Austin County, Texas
County in Texas, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Austin County is a rural, agricultural dominated county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 30,167.[1][2] Its seat is Bellville.[3] The county and region were settled primarily by German immigrants in the 1800s.[4]
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Austin County, Texas | |
|---|---|
The Austin County Courthouse in Bellville | |
 Flag | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Texas | |
| Coordinates: 29°53′N 96°17′W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Texas |
| Founded | 1837 |
| Named after | Stephen F. Austin |
| Seat | Bellville |
| Largest city | Sealy |
| Area | |
• Total | 656 sq mi (1,700 km2) |
| • Land | 647 sq mi (1,680 km2) |
| • Water | 9.9 sq mi (26 km2) 1.5% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 30,167 |
| • Density | 46.6/sq mi (18.0/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 10th |
| Website | www |
Austin County is included in the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan statistical area. Austin County and the state capital Austin were both named after Stephen F. Austin; the city Austin is in Travis County, about 110 miles to the northwest.
History
In 1836, the Texas Legislature established Austin County, naming it for Stephen F. Austin, who facilitated Texas' Anglo-American colonization.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 656 square miles (1,700 km2), of which 9.9 square miles (26 km2) (1.5%) are covered by water.[5]
Adjacent counties
- Washington County (north)
- Waller County (east)
- Fort Bend County (southeast)
- Wharton County (south)
- Colorado County (southwest)
- Fayette County (west)
Communities
Cities
- Bellville (county seat)
- Brazos Country
- Sealy
- South Frydek
- Wallis
Towns
Census-designated place
Unincorporated communities
Ghost town
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 3,841 | — | |
| 1860 | 10,139 | 164.0% | |
| 1870 | 15,087 | 48.8% | |
| 1880 | 14,429 | −4.4% | |
| 1890 | 17,859 | 23.8% | |
| 1900 | 20,676 | 15.8% | |
| 1910 | 17,699 | −14.4% | |
| 1920 | 18,874 | 6.6% | |
| 1930 | 18,860 | −0.1% | |
| 1940 | 17,384 | −7.8% | |
| 1950 | 14,663 | −15.7% | |
| 1960 | 13,777 | −6.0% | |
| 1970 | 13,831 | 0.4% | |
| 1980 | 17,726 | 28.2% | |
| 1990 | 19,832 | 11.9% | |
| 2000 | 23,590 | 18.9% | |
| 2010 | 28,417 | 20.5% | |
| 2020 | 30,167 | 6.2% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 32,546 | [6] | 7.9% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1850–1900[8] 1910[9] 1920[10] 1930[11] 1940[12] 1980[16] 1990[17] 2000[18] 2010[19] 2020[20] | |||
Racial and ethnic composition
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[21] | Pop 2010[22] | Pop 2020[20] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 16,964 | 18,657 | 18,480 | 71.91% | 65.65% | 61.26% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 2,475 | 2,622 | 2,352 | 10.49% | 9.23% | 7.80% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 47 | 79 | 78 | 0.20% | 0.28% | 0.26% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 68 | 110 | 201 | 0.29% | 0.39% | 0.67% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.03% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 34 | 36 | 107 | 0.14% | 0.13% | 0.35% |
| Multiracial (NH) | 196 | 271 | 889 | 0.83% | 0.95% | 2.95% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3,805 | 6,641 | 8,052 | 16.13% | 23.37% | 26.69% |
| Total | 23,590 | 28,417 | 30,167 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 30,167. The median age was 42.8 years. 23.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.1 males age 18 and over.[23][24]
The racial makeup of the county was 66.8% White, 8.1% Black or African American, 0.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 10.3% from some other race, and 13.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 26.7% of the population.[24]
21.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 78.8% lived in rural areas.[25]
There were 11,618 households in the county, of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 53.9% were married-couple households, 17.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[23]
There were 13,779 housing units, of which 15.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 76.5% were owner-occupied and 23.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.7%.[23]
2000 census
As of the 2000 census,[26] 23,590 people, 8,747 households, and 6,481 families resided in the county. The population density was 36 people per square mile (14 people/km2). The 10,205 housing units averaged 16 units per square mile (6.2/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 80.22% White, 10.64% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 6.99% from other races, and 1.58% from two or more races. About 16.13% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race, and 26.9% were of German, 8.0% Czech, 6.4% English, and 5.0% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000.
