Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety6#870/924
Economy63#342/925
Housing36#588/925
Health28#668/925
Healthcare17#764/923
Environment72#254/917
Education4#887/925
Infrastructure24#704/925
Community5#881/925
Leisure & amenities29#659/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Big Spring, TX micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Home price to income ratio · low2.2×
94/100Texas 3.6×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Distance to an emergency room · low4.2 mi
88/100Texas 5.5 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesAggregated from counties
Income adjusted for local prices · high$78,611
88/100Texas $71,940United States $73,2042024U.S. Bureau of Economic AnalysisEstimated from related areas or data (see the source notes)Aggregated from counties
Comfortable days · high31.2%
86/100Texas 30.7%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Average weekly wage · high$1,278
83/100Texas $1,499United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Drug overdose deaths · low10.5 /100k
79/100Texas 13.4 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Job growth · low-12.0%
0/100Texas 0.6%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data
Primary care physicians · low18 /100k
1/100Texas 61 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Voter turnout · low42.9%
1/100Texas 57.8%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionAggregated from counties
Flu vaccinations · low23.0%
1/100Texas 40.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Violent crime rate · high751 /100k
2/100Texas 345 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties
Public transit commuters · low0.0%
3/100Texas 0.9%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationFalling
34,811 (2020) → 30,504 (2025)
−12%5 yearsUS 331,578,104 → 341,784,857
New homes permittedImproving
0.1 /1k (2021) → 2.3 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+3,846%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Drought exposureWorsening
45% (2021) → 68% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+22 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
New business applicationsImproving
7.0 /1k (2020) → 12.6 /1k (2025)
+80%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Access to exercise opportunitiesWorsening
78.6% (2010 & 2021) → 64.5% (2022 & 2024)
−14 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
Flu vaccinationsWorsening
37.0% (2019) → 23.0% (2023)
−14 pts4 yearsUS 48.0% → 44.0%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Big Spring, TX micropolitan area improved on 15 of 29 measures with a comparison and declined on 7. 4 moved within the margin of error and 3 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved15

Libraries+20%0.3 /10k → 0.3 /10k
Real income+52%$51,657 → $78,611
Uninsured−4 points19.6% → 15.6%
Pharmacies+14%1.1 /10k → 1.3 /10k
Poverty−3.5 points17.3% → 13.8%

Declined7

Violent crime+58%476 /100k → 751 /100k
Commute+3.0 min18.8 min → 21.7 min
Firearm deaths+32%13.8 /100k → 18.2 /100k
Restaurants−9.9%10.9 /10k → 9.8 /10k
Traffic deaths+29%26.4 /100k → 34.1 /100k

All 29 measures

Change of every measure of Big Spring, TX micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	2.0 /10k2020	2.0 /10k2025	−2.2%	Little change	25%
Average commute time	18.8 min2015-2019	21.7 min2020-2024	+3.0 min	Declined	6%
Bachelor's degree or higher	12.6%2015-2019	15.7%2020-2024	+3.1 points	Improved	56%
Broadband subscriptions	73.6%2015-2019	86.4%2020-2024	+13 points	Improved	83%
Child poverty rate	20.7%2015-2019	14.2%2020-2024	−6.6 points	Improved	86%
Distance to an airport	48 mi2020	48 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	13.3 /100k2020	10.5 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−21%	Improved	46%
Effective property tax rate	1.38%2015-2019	1.11%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Little change	86%
Firearm deaths	13.8 /100k2020	18.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+32%	Declined	17%
Grocery stores	1.1 /10k2020	1.3 /10k2025	+14%	Improved	83%
High school diploma or higher	80.0%2015-2019	81.1%2020-2024	+1.1 points	Within the margin of error	33%
Home price to income ratio	1.8×2015-2019	2.2×2020-2024	+0.4×	Declined	55%
Homicide rate	5.8 /100k2020	5.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−14%	Improved	36%
Income adjusted for local prices	$51,6572019	$78,6112024	+52%	Improved	98%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4702015-2019	0.4492020-2024	−0.021	Within the margin of error	91%
Median household income	$54,2082015-2019	$69,6492020-2024	+28%	Improved	57%
New business applications	7.0 /1k2020	12.6 /1k2025	+80%	Improved	87%
Pharmacies	1.1 /10k2020	1.3 /10k2025	+14%	Improved	92%
Poverty rate	17.3%2015-2019	13.8%2020-2024	−3.5 points	Improved	90%
Property crime rate	2,818 /100k2020	2,545 /100k2025	−9.7%	Improved	12%
Public libraries	0.3 /10k2019	0.3 /10k2024	+20%	Improved	96%
Rent as share of income	27.0%2015-2019	30.2%2020-2024	+3.2 points	Within the margin of error	10%
Rent-burdened households	41.3%2015-2019	50.8%2020-2024	+9.5 points	Within the margin of error	5%
Restaurants and bars	10.9 /10k2020	9.8 /10k2025	−9.9%	Declined	13%
Suicide rate	15.9 /100k2020	19.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+20%	Declined	26%
Traffic deaths	26.4 /100k2015-2019	34.1 /100k2020-2024	+29%	Declined	18%
Unemployment rate	7.8%2020	3.8%2025	−4 points	Improved	79%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	19.6%2015-2019	15.6%2020-2024	−4 points	Improved	97%
Violent crime rate	476 /100k2020	751 /100k2025	+58%	Declined	3%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Big Spring, TX micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Big Spring, TX micropolitan area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Big Spring, TX micropolitan area itself moved +0.1 points in standing on average over the same 30 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

32,290 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

12,191 households (±351)

