COUNTY REPORT TX

Karnes County, Texas

7 ZIP codes · Avg score 93/100 · Grade A · Updated

ZipCheckup grade for Karnes County: A.

No federal data flags a major home-safety concern for this ZIP.

Water utilities serving Karnes County's 7 ZIP codes have built a consistent compliance record - the county's above-average grade reflects years of data showing low violation rates and no systemic health concerns.

How Karnes County Compares

Karnes County93/100
Texas avg83/100
National avg73/100

How Karnes County Compares

A
County Grade
93/100
Avg Safety Score
7
ZIP Codes
6
Water Systems

Karnes County scores 10 points above the Texas state average (83/100) and 20 points above the national average (73/100).

Data: ZipCheckup Home Safety Score model 4.0.0; EPA SDWIS, UCMR 5, EPA radon zones, EPA AirData Last verified:

A
County Grade
93
Avg Safety Score
7
ZIP Codes
Best ZIP: 78116 (98/100)
Lowest ZIP: 78119 (88/100)
$129K
Median Home Value
$1,350
Avg Remediation (105% of home value)

ZIP Code Risk Map

Water Quality Map: Karnes County, Texas

Each dot represents a ZIP code. Color indicates water quality grade. Tap a dot for details.

A B C D F

Key Risk Factors

Health risk index: 13.2 (asthma 9.1%, diabetes 14%)

Estimated additional annual cost per homeowner: $3,610, driven primarily by sea_level

50.6% of homes built before 1978 (lead paint era)

Violation History (2023–2025)

→ Stable trend

EPA violation counts by year across Karnes County water systems. Health-based shown in red, total in blue.

2023
5 (5 health)
2024
13 (13 health)
2025
3 (3 health)

Peak year: 2024 with 13 violations. Past 5 years: 21 total (21 health-based).

Source: EPA SDWIS historical violations. Data may lag 6–12 months for the most recent year.

County Health Indicators vs National Average

Asthma 9.1% (national: 8.9%)
Diabetes 14% (national: 10.5%)
Obesity 38.9% (national: 32.4%)

Black markers indicate national averages. Source: CDC PLACES, Census ACS.

Infrastructure Overview

1987
Median Build Year
50.6%
Pre-1978 Housing
37/100
Infrastructure Stress Indicator
40%
ZIPs with High Infrastructure Stress
Low
Lead Pipe Risk

Modeled area-level indicator, not a failure probability. Sources: Census ACS housing age, EPA DWINS infrastructure needs, EPA SDWIS violations, and EPA lead indicators.

Compound Risk Breakdown

Estimated additional annual cost per homeowner: $3,610

Sea Level Rise $3,000/yr
Flood $333/yr
Energy Code Gap $234/yr

Bar widths proportional to share of total annual risk cost. Source: compound risk model (FEMA, EPA, USGS).

Housing Age Distribution

5,550 housing units in Karnes County

Pre-1940 10%
1940–1959 15%
1960–1979 24%
1980–1999 28%
2000+ 23%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS B25034 (Year Structure Built).

Water Safety Affordability

How much it costs to fix water issues relative to home values in Karnes County

$129K
Median Home Value
$1,350
Est. Remediation Cost
1.1%
of Home Value
Remediation as % of home value low burden

Remediation costs are relatively manageable for most homeowners in Karnes County, representing a small fraction of property value.

Remediation includes water filtration, lead abatement, radon mitigation, and flood protection where applicable. Source: Census ACS, EPA SDWIS.

Health Outcomes vs National Average

CDC PLACES data for Karnes County residents

Asthma 9.1% (US avg: 8.9%)
Diabetes 14% (US avg: 11%)
Obesity 38.9% (US avg: 32.4%)

Black markers = national averages. Red = above national avg. Green = below. Source: CDC PLACES, Census ACS.

Water systems serving Karnes County

6 community water systems serving Karnes County.

Systems with the most violations in Karnes County

5 water systems with recorded EPA violations.

All ZIP Codes in Karnes County

7 ZIP codes tracked in Karnes County.

# ZIP Code City Safety Score Grade Violations Home Value
1 78116 Gillett 98 A 3 (2 health) $273K
2 78117 Hobson 94 A 12 (4 health) $272K
3 78118 Karnes City 91 A 21 (5 health) $115K
4 78119 Kenedy 88 A 33 (5 health) $129K
5 78111 Ecleto
6 78144 Panna Maria
7 78151 Runge 13 (3 health) $103K

Recommended Buyer Guides for Karnes County

Retailer arrangements don't shape what appears here - the selection logic is independent, filtered against EPA detections and the federal hazard data on file for this county.

Overview

Karnes County in Texas covers 7 tracked ZIP records with an average Home Safety Score of A (93/100) across 4 scored records.

5 of 5 ZIP codes with a reported violation count in the available EPA record have recorded EPA violations. 6 health-based violations appear in the available health breakdown.

← Back to Texas Home Safety Profile

Data Sources

Reporting periods vary by source. Missing data is shown as unavailable, not as zero.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is water safe in Karnes County?
Karnes County receives a grade of A, indicating generally safe tap water across its 7 ZIP codes.
How many water systems serve Karnes County?
Karnes County is served by 6 public water systems that supply drinking water to residents across 7 ZIP codes.
What is the biggest environmental risk in Karnes County?
The primary environmental risk factor in Karnes County is sea_level. This contributes to an estimated additional annual cost of $3,610 per homeowner.
How old are homes in Karnes County?
The median home build year in Karnes County is 1987. 50.6% of homes were built before 1978, which means they may contain lead-based paint and older plumbing materials.
How does Karnes County compare to Texas?
Karnes County has an average Home Safety Score of 93/100 under model 4.0.0, which is above the Texas state average of 83/100.

How to cite this page

APA ZipCheckup. (2026). Karnes County, TX: HSS 93/100; 6 Health Violations. https://zipcheckup.com/county/texas/karnes/
BibTeX
@misc{zipcheckup-county-texas-karnes,
  author = {{ZipCheckup}},
  title  = {{Karnes County, TX: HSS 93/100; 6 Health Violations}},
  year   = {2026},
  url    = {https://zipcheckup.com/county/texas/karnes/}
}

Page version: August 2026.

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