1st Advantage MortgageIn Cooke County, Texas, the typical household earns $73,932 a year and the typical rent is $1,047. Your income, debts and credit decide what you qualify for. Get offers in writing, compare the total repaid, and never pay a fee up front.
On this page
- Cooke County, TX: the basics
- Housing costs in Cooke County
- Household income in Cooke County
- Work, industries and travel time in Cooke County
- The counties around Cooke County
- Towns and communities in Cooke County
- Room for a loan payment in Cooke County
- People and households in Cooke County
- What the numbers mean for Cooke County borrowers
- Licensing and complaints for Cooke County
- Four steps for Cooke County borrowers
- Related local guides
- Frequently asked questions
Cooke County, TX: the basics
Cooke County is home to about 43,046 people, according to the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey, which makes it the 78th most populous of 254 county-level areas in Texas. Land area is 875 square miles (2024 Gazetteer), so density runs near 49 per square mile. No metropolitan area includes Cooke County in the 2023 federal delineation, so its numbers stand on their own rather than as part of a metro. Gainesville is the biggest of its 9 Census places, at roughly 17,883 people (42% of the county total).
Housing costs in Cooke County
A typical Cooke County rental runs $1,047 a month including utilities, which is 25% below Texas. 43% of renting households spend 30% or more of income on rent, and 19% spend half or more. With a median value of $240,400, a typical Cooke County house costs 3.3 times what the median household earns in a year. Owners occupy 72% of homes. The median year built is 1983.
| Housing | Cooke County | Texas statewide | Typical U.S. county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $1,047/mo | $1,403/mo | $877/mo |
| Median home value | $240,400 | $283,800 | $185,300 |
| Owners | 72% | 63% | 75% |
| Rent-burdened renters | 43% | 52% | 45% |
| Burdened owners | 24% | 29% | n/a |
| Mobile homes | 11.5% | 6.4% | n/a |
Household income in Cooke County
The median household income in Cooke County is $73,932; statewide it is $78,476, so Cooke County runs 6% below Texas as a whole.
| Income band | Share in Cooke County | Difference from Texas |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 20.5% | -0.9 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 43.5% | +4.1 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 25.5% | -1.2 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 10.4% | -2.0 pts |
Some 21% of households here live on less than $35,000 a year; 36% have six-figure incomes. Census counts 13.5% of Cooke County residents in poverty, against 13.8% across Texas. Income inequality, measured by the Gini index, comes to 0.450 here. If your income is irregular, as it often is with tips, gig work or seasonal jobs, plan around your leaner months rather than the Cooke County median.
Work, industries and travel time in Cooke County
Education and health care employs 20% of working residents, the largest share; manufacturing is next with 13%. The sharpest difference from the state is in manufacturing, at 13% locally and 9% for Texas. Averaged over the five survey years, 4.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking. Long commutes are common here: 19% of workers spend 45 minutes or longer getting to work. 3.9% of households have no vehicle.
| Industry | Share of Cooke County workers | vs Texas |
|---|---|---|
| Education and health care | 20.2% | -1.4 pts |
| Manufacturing | 13.1% | +4.5 pts |
| Retail trade | 12.2% | +1.2 pts |
| Arts, lodging and food service | 11.0% | +2.5 pts |
| Construction | 9.9% | +1.3 pts |
| Professional and administrative services | 6.7% | -6.2 pts |
If your hours swing with the season or with overtime, size a loan payment against your base pay, not your best month.
The counties around Cooke County
The six counties whose centers lie closest to Cooke County's, from 22 to 39 miles away. 2 of the six report a higher median household income than Cooke County; Denton County is highest at $111,498 and Marshall County lowest at $57,245. Some neighbors are in Oklahoma. Lender licensing is state by state, so a loan for a Cooke County resident follows Texas rules.
