Research » Legal Deserts » Texas

Texas Legal Deserts: Law Offices by County

108 of Texas’s 254 counties (43%) have fewer than three law offices with paid employees, according to 2023 Census data. 767,695 people live in them. Nationally, 27% of counties fall below that line.

Part of Lawbamba’s national legal deserts study, based on U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns.

108 of 254counties with fewer than 3 law offices
#1among the 50 states and D.C. by number of desert counties
4.5law offices per 10,000 residents (U.S.: 4.9)
+7%change in law offices, 2013–2023
Map of Texas counties shaded by number of law offices with paid employees in 2023; red areas have fewer than 3.
Law offices with paid employees, 2023: ■ fewer than 3 ■ 3–9 ■ 10–49 ■ 50 or more

What stands out in Texas

  • The most populous county with fewer than three law offices is San Jacinto County, home to 29,126 people.
  • 9 counties are deep deserts: fewer than three law offices there and in every bordering county.
  • Statewide, law offices rose 7% between 2013 and 2023 (counting areas with three or more). 15 counties dropped below three law offices over that decade.

Law offices in every Texas county

Sorted from fewest law offices to most. “Fewer than 3” means Census reports 0, 1 or 2. 2013 uses the same cutoff.

AreaLaw offices 20232013PopulationResidents per officeSelf-employed legal businesses
San Jacinto County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 29,126 – 20
Aransas County Fewer than 3 4 25,351 – 28
Gaines County Fewer than 3 3 22,524 – 3
Moore County Fewer than 3 4 21,423 – 8
Colorado County Fewer than 3 3 21,250 – 9
Jones County Fewer than 3 3 20,765 – 8
Frio County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 18,811 – Fewer than 3
Andrews County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 18,722 – 3
Falls County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 17,670 – 5
Robertson County Fewer than 3 4 17,322 – 18
Leon County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 16,556 – 3
Scurry County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 16,230 – 5
Jackson County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 15,195 – 4
Karnes County Fewer than 3 4 15,054 – 3
Callahan County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 14,455 – 3
Trinity County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 14,269 – 13
Zapata County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 13,782 – 4
Rains County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 13,059 – 6
Camp County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 13,041 – 5
Lamb County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 12,768 – Fewer than 3
Wilbarger County Fewer than 3 4 12,529 – 6
Newton County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 12,101 – 3
Red River County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 11,651 – 3
Ward County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 10,974 – 5
Clay County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 10,694 – 8
Sabine County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 10,118 – Fewer than 3
Somervell County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 9,881 – 9
Ochiltree County Fewer than 3 5 9,774 – Fewer than 3
Marion County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 9,693 – 7
Duval County Fewer than 3 3 9,626 – 3
Stephens County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 9,380 – Fewer than 3
Zavala County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 9,339 – 3
Jack County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 9,220 – 5
Archer County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 9,066 – 4
Dimmit County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 8,279 – 5
Coleman County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 7,909 – 4
San Augustine County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 7,882 – 3
Yoakum County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 7,517 – Fewer than 3
Winkler County Fewer than 3 3 7,447 – Fewer than 3
Castro County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 7,330 – Fewer than 3
Goliad County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 7,183 – 3
Swisher County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 6,899 – Fewer than 3
Brooks County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 6,895 – Fewer than 3
Bailey County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 6,853 – Fewer than 3
Refugio County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 6,711 – 3
La Salle County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 6,599 – Fewer than 3
Carson County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 5,865 – Fewer than 3
Lynn County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 5,811 – 4
Presidio County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 5,776 – 4
Delta County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 5,563 – 4
Haskell County deep desert Fewer than 3 3 5,442 – 5
Martin County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 5,200 – Fewer than 3
Hartley County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 5,137 – 4
Floyd County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 5,116 – Fewer than 3
