Gaines County Demographics

A map of Gaines County's Population by Race

Gaines County, Texas has an estimated population of 22,232, a slight increase from the 21,598 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 56.4% White, 40.3% Hispanic, 2.1% Black, 0.6% Asian, 0.6% Multiracial, and 0.1% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Gaines County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Gaines has become slightly more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Texas overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Gaines County, that probability was 51.1% in 2020 and 51.9% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Gaines County is ranked the 109th most populous county in Texas, out of 254 counties. Gaines County was ranked the 109th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Gaines County's White Population

12,535 residents of Gaines County, or 56.4% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Gaines County is significantly higher than in Texas overall, where 39.1% of the population is White. Gaines County ranks 126th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 254 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Gaines County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Gaines County's population has decreased from 58.1% to 56.4%.

Gaines County is more White than neighboring Andrews County (38.8% White), Yoakum County (31% White), Terry County (37.7% White), Dawson County (35.2% White), and Lea County (31% White).

Gaines County's Black Population

460 residents of Gaines County, or 2.1% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Gaines County is lower than in Texas overall, where 11.9% of the population is Black. Gaines County ranks 181st statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 254 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Gaines County's Black population has grown by an estimated 90.9%. Black residents' share of Gaines County's population has increased from 1.1% to 2.1%.

Gaines County is more Black than neighboring Andrews County (1.6% Black), and Yoakum County (0.1% Black). Gaines County is less Black than neighboring Terry County (2.9% Black), Dawson County (6.5% Black), and Lea County (3.1% Black).

Gaines County's Asian Population

124 residents of Gaines County, or 0.6% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Gaines County is slightly lower than in Texas overall, where 5.5% of the population is Asian. Gaines County ranks 187th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 254 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Gaines County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 72.2%. Asian residents' share of Gaines County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.6%.

Gaines County is more Asian than neighboring Andrews County (0.3% Asian), Terry County (0.2% Asian), and Dawson County (0.5% Asian). Gaines County is less Asian than neighboring Yoakum County (0.9% Asian), and Lea County (0.7% Asian).

Gaines County's Hispanic Population

8,954 residents of Gaines County, or 40.3% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Gaines County is comparable to the share in Texas overall, where 39.7% of the population is Hispanic. Gaines County ranks 85th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 254 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Gaines County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 6.6%. Hispanic residents' share of Gaines County's population has increased from 38.9% to 40.3%.

Gaines County is less Hispanic than neighboring Andrews County (57.5% Hispanic), Yoakum County (65.6% Hispanic), Terry County (56.9% Hispanic), Dawson County (55.8% Hispanic), and Lea County (62.7% Hispanic).

Gaines County's Native American/Other Population

27 residents of Gaines County, or 0.1% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Gaines County is comparable to the share in Texas overall, where 0.6% of the population is Native American/Other. Gaines County ranks 209th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 254 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Gaines County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 70.3%. Native American/Other residents' share of Gaines County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.1%.

Gaines County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Yoakum County (0% Native American/Other). Gaines County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Andrews County (0.5% Native American/Other), Terry County (0.4% Native American/Other), and Lea County (0.6% Native American/Other).

Gaines County's Multiracial Population

132 residents of Gaines County, or 0.6% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Gaines County is slightly lower than in Texas overall, where 3.1% of the population is Multiracial. Gaines County ranks 233rd statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 254 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Gaines County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 44.8%. Multiracial residents' share of Gaines County's population has decreased from 1.1% to 0.6%.

Gaines County is less Multiracial than neighboring Andrews County (1.3% Multiracial), Yoakum County (2.3% Multiracial), Terry County (1.9% Multiracial), Dawson County (1.9% Multiracial), and Lea County (1.8% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.