| Nearby county | Center to center | Household income | Gross rent | Owner-occupied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooke County | - | $73,932 | $1,047/mo | 72% |
| Love County, OK | 22 mi | $66,580 | $939/mo | 73% |
| Montague County, TX | 30 mi | $64,545 | $1,008/mo | 80% |
| Denton County, TX | 30 mi | $111,498 | $1,728/mo | 65% |
| Grayson County, TX | 31 mi | $72,182 | $1,310/mo | 67% |
| Marshall County, OK | 37 mi | $57,245 | $824/mo | 78% |
| Wise County, TX | 39 mi | $93,421 | $1,299/mo | 81% |
Towns and communities in Cooke County
Here are the 9 most populous of the county's 9 Census places, with income and rent from the same 2020 to 2024 survey. About 60% of Cooke County residents live in one of the 9. Among places of 500 or more people, median income runs from $43,224 in Road Runner to $125,956 in Lake Kiowa. No Cooke County place has a separate guide yet; this county page serves all 9.
| Name | Kind | Pop. | Income | Rent | Miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gainesville | city | 17,883 | $58,809 | $1,038 | 4 mi |
| Lake Kiowa | CDP | 2,476 | $125,956 | $1,815 | 12 mi |
| Muenster | city | 1,329 | $88,333 | $1,424 | 10 mi |
| Lindsay | city | 1,142 | $115,417 | $1,212 | 1 mi |
| Road Runner | town | 1,021 | $43,224 | $793 | 13 mi |
| Valley View | city | 702 | $67,303 | $1,125 | 12 mi |
| Callisburg | city | 459 | $46,023 | $1,592 | 12 mi |
| Oak Ridge | town | 353 | $50,104 | $1,519 | 10 mi |
| Myra | CDP | 263 | $85,052 | n/a | 6 mi |
Room for a loan payment in Cooke County
The debt-to-income ratio is the main affordability test lenders use. Applied to Cooke County's medians:
- Median income divided by twelve: $6,161 before taxes
- Median rent: $1,047, or 17 cents of every gross dollar
- With a 40% ceiling, about $1,417 remains for car, card, student and any new loan payments
Lenders set their own limits and look beyond the ratio. The DTI calculator uses your figures instead of Cooke County's.
People and households in Cooke County
College graduates make up 24% of the adult population. 16.1% of residents have no health coverage.
| Cooke County | Texas | U.S. county median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.5 | 35.6 | 41.5 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 23.7% | 33.8% | 22.2% |
| No high school diploma | 11.4% | 14.0% | n/a |
| No health insurance | 16.1% | 17.1% | 7.8% |
| No vehicle | 3.9% | 5.4% | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 7.2% | 14.4% | 8.7% |
| Poverty rate | 13.5% | 13.8% | 13.2% |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 4.5% | 5.3% | 4.4% |
| One-way commute | Share of Cooke County workers |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 37.4% |
| 15 to 29 min | 24.2% |
| 30 to 44 min | 19.8% |
| 45 to 59 min | 9.0% |
| 60+ min | 9.5% |
What the numbers mean for Cooke County borrowers
Based on the Cooke County data above, these borrowing questions are most likely to matter locally.
- Uninsured care. 16% lack coverage here; nonprofit hospitals must publish an assistance policy, so ask for it first (guide).
- Keeping the car running. At 19% with long commutes, repairs are a frequent Cooke County emergency; first decide if the car is worth fixing.
- Requirements. Lenders weigh credit history, documented income and existing debt (what to gather).
Licensing and complaints for Cooke County
Licensing happens at the state level, so a lender working with Cooke County borrowers answers to the Texas Department of Banking. Texas also has the Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner for consumer credit. Problems with a lender can also go to the CFPB. More on Texas: Texas personal loans.
Four steps for Cooke County borrowers
Four checks before you sign anything:
- Price the Cooke County expense first and borrow that amount, no more.
- Collect three written offers and compare APR and total repaid.
- Verify the Texas license before giving out your Social Security number.
- Ask a Cooke County credit union about member loans.
Related local guides
The Texas guide covers the whole state.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cooke County a high-income county?
Its $73,932 median ranks 57th of 254 Texas counties and compares with $65,681 for the median U.S. county.
What do renters pay in Cooke County?
$1,047 a month at the median, about 17% of median household income.
I own my home in Cooke County. Personal loan or HELOC?
A HELOC uses the house as collateral; a personal loan usually does not. With 72% of homes owner-occupied here, many readers can compare both in writing.
Does this page cover Gainesville?
Yes, along with the other 8 Census places in Cooke County, such as Lake Kiowa, Muenster, Lindsay.
Are Cooke County applicants treated differently?
No. Everyone answers the same questions and is screened on the same objective points; lending partners set their own criteria under fair-lending laws.