Hansford County Fewer than 3 4 5,097 – Fewer than 3
Crosby County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 4,990 – Fewer than 3
Wheeler County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 4,825 – Fewer than 3
Jim Hogg County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 4,657 – 3
Garza County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 4,590 – 4
Crane County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 4,587 – Fewer than 3
Mills County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 4,550 – Fewer than 3
Kimble County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 4,465 – 6
Mason County Fewer than 3 3 3,912 – 7
Fisher County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 3,618 – Fewer than 3
Baylor County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 3,499 – Fewer than 3
Hudspeth County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 3,483 – Fewer than 3
Hardeman County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 3,470 – 4
Coke County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 3,378 – Fewer than 3
Knox County deep desert Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 3,318 – Fewer than 3
Concho County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 3,280 – Fewer than 3
Sutton County Fewer than 3 3 3,227 – 3
Shackelford County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 3,204 – 3
Kinney County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 3,204 – Fewer than 3
Reagan County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 3,178 – Fewer than 3
Hemphill County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 3,143 – Fewer than 3
Upton County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 3,131 – Fewer than 3
Lipscomb County deep desert Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 2,915 – Fewer than 3
Real County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 2,854 – Fewer than 3
Crockett County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 2,842 – Fewer than 3
Hall County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 2,810 – Fewer than 3
Sherman County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 2,710 – Fewer than 3
Cochran County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 2,571 – Fewer than 3
Collingsworth County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 2,561 – Fewer than 3
Schleicher County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 2,369 – Fewer than 3
Culberson County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 2,195 – Fewer than 3
Menard County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 1,958 – Fewer than 3
Jeff Davis County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 1,850 – 7
Armstrong County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 1,830 – Fewer than 3
Oldham County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 1,787 – Fewer than 3
Dickens County deep desert Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 1,711 – Fewer than 3
Irion County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 1,563 – Fewer than 3
Throckmorton County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 1,531 – Fewer than 3
Briscoe County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 1,451 – Fewer than 3
Edwards County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 1,391 – Fewer than 3
Sterling County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 1,377 – Fewer than 3
Cottle County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 1,292 – Fewer than 3
Stonewall County deep desert Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 1,220 – Fewer than 3
Glasscock County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 1,151 – Fewer than 3
Foard County deep desert Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 1,084 – Fewer than 3
Motley County deep desert Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 1,023 – Fewer than 3
Roberts County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 819 – Fewer than 3
Kent County deep desert Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 728 – Fewer than 3
Terrell County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 702 – Fewer than 3
McMullen County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 579 – Fewer than 3
Borden County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 570 – Fewer than 3
Kenedy County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 351 – Fewer than 3
King County deep desert Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 215 – Fewer than 3
Loving County Fewer than 3 Fewer than 3 46 – Fewer than 3
Grimes County 3 4 32,527 10,842 18
Bandera County 3 4 22,629 7,543 18
Freestone County 3 7 20,358 6,786 7
Willacy County 3 Fewer than 3 20,003 6,668 6
Burleson County 3 Fewer than 3 19,575 6,525 14
Pecos County 3 3 14,720 4,907 5
Blanco County 3 3 13,093 4,364 13
Morris County 3 4 12,133 4,044 3
Dawson County 3 3 11,903 3,968 Fewer than 3
Live Oak County 3 4 11,828 3,943 6
Terry County 3 4 11,583 3,861 3
Franklin County 3 Fewer than 3 10,737 3,579 6
Parmer County 3 3 9,691 3,230 3
Brewster County 3 Fewer than 3 9,579 3,193 16
Mitchell County 3 Fewer than 3 9,104 3,035 6
Hamilton County 3 6 8,593 2,864 5
McCulloch County 3 4 7,516 2,505 3
Dallam County 3 Fewer than 3 7,372 2,457 Fewer than 3
Childress County 3 Fewer than 3 6,757 2,252 3
