RANK #971 / 1001 NAT · #62 / 72 TX · POP 52,842
1YR FORECAST: -0.5%
5YR OUTLOOK: +6%
Rusk County, Texas, is often recognized for its deep ties to the East Texas Oil Field, a discovery in 1930 that dramatically reshaped the area. Located in the Piney Woods of East Texas, about 120 miles southeast of Dallas and 75 miles west-southwest of Shreveport, Louisiana, the county offers a rural feel with rolling hills, narrow valleys, and abundant forests. Outdoor recreation is a significant draw, with opportunities for hiking, camping, fishing, and paddling at places like Martin Creek Lake State Park and the Texas State Railroad State Park. The county seat, Henderson, serves as a central hub, and residents generally experience a commute time around 23 minutes.
Life in Rusk County blends a sense of community with access to natural amenities. Families are served by several school districts, including Henderson ISD and Tatum ISD. While many residents own their homes, public transportation options like GoBus Transit provide curb-to-curb service within the county and to nearby urban areas like Longview and Tyler. The economy, historically driven by agriculture and oil, is seeing new developments, such as a $15 million project to revitalize the Henderson Overton Branch rail line, aiming to create jobs and enhance the county's industrial infrastructure.
Rusk County is one of 75 U.S. counties in this market profile — weaker than typical on the BoomTown Index. Within this cohort, its recent home-price change of +4.8% runs above the profile's typical +0.8%.
See all 75 Affordable Slow Markets counties →Overvalued relative to economy
Moderate climate & terrain
Below national median (15x)
Housing looks overvalued at 12.2x — 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: Homicide rates from CDC/NCHS vital-statistics mortality data — a multi-year average that stabilizes counts in smaller counties — compiled in the County Health Rankings 2025 release. Rates per 100,000 population; U.S. average ≈ 6.5. Grade reflects homicide rate relative to the national average. Learn more →
See where Rusk County stands nationally: safest large counties in America · highest homicide-rate counties.
Bars show percentile rank among all 1001 counties.
The data is not encouraging — Rusk County scores just 2/100 on the Boom Town Index, ranking #971 of 1001 counties. Job growth at +1.6% and median household income of $68,658 reflect an economy that has been contracting or stagnating relative to the rest of the country.
By national standards, Rusk County is quite affordable. Homes here have a median value of $171,300, and the income-to-home-value ratio of 0.40 is well above the U.S. average — especially with median rent at just $1,015/month. Residents can generally buy a home without being cost-burdened.
Employers in Rusk County are hiring — job growth of +1.6% — but the population is close to flat (+0.4% YoY). Home values moved +4.8% over the past year. Labor demand is outpacing local population growth, which tends to tighten wages and housing.
In significant numbers — 8.56% of Rusk 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.