RANK #402 / 1001 NAT · #19 / 72 TX · POP 129,996
1YR FORECAST: -0.3%
5YR OUTLOOK: +30%
Wichita County, Texas, is perhaps best known for Wichita Falls, its county seat, which features a man-made waterfall in Lucy Park, recreating the original natural falls destroyed by a flood in 1886. Located in extreme north-central Texas on the Oklahoma border, Wichita County sits about 144 miles northwest of Dallas and 141 miles southwest of Oklahoma City. The area offers rolling plains and shallow valleys, drained by the Red and Wichita rivers. Residents experience a generally friendly, laid-back community with a small-town feel, even in the larger city of Wichita Falls. Commutes are typically quick, with an average travel time of 15 minutes. Outdoor recreation is accessible, with parks like Lucy Park and Lake Wichita offering trails for walking, jogging, and biking, as well as opportunities for fishing and paddleboarding.
Life in Wichita County is often characterized by its affordability and family-oriented atmosphere. The community is home to families and young professionals, with a notable presence of military personnel and retirees due to Sheppard Air Force Base. Public schools in the county are generally well-regarded. The economy, historically rooted in agriculture and oil, has diversified to include sectors such as healthcare and manufacturing. Recent economic developments have seen investments in technology infrastructure, including data centers, and continued activity in the energy sector.
Wichita 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 -0.3% runs below the profile's typical +0.8%.
See all 75 Affordable Slow Markets counties →Overvalued relative to economy
Prices declining
Moderate climate & terrain
Housing looks overvalued at 7.0x — 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 →
| PROJECT | AMOUNT | STATUS |
|---|---|---|
|
TotalEnergies Wichita Solar (805 MW) & Battery Storage (150 MW)
TotalEnergies
|
$955M | Planned |
|
Short Creek Solar (628 MW)
|
$628M | Planned |
|
Kings Branch Data Center
KBDWFLLC (Wade Chapel)
|
$500M | Approved |
|
Copperleaf Energy Storage (307 MW)
|
$307M | Planned |
|
Wichita County Mawson Storage (154 MW)
Mawson Infrastructure Group
|
$154M | Planned |
|
Rio Star Energy Storage (144 MW)
|
$144M | Planned |
Source: public records, news, corporate announcements. Amounts are estimates where noted.
Bars show percentile rank among all 1001 counties.
With a Boom Town Index score of 60/100, Wichita County sits in the upper half of all 1001 ranked counties. and median household income stands at $63,524 — indicators that suggest solid fundamentals even if it's not among the fastest-growing counties in TX.
By national standards, Wichita County is quite affordable. Homes here have a median value of $153,700, and the income-to-home-value ratio of 0.41 is well above the U.S. average — especially with median rent at just $1,006/month. Residents can generally buy a home without being cost-burdened.
Wichita County's job market is contracting (-1.2% YoY) while population is roughly stable (+0.1% change). Home values are -0.3% over the past 12 months. Hiring headwinds without an offsetting exodus — residents are staying, but local employers are shedding payroll.
There's a moderate stream of newcomers. About 4.34% of residents moved from another state, which is above average and suggests Wichita County has appeal as a relocation destination — though it's not among the highest-inflow counties nationally.