The 2009 population and housing census covered in brief the labour status as tabulated below. The main variable of interest for inequality discussed in the text is work for pay by level of education. The other variables, notably family business, family agricultural holdings, intern/volunteer, retired/homemaker, fulltime student, incapacitated and  no work are tabulated and presented in the annex table 40.3 up to ward level.

 Table 40: Overall Employment by Education levels in Tana River County

In Tana River County, 7% of the residents with no formal education, 12% of those with a primary education and 29% of those with a secondary level of education or above are working for pay. Work for pay is highest in Nairobi at 49% and this is 20 percentage points above the level in Tana River for those with secondary level of education or above.

In this report, the Gini index measures the extent to which the distribution of consumption expenditure among individuals or households within an economy deviates from a perfectly equal distribution. A Gini index of '0' represents perfect equality, while an index of '1' implies perfect inequality. Tana River County’s Gini index is 0.617 compared with Turkana County, which has the least inequality nationally (0.283).

Less than 1% of residents in Tana River County use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and 1% use paraffin. 82% use firewood and 16% use charcoal. Firewood is the most common cooking fuel by gender with no significant differential as 81% of male headed households and 82% in female headed households use it.

 Garsen constituency has the highest level of firewood use in Tana River County at 89%.This is 13 percentage points above Bura constituency, which has the lowest share at 76%. Garsen constituency is about 7 percentage points above the county average. Kipini West ward has the highest level of firewood use in Tana River County at 98%.This is twice Sala ward, which has the lowest share at 48%. This is 16 percentage points above the county average.

 Bura constituency has the highest level of charcoal use in Tana River County at 21%.This is twice Garsen constituency, which has the lowest share at 10%. Burai constituency is 5 percentage points above the county average. Sala ward has the highest level of charcoal use in Tana River County at 50%.This is 48 percentage points more than Kipini West and Wayu wards, which have the lowest hare. Sala ward is 34 percentage points above the county average.

Only 2% of residents in Tana River County use electricity as their main source of lighting. A further 20% use lanterns, and 67% use tin lamps. 6% use fuel wood. Electricity use by gender has no significant variation with male headed households at 3% as compared with female headed households at 2%.

 Galole constituency has the highest level of electricity use at 3%. This is 1% point above Garsen and Bura constituencies that have the lowest share. Galole constituency is 1% point above the county average. Chewani ward has the highest level of electricity use at 7%. This is 7% points above Bangale ward that has no level of electricity use. Chewani ward is 5% points above the county average.

In Tana River County, 11% of residents have homes with cement floors, while 88% have earth floors. Less than 1% has wood or tile floors. Galole constituency has the highest share of cement floors at 13%.That is 5 percentage points above Garsen constituency, which has the lowest share of cement floors. Galole constituency is 2 percentage points above the county average. Chewani ward has the highest share of cement floors at 26%.That is 25 percentage points above Chewele and Kipini West wards, which have the lowest share of cement floors. Chewani ward is 15 percentage points above the county average.

In Tana River County, none of residents have homes with concrete roofs, while 26% have corrugated iron sheet roofs. Grass and makuti roofs constitute 71% of homes, and none have mud/dung roofs.

Galole constituency has the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 35%.That is almost twice Garsen constituency, which has the lowest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs. Galole constituency is 9 percentage points above the county average. Chewani ward has the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 52%.That is almost 26 times Garsen Central ward, which has the lowest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs. Chewani ward is 26 percentage points above the county average.

 Garsen constituency has the highest share of grass/makuti roofs at 79%.That is 18 percentage points above Galole constituency, which has the lowest share of grass/makuti roofs. Garsen constituency is 8 percentage points above the county average. Wayu ward has the highest share of grass/makuti roofs at 97%. This is twice Mikinduni ward, which has the lowest share. Wayu ward is 26 percentage points above the county average.

In Tana River County, 7% of homes have either brick or stone walls. 49% of homes have mud/wood or mud/cement walls. 12% have wood walls. 1% has corrugated iron walls. 30% have grass/thatched walls. 1% has tin or other walls.

 Galole constituency has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 9%.That is 3 percentage points above Garsen constituency, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Galole constituency is 2 percentage points above the county average. Chewani ward has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 18%.That is 17 percentage points above Chewele ward, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Chewani ward is 11 percentage points above the county average.

 Garsen constituency has the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 62%.That is twice Bura constituency, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement. Garsen constituency is 13 percentage points above the county average. Mikinduni ward has the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 82%.That is eight times Bangale ward, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement walls. Mikinduni ward is 33 percentage points above the county average.

Improved sources of water comprise protected  spring, protected well, borehole, piped into dwelling, piped and rain water collection while unimproved sources include pond, dam, lake, stream/river, unprotected spring, unprotected well, jabia, water vendor and others.

 In Tana River County, 42% of residents use improved sources of water, with the rest relying on unimproved sources. There is no gender differential in use of improved sources as 42% of male headed households and 41% in female headed households use it.

Garsen constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 54%.That is twice Bura constituency, which has the lowest share using improved sources of water. Garsen constituency is 12 percentage points above the county average. Garsen West ward has the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 76% each. That is 74 percentage points above Hirimani ward, which has the lowest share using improved sources of water. Garsen West  ward is 34 percentage points above the county average.

A total of 22% of residents in Tana River County use improved sanitation, while the rest use unimproved sanitation. There is no significant gender differential in use of improved sanitation as 21% of male headed households and 23% in female headed households use it.

 Galole constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 29%.That is almost twice Bura constituency, which has the lowest share using improved sanitation. Galole constituency is 7 percentage points above the county average. Chewani ward has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 52%.That is almost 17 times Wayu ward, which has the lowest share using improved sanitation Chewani ward is 30 percentage points above the county average.