San Saba County 3 7 5,543 1,848 6
Donley County 3 Fewer than 3 3,177 1,059 Fewer than 3
Waller County 4 7 63,936 15,984 23
Fannin County 4 6 37,865 9,466 10
Cass County 4 6 28,668 7,167 10
Lampasas County 4 9 23,319 5,830 13
Llano County 4 4 22,883 5,721 26
Montague County 4 3 21,680 5,420 6
Hockley County 4 8 21,325 5,331 7
Hutchinson County 4 7 19,997 4,999 3
Calhoun County 4 5 19,798 4,950 8
Bosque County 4 3 18,982 4,746 7
Lee County 4 3 18,250 4,563 7
Comanche County 4 Fewer than 3 14,058 3,515 3
Runnels County 4 5 9,909 2,477 Fewer than 3
Hardin County 5 9 58,227 11,645 34
Caldwell County 5 7 50,107 10,021 18
Kleberg County 5 3 30,381 6,076 12
Panola County 5 8 22,816 4,563 11
Gray County 5 10 21,030 4,206 10
Lavaca County 5 8 20,604 4,121 14
Tyler County 5 5 20,435 4,087 8
DeWitt County 5 4 20,238 4,048 10
Deaf Smith County 5 6 18,460 3,692 Fewer than 3
Coryell County 6 8 85,620 14,270 15
Hill County 6 9 38,206 6,368 14
Howard County 6 8 30,704 5,117 7
Gonzales County 6 8 20,030 3,338 11
Eastland County 6 7 18,199 3,033 9
Reeves County 6 6 11,856 1,976 3
San Patricio County 7 14 70,770 10,110 41
Jasper County 7 11 32,725 4,675 16
Hale County 7 7 32,014 4,573 4
Titus County 7 7 31,423 4,489 16
Milam County 7 8 26,033 3,719 16
Shelby County 7 11 24,258 3,465 11
Young County 7 8 18,131 2,590 6
Nolan County 7 10 14,281 2,040 6
Madison County 7 6 13,750 1,964 4
Chambers County 8 5 54,193 6,774 35
Atascosa County 8 8 52,039 6,505 22
Palo Pinto County 8 7 29,762 3,720 10
Limestone County 8 7 22,405 2,801 13
Houston County 8 6 22,082 2,760 10
Wilson County 9 7 54,354 6,039 18
Lamar County 9 12 51,093 5,677 19
Wood County 9 11 47,981 5,331 20
Upshur County 9 11 43,425 4,825 10
Jim Wells County 9 16 38,811 4,312 25
Matagorda County 9 18 36,422 4,047 8
Bee County 9 11 31,308 3,479 12
Fayette County 9 9 25,485 2,832 25
Uvalde County 9 9 25,012 2,779 9
Medina County 10 11 54,851 5,485 28
Austin County 10 10 31,661 3,166 24
Walker County 11 18 82,566 7,506 105
Brown County 11 17 38,477 3,498 16
Gillespie County 11 13 27,809 2,528 45
Van Zandt County 12 9 64,077 5,340 46
Val Verde County 12 15 47,863 3,989 21
Starr County 13 18 66,215 5,093 41
Anderson County 13 19 59,134 4,549 24
Cherokee County 13 10 52,651 4,050 26
Cooke County 13 8 43,779 3,368 20
Henderson County 14 18 86,277 6,163 66
Wise County 14 17 78,051 5,575 34
Polk County 14 8 54,146 3,868 29
Rusk County 14 13 53,271 3,805 16
Hopkins County 15 17 38,261 2,551 24
Washington County 15 9 37,286 2,486 19
Bastrop County 16 20 111,131 6,946 57
Wharton County 16 13 41,855 2,616 17
Hunt County 17 20 113,754 6,691 48
Kerr County 17 36 53,878 3,169 54
Orange County 18 31 85,857 4,770 28
Navarro County 18 18 55,719 3,096 23
Erath County 18 19 44,439 2,469 19
Guadalupe County 19 24 189,056 9,950 106
Burnet County 19 17 54,336 2,860 58
Hood County 20 17 67,681 3,384 49
Maverick County 21 15 58,203 2,772 37
Nacogdoches County 22 26 65,636 2,983 34
Randall County 23 20 148,190 6,443 76
Harrison County 26 25 71,004 2,731 41
Kaufman County 28 26 186,715 6,668 115
Liberty County 29 27 109,172 3,765 42
Kendall County 30 26 50,494 1,683 85
Angelina County 35 41 87,698 2,506 36
Victoria County 36 50 91,756 2,549 53
Johnson County 39 38 203,196 5,210 99
Parker County 43 40 173,565 4,036 142
Ector County 44 54 165,450 3,760 57
Bowie County 45 63 91,692 2,038 51
Rockwall County 47 49 131,636 2,801 139
Tom Green County 49 60 119,334 2,435 48
Ellis County 50 43 223,324 4,466 142
Comal County 53 40 194,097 3,662 156
Wichita County 55 66 130,102 2,365 71
Bell County 58 75 394,065 6,794 141
Hays County 64 44 281,697 4,402 217
Grayson County 68 63 147,056 2,163 87
Taylor County 70 78 147,618 2,109 91
Midland County 74 71 178,357 2,410 111
Brazos County 76 79 247,263 3,253 111
Webb County 85 91 270,538 3,183 134
Brazoria County 86 84 401,422 4,668 355
McLennan County 88 91 268,778 3,054 214
Galveston County 93 93 362,586 3,899 321
Gregg County 100 113 126,531 1,265 85
Potter County 100 102 115,309 1,153 59
Jefferson County 147 178 253,392 1,724 149
Williamson County 153 116 701,640 4,586 495
Cameron County 157 165 428,508 2,729 263
Lubbock County 173 175 322,434 1,864 191
Smith County 179 162 245,955 1,374 182
Nueces County 203 229 352,645 1,737 298
Fort Bend County 206 124 927,120 4,501 897
Denton County 213 166 1,013,736 4,759 692
Montgomery County 249 172 715,345 2,873 614
El Paso County 282 310 874,836 3,102 437
Hidalgo County 337 340 902,443 2,678 569
Collin County 454 272 1,207,964 2,661 1,154
Tarrant County 864 842 2,197,915 2,544 1,674
Bexar County 1,056 1,009 2,098,189 1,987 1,780
Travis County 1,286 1,075 1,348,043 1,048 1,865
Dallas County 2,200 2,063 2,636,254 1,198 2,906
Harris County 3,182 2,823 4,903,450 1,541 5,126

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About this data

Law offices are establishments in NAICS 541110 (Offices of Lawyers) with at least one paid employee, from the U.S. Census Bureau’s County Business Patterns. Solo lawyers with no staff and government lawyers are not counted. Self-employed legal businesses come from Census Nonemployer Statistics (NAICS 5411) and also include paralegal, notary and title services. Population is the July 1, 2023 Census estimate. See the full methodology or download the data for every county (CSV). Free to reuse with credit to Lawbamba and a link to this page.