Of the 8,747 households, 34.70% had children under 18 living with them, 60.60% were married couples living together, 9.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.90% were not families; 22.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.50% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the county, the population was distributed as 27.0% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 92.9 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $38,615, and for a family was $46,342. Males had a median income of $32,455 versus $22,142 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,140. About 8.80% of families and 12.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.70% of those under age 18 and 14.40% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 244 | 16.43% | 1,161 | 78.18% | 80 | 5.39% |
| 1916 | 673 | 40.96% | 960 | 58.43% | 10 | 0.61% |
| 1920 | 568 | 19.65% | 538 | 18.62% | 1,784 | 61.73% |
| 1924 | 457 | 12.60% | 2,601 | 71.71% | 569 | 15.69% |
| 1928 | 466 | 17.94% | 2,129 | 81.98% | 2 | 0.08% |
| 1932 | 142 | 4.81% | 2,806 | 94.96% | 7 | 0.24% |
| 1936 | 290 | 15.03% | 1,635 | 84.76% | 4 | 0.21% |
| 1940 | 1,400 | 49.88% | 1,404 | 50.02% | 3 | 0.11% |
| 1944 | 619 | 19.44% | 1,316 | 41.33% | 1,249 | 39.23% |
| 1948 | 1,260 | 43.98% | 1,252 | 43.70% | 353 | 12.32% |
| 1952 | 2,964 | 67.17% | 1,445 | 32.74% | 4 | 0.09% |
| 1956 | 2,501 | 67.12% | 1,215 | 32.61% | 10 | 0.27% |
| 1960 | 1,978 | 52.92% | 1,725 | 46.15% | 35 | 0.94% |
| 1964 | 1,545 | 39.46% | 2,365 | 60.41% | 5 | 0.13% |
| 1968 | 1,971 | 45.27% | 1,299 | 29.83% | 1,084 | 24.90% |
| 1972 | 3,084 | 74.24% | 1,043 | 25.11% | 27 | 0.65% |
| 1976 | 2,686 | 53.37% | 2,313 | 45.96% | 34 | 0.68% |
| 1980 | 3,734 | 64.91% | 1,893 | 32.90% | 126 | 2.19% |
| 1984 | 4,872 | 71.29% | 1,941 | 28.40% | 21 | 0.31% |
| 1988 | 4,524 | 63.18% | 2,593 | 36.22% | 43 | 0.60% |
| 1992 | 4,015 | 50.89% | 2,278 | 28.87% | 1,597 | 20.24% |
| 1996 | 4,669 | 58.36% | 2,719 | 33.98% | 613 | 7.66% |
| 2000 | 6,661 | 72.19% | 2,407 | 26.09% | 159 | 1.72% |
| 2004 | 8,072 | 75.43% | 2,582 | 24.13% | 48 | 0.45% |
| 2008 | 8,786 | 74.96% | 2,821 | 24.07% | 114 | 0.97% |
| 2012 | 9,265 | 79.53% | 2,252 | 19.33% | 132 | 1.13% |
| 2016 | 9,637 | 78.52% | 2,320 | 18.90% | 317 | 2.58% |
| 2020 | 11,447 | 78.48% | 2,951 | 20.23% | 188 | 1.29% |
| 2024 | 12,457 | 80.81% | 2,816 | 18.27% | 142 | 0.92% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 11,981 | 78.36% | 2,998 | 19.61% | 310 | 2.03% |
Austin County was one of the earliest counties in Texas to turn Republican. After 1944, the only time a Democrat has carried this county is in 1964. Every Republican presidential candidate since 2000 has carried more than 70% of the county vote.
United States Congress
Austin County is part of Texas's 10th congressional district, which as of 2019 is represented in the United States House of Representatives by Michael McCaul.
Texas Legislature
Texas Senate
District 18: Lois Kolkhorst (R) – first elected in 2014
Texas House of Representatives
District 13: Ben Leman (R) – first elected in 2018
Austin County Courthouse
County judge: Tim Lapham (R)
Tax assessor-collector: Kim Rinn (R)
Education
These school districts serve Austin County:[29]
- Bellville Independent School District
- Brazos Independent School District (partial) (formerly Wallis-Orchard ISD)
- Brenham Independent School District (partial)
- Columbus Independent School District (partial)
- Sealy Independent School District
- Burton Independent School District (partial)
Blinn Junior College District is the designated community college for most of the county. Areas in Brazos ISD are in Wharton County Junior College District.[30]
Transportation
Major highways
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The TTC-69 component (recommended preferred) of the once-planned Trans-Texas Corridor went through Austin County.[31]
