Kaufman County, Texas
County in Texas, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kaufman County is a county in the northeastern area of the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 145,310.[1] Its county seat is Kaufman.[2] Both the county, established in 1848, and the city were named for David S. Kaufman, a U.S. Representative and diplomat from Texas. Kaufman County is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Western artist Frank Reaugh moved from Illinois to Kaufman County in 1876, where he was directly inspired for such paintings as The Approaching Herd (1902).[3]
Kaufman County, Texas | |
|---|---|
The Kaufman County Courthouse in Kaufman | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Texas | |
| Coordinates: 32°36′N 96°17′W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Texas |
| Founded | February 1848 |
| Named after | David Spangler Kaufman |
| Seat | Kaufman |
| Largest city | Forney |
| Area | |
• Total | 808 sq mi (2,090 km2) |
| • Land | 781 sq mi (2,020 km2) |
| • Water | 27 sq mi (70 km2) 3.3% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 145,310 |
• Estimate (2024) | 197,829  |
| • Density | 186/sq mi (71.8/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 5th |
| Website | www |
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 808 square miles (2,090 km2), of which 781 square miles (2,020 km2) are land and 27 square miles (70 km2) (3.3%) are covered by water.[4] Located in the northeast portion of Texas, it is bounded on the southwest by the Trinity River, and drained by its east fork.[5]
Major highways
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Lakes
- Cedar Creek Reservoir (small part)
- Lake Ray Hubbard (small part)
- Kaufman Lake
Adjacent counties
- Hunt County (north)
- Van Zandt County (east)
- Henderson County (south)
- Ellis County (southwest)
- Dallas County (west)
- Rockwall County (northwest)
Communities
Cities (multiple counties)
- Combine (partly in Dallas County)
- Dallas (mostly in Dallas County with small parts in Collin, Denton, Rockwall, and Kaufman Counties)
- Heath (mostly in Rockwall County)
- Mesquite (mostly in Dallas County)
- Poetry (partly in Hunt County)
- Seagoville (mostly in Dallas County)
- Seven Points (mostly in Henderson County)
Cities
Towns
- Mabank (partly in Henderson County)
- Oak Grove
- Oak Ridge
- Post Oak Bend City
- Scurry
- Talty
Villages
Census-designated places
Unincorporated communities
Ghost towns
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 1,047 | — | |
| 1860 | 3,936 | 275.9% | |
| 1870 | 6,895 | 75.2% | |
| 1880 | 15,448 | 124.0% | |
| 1890 | 21,598 | 39.8% | |
| 1900 | 33,376 | 54.5% | |
| 1910 | 35,323 | 5.8% | |
| 1920 | 41,276 | 16.9% | |
| 1930 | 40,905 | −0.9% | |
| 1940 | 38,308 | −6.3% | |
| 1950 | 31,170 | −18.6% | |
| 1960 | 29,931 | −4.0% | |
| 1970 | 32,392 | 8.2% | |
| 1980 | 39,015 | 20.4% | |
| 1990 | 52,220 | 33.8% | |
| 2000 | 71,313 | 36.6% | |
| 2010 | 103,350 | 44.9% | |
| 2020 | 145,310 | 40.6% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 197,829 | [6] | 36.1% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1850–2010[8] 2020[9] | |||
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 145,310. The median age was 35.2 years. 28.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 12.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 92.5 males age 18 and over.[10]
The racial makeup of the county was 60.2% White, 15.1% Black or African American, 1.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 9.2% from some other race, and 13.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 24.9% of the population.[11]
58.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 41.9% lived in rural areas.[12]
There were 47,673 households in the county, of which 43.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 58.3% were married-couple households, 13.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 22.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 17.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[10]
There were 51,228 housing units, of which 6.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 76.8% were owner-occupied and 23.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.5%.[10]
Racial and ethnic composition
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[13] | Pop 2010[14] | Pop 2020[9] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 54,424 | 73,328 | 78,626 | 76.32% | 69.98% | 54.11% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 7,472 | 10,571 | 21,541 | 10.48% | 10.23% | 14.82% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 369 | 551 | 623 | 0.52% | 0.53% | 0.43% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 330 | 869 | 2,107 | 0.46% | 0.84% | 1.45% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 12 | 32 | 70 | 0.02% | 0.03% | 0.05% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 54 | 69 | 435 | 0.08% | 0.07% | 0.30% |
| Multiracial (NH) | 727 | 1,382 | 5,743 | 1.02% | 1.34% | 3.95% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 7,925 | 17,548 | 36,168 | 11.11% | 16.98% | 24.89% |
| Total | 71,313 | 103,350 | 145,310 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2000 census
According to the census of 2000,[15] 71,313 people, 24,367 households, and 19,225 families were residing in the county. The population density was 91 per square mile (35/km2). Its 26,133 housing units averaged 33 per square mile (13/km2). According to the 2000 census, the racial and ethnic makeup of the county was 81.10% White, 10.53% African American, 0.61% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 5.68% from other races, and 1.61% from two or more races. About 11.11% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.
American Community Survey 2023
The United States Census Bureau estimated that in 2023, Kaufman County’s population was 185,690. It also estimated that the population was 46.6% non-Hispanic White, 28.1% Hispanic or Latino, 20.8% non-Hispanic Black, 2.2% Asian, 0.4% Native American, 0.1% Pacific Islander, and 1.9% multiracial.[16]
| Race | Total | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino | 52,087 | 28.1% |
| NH White | 86,611 | 46.6% |
| NH Black | 38,535 | 20.8% |
| NH Asian | 4,061 | 2.2% |
| NH Native American | 737 | 0.4% |
| NH Pacific Islander | 135 | 0.1% |
| NH Multiracial | 3,524 | 1.9% |
Media
Kaufman County is part of the Dallas/Fort Worth DMA. Local media outlets include KDFW-TV, KXAS-TV, WFAA-TV, KTVT-TV, KERA-TV, KTXA-TV, KDFI-TV, KDAF-TV, KFWD-TV, and KDTX-TV. Other nearby stations that provide coverage for Kaufman County come from the Tyler/Longview/Jacksonville market and they include KLTV, KYTX-TV, KFXK-TV, and KETK-TV.