Big Spring, TX micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k18%2,142
$25k–50k19%2,344
$50k–75k18%2,165

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

12,191 households (±351)

Big Spring, TX micropolitan area
United States share

Own70%8,474
Rent30%3,717

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+4.1 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

13,314 workers (±550)

Big Spring, TX micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone79%10,535
Carpool16%2,131
Public transit0.0%0

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes no occupation wages for Big Spring, TX micropolitan area.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Big Spring, TX has 737 employer establishments, 240 for every 10,000 residents (0.97× the US rate of 248), with 9,082 paid employees at an average annual pay of $60,375. The Census Bureau also counts 1,951 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 737; 1,951 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 240; US 248
Paid employees: 9,082
Average annual pay: $60,375; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Big Spring, TX by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	61	19.9	1.08×About typical	997	$21,429	17
Ambulatory health care services	40	13	0.63×Fewer than typical	348	$83,181	77
Specialty trade contractors	38	12.4	0.80×Fewer than typical	292	$78,949	143
Lessors of real estate	32	10.4	0.85×About typical	90	$46,011	141
Limited-service restaurants	31	10.1	1.26×More than typical	614	$20,651	8
Religious organizations	29	9.4	1.70×More than typical	224	$25,393	—
Full-service restaurants	26	8.5	1.10×About typical	337	$22,748	5
Gasoline stations	21	6.8	2.11×More than typical	285	$32,453	—
Traveler accommodation	19	6.2	3.43×More than typical	320	$19,416	3
Building equipment contractors	18	5.9	0.97×About typical	167	$91,473	26
Accounting, tax preparation and payroll services	17	5.5	1.36×More than typical	50	$27,580	19
Truck transportation	17	5.5	1.10×About typical	104	$81,529	102

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 30,702 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $11.7M on contracts performed in Big Spring, TX micropolitan area: $384 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $11.7M; −9.7% vs FY2025
Per resident: $384; US $1,994
Sole-source: 9.1%; US 30%
Single offer: 13%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of Veterans Affairs$10.8M92%
Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons$886.7K7.6%
Smithsonian Institution$36.8K0.3%

Top recipients

V LINE SERVICES L.L.C.$4.3M37%
MONUMENT CONSTRUCTION SERVICES, LLC$744.7K6.4%
VF SERVICES LLC$495.4K4.2%
DIRECT ENERGY BUSINESS LLC$453.1K3.9%
BEACON POINT ASSOCIATES LLC$346.1K3.0%

Spending by fiscal year

138.7MFY2017
7.7MFY2018
9.7MFY2019
82.3MFY2020
88.4MFY2021
8.7MFY2022
11.2MFY2023
20.2M

Top industries (NAICS)

Nonresidential building construction · 2362$4.5M38%
Building equipment contractors · 2382$1.2M10%
Medical equipment and supplies manufacturing · 3391$1.1M9.7%
Computer systems design and related services · 5415$739.4K6.3%
Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing · 3345$521.1K4.4%
Building finishing contractors · 2383

Largest awards

THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR SHALL PROVIDE ALL LABOR, MATERIALS, EQUIPMENT, QUALIFIED SUPERVISION, AND OTHER ITEMS TO COMPLETE THE EHRM TIER 2 DATA CENTER CONSTRUCTION PROJECT.$4.3M
V LINE SERVICES L.L.C.· Howard County, TX· Construction & real property· Mar 17, 2026 – Mar 17, 2026· 36C77626C0028
RENOVATE POLICE SERVICES PROJECT #519-17-800$4.1M
WICHITA FALLS TRI-TECH, LLC· Howard County, TX· Construction & real property· Sep 9, 2025 – Sep 1, 2026· 36C25725C0062
RENOVATION OF OUTPATIENT CLINIC$2.7M
CHESAPEAKE PLANNING AND CONSULTING LLC· Howard County, TX· Construction & real property· Mar 8, 2024 – Jan 22, 2026· 36C25724C0041
REPLACE FIRE ALARMS AT FCI BIG SPRING PER SOW AND ALL ATTACHMENTS.

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $166.4M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Big Spring, TX micropolitan area: $5,454 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $166.4M; −2.7% vs FY2025
Per resident: $5,454; US $12,955
Loan face value: $5.1M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.8%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$81.5M49%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$23.2M14%
64.015 · Veterans State Nursing Home Care$15.7M9.4%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$12.9M7.8%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$11.1M6.7%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$5.9M3.5%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$4.6M2.8%
57.001 · Social Insurance for Railroad Workers$2.4M1.4%

Top recipients (organizations)

TEXAS GENERAL LAND OFFICE$15.7M9.4%
AUSTIN, TX
HOWARD COUNTY JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT$6.3M3.8%
BIG SPRING, TX
CITY OF BIG SPRING$2.1M1.2%
BIG SPRING, TX
TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$1.2M0.7%
AUSTIN, TX
ST. MARY'S EPISCOPAL RETIREMENT HOMES, INC.

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$110.1M66%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$25.3M15%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Under Secretary for Health/Veterans Health Administration$15.7M9.5%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Education$6.3M3.8%
Railroad Retirement Board$2.4M1.4%

Assistance by fiscal year

204.2MFY2021
204.1MFY2022
173MFY2023
153.5MFY2024
171.1MFY2025
166.4MFY2026

County aggregates

83%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Big Spring, TX

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Howard CountyCentral county2430,504

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Big SpringPrincipal city23,975

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Texas

Areas based in Texas, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Midland, TX45

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M13700

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved15

Declined7

Metro and micro areas like Big Spring, TX micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Big Spring, TX

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Texas

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved15

Declined7

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought