County is growing on multiple fronts. Population is up +1.4% year-over-year while employers added jobs at a +1.1% clip. Home values shifted +1.3% in the past year.
In significant numbers — 5.91% of Lubbock County's current population relocated from another state, well above the national norm. That level of in-migration usually signals a county where jobs, affordability, or quality of life are pulling people in from elsewhere.