City · Texas
Kemah, Texas
Kemah, city, in Galveston County, Texas. Kemah had 3,097 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 71.5% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,807 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 2,168 (±19). GEOID 4838776.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
3,097
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,807 · ACS 2020-2024: 2,168 ±19
Median household income
$85,357
±$21,491 (90% margin)
Texas: $78,476
Median home value
$281,100
±$25,722 (90% margin)
Texas: $283,800
Median gross rent
$1,775
±$586 (90% margin)
Texas: $1,403
Where is Kemah and what county is it in?
Kemah is a city in Galveston County, Texas. It covers 1.8 square miles of land, 985 residents per square mile in 2020.
Kemah is in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 10 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Kemah, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 3,097 people lived in Kemah on July 1, 2025, up 71.5% since 2020, faster than Texas (+8.8%). The 2020 Census counted 1,807 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 2,168 (±19).
| Measure | Kemah | Galveston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,168 ±19 | 358,990 | −889 |
| Households | 916 ±106 | 140,660 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.37 ±0.28 | 2.51 | −0.64 |
| Housing units | 1,019 ±124 | 161,868 | no clear change |
Kemah's population since 2000
From 2,330 in 2000 to 3,097 in 2025: up 32.9%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Kemah as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Kemah?
The median resident of Kemah is 36.0 years old; 26.2% are under 18 and 10.8% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 46.6%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 40.1%. 20.4% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Kemah | Galveston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.0 ±10.0 | 38.8 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 26.2% ±5.4 pts | 23.6% | – |
| 65 years and over | 10.8% ±4.7 pts | 15.8% | – |
| Male | 48.1% ±4.8 pts | 49.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 40.1% ±11.0 pts | 26.4% | +23.4 pts |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 46.6% ±9.7 pts | 54.0% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 4.0% ±3.2 pts | 11.9% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 3.2% ±2.6 pts | 3.4% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.3 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.3 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.6% ±3.3 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 1.5% ±1.7 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 20.4% ±8.6 pts | 10.2% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 32.2% ±9.4 pts | 20.5% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 7.7% ±4.4 pts | 7.3% | – |
| With a disability | 12.5% ±4.0 pts | 13.6% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 30.9% ±9.8 pts | 13.6% | +14.4 pts |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 88.9% ±5.3 pts | 89.9% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 34.1% ±7.8 pts | 34.8% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 12.2% ±5.5 pts | 11.6% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 85.4% ±7.1 pts | 86.1% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.1% ±1.8 pts | 1.6% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Kemah earn?
Half of Kemah's 916 households earn less than $85,357 a year (±$21,491), against $86,105 in Galveston County and $78,476 in Texas. In 2015-2019 it was $89,924 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 29.4% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Kemah | Galveston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $85,357 ±$21,491 | $86,105 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $103,895 ±$14,107 | $114,254 | – |
| Per capita income | $43,458 ±$8,596 | $44,946 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 29.4% ±11.4 pts | 11.7% | +20.5 pts |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 52.6% ±19.2 pts | 14.6% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 5.9% ±5.2 pts | 10.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 90.3% ±6.9 pts | 97.0% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 89.2% ±7.0 pts | 93.2% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Kemah?
Owners occupy 53.7% of Kemah's occupied homes and renters 46.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $281,100 by its owner (±$25,722). The median renter pays $1,775 a month including utilities, and 55.0% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Kemah | Galveston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $281,100 ±$25,722 | $314,600 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $1,775 ±$586 | $1,404 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 55.0% ±19.1 pts | 45.3% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,174 ±$146 | $2,245 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 53.7% ±10.1 pts | 67.6% | −18.7 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 46.3% ±10.1 pts | 32.4% | – |
| Housing units | 1,019 ±124 | 161,868 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 3.3% ±4.2 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 1.6% ±2.7 pts | 8.9% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 61.5% ±7.6 pts | 71.6% | – |
| Mobile homes | 3.1% ±3.3 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 16.2% ±4.7 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 14.4% ±7.0 pts | 17.1% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.0% ±4.8 pts | 5.2% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.0% ±3.4 pts | 5.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Kemah building?
Builders took permits for 102 new housing units in Kemah in 2025 (102 in single-family houses), 32.9 per 1,000 residents against 6.6 across Texas.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Kemah work and get to work?
61.1% of Kemah's workers drive alone and 18.8% work from home. The average trip to work takes 25.9 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 4.5%.
| Measure | Kemah | Galveston County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 77.6% ±4.8 pts | 63.9% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% ±2.3 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 61.1% ±11.8 pts | 77.2% | – |
| Carpooled | 19.6% ±12.7 pts | 7.4% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±4.0 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Walked | 0.2% ±0.4 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 18.8% ±7.2 pts | 11.7% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 25.9 min ±5.1 | 27.9 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Kemah?
2 census tracts lie mostly in Kemah, and 3 more reach into it (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $91,563 (Tract 7212.08) to $96,667 (Tract 7216).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 7216Galveston County | 2,024 | $96,667 |
| Tract 7212.08Galveston County | 1,272 | $91,563 |
| Tract 7215.03Galveston County | 1,357 | $110,966 |
| Tract 7214.02Galveston County | 1,136 | $38,152 |
| Tract 7212.10Galveston County | 7,110 | $166,836 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Kemah) · Census block assignment files
How does Kemah compare with other places in Texas?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Kemah is the 6,234th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 490th-most populous of 1,224 in Texas.
Kemah ranks 281st of 933 places in Texas with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 490th | 1,224 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 28th | 784 |
| Residents per square mile | 538th | 979 |
| Median household income | 281st | 933 |
| Per capita income | 225th | 978 |
| Median home value | 284th | 950 |
| Median gross rent | 124th | 852 |
| Poverty rate | 71st | 716 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 232nd | 877 |
| Median age | 522nd | 973 |
| Owner-occupied share | 879th | 973 |
| Work from home | 146th | 557 |
| Travel time to work | 479th | 976 |
Kemah's figures with every place in Texas (CSV)
Every place in Texas, sortable · Compare Kemah with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Kemah?
15 of the 57 figures for Kemah on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Kemah are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Kemah.