Kaufman County is served by three newspapers, the Terrell Tribune, the Kaufman Herald, and the Forney Messenger. Forney, Texas, is also served by online news media outlet inForney.com, which covers breaking news for the county. A quarterly magazine called Kaufman County Life is produced by the Terrell Tribune. The Kemp and Mabank areas are included in coverage by The Monitor and Athens Daily Review newspapers.
Law enforcement
The Kaufman County Sheriff's Office is Kaufman County's main police force. Smaller cities depend on the sheriff's office, along with the Texas Highway Patrol, for law-enforcement duties.
Kaufman County murders
In December 2012, Texas officials issued a statewide bulletin warning that the Aryan Brotherhood was "actively planning retaliation against law enforcement officials" who worked to prosecute the gang's leadership.[17]
In January 2013, Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse of Kaufman County was assassinated by gunshot outside the Kaufman County courthouse.[17] On March 30, 2013, District Attorney Mike McLelland, along with his wife, were found shot and killed in their home.[18] On April 13, 2013, ex-justice of the peace Eric Williams was arrested for making terrorist threats to county officials by email. Hasse and McLelland had aggressively prosecuted Williams in a theft case. Williams was convicted, and lost his position and his law license as a result.[19] On April 17, 2013, his wife Kim Williams was arrested on capital murder charges in all three deaths.[20]
Officials did not link these arrests or events to the Aryan Brotherhood. Eric Williams was convicted at trial and sentenced to death on December 16, 2014.[21] Kim Williams pleaded guilty on December 30, 2014, and received a 40-year sentence.[22]
Politics
Prior to 1952, Kaufman County was a Democratic Party stronghold in presidential elections. From 1952 to 1980, it was still primarily Democratic, though the party's margin of victories were far lower than before. Republican Richard Nixon won the county handily in 1972 as part of his national landslide. Starting with the 1984 election, it has become a Republican stronghold, though neither of Bill Clinton's two Republican opponents managed a majority despite winning the county due to Ross Perot's strong third-party candidacy.
The county's Republican lean has lessened a bit due to population growth in the DFW metroplex in recent years, but it still remains strongly Republican. Republicans have consistently won more than 60% of the vote in the county in the 21st century.
Kaufman County is located within District 4 of the Texas House of Representatives. Kaufman County is located within District 2 of the Texas Senate.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 248 | 9.31% | 2,039 | 76.51% | 378 | 14.18% |
| 1916 | 427 | 12.63% | 2,780 | 82.25% | 173 | 5.12% |
| 1920 | 573 | 12.84% | 3,070 | 68.80% | 819 | 18.35% |
| 1924 | 884 | 13.54% | 5,573 | 85.33% | 74 | 1.13% |
| 1928 | 1,718 | 39.27% | 2,657 | 60.73% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 268 | 6.11% | 4,116 | 93.78% | 5 | 0.11% |
| 1936 | 229 | 5.49% | 3,943 | 94.44% | 3 | 0.07% |
| 1940 | 516 | 8.97% | 5,232 | 90.98% | 3 | 0.05% |
| 1944 | 430 | 8.37% | 4,251 | 82.77% | 455 | 8.86% |
| 1948 | 764 | 15.62% | 3,479 | 71.15% | 647 | 13.23% |
| 1952 | 2,964 | 44.05% | 3,762 | 55.91% | 3 | 0.04% |
| 1956 | 2,816 | 48.97% | 2,902 | 50.47% | 32 | 0.56% |
| 1960 | 2,717 | 47.10% | 3,008 | 52.15% | 43 | 0.75% |
| 1964 | 1,922 | 28.71% | 4,766 | 71.20% | 6 | 0.09% |
| 1968 | 2,431 | 30.04% | 3,311 | 40.92% | 2,350 | 29.04% |
| 1972 | 5,100 | 64.51% | 2,795 | 35.35% | 11 | 0.14% |
| 1976 | 3,867 | 37.90% | 6,302 | 61.76% | 35 | 0.34% |
| 1980 | 5,852 | 47.63% | 6,266 | 51.00% | 169 | 1.38% |
| 1984 | 9,343 | 62.55% | 5,554 | 37.18% | 41 | 0.27% |
| 1988 | 8,466 | 53.19% | 7,358 | 46.23% | 92 | 0.58% |
| 1992 | 6,578 | 34.51% | 6,498 | 34.09% | 5,984 | 31.40% |
| 1996 | 8,697 | 48.34% | 7,383 | 41.03% | 1,913 | 10.63% |
| 2000 | 15,290 | 66.30% | 7,455 | 32.32% | 318 | 1.38% |
| 2004 | 21,304 | 70.16% | 8,947 | 29.46% | 115 | 0.38% |
| 2008 | 23,735 | 67.53% | 11,161 | 31.76% | 249 | 0.71% |
| 2012 | 24,846 | 71.66% | 9,472 | 27.32% | 352 | 1.02% |
| 2016 | 29,587 | 71.70% | 10,278 | 24.91% | 1,400 | 3.39% |
| 2020 | 37,624 | 66.19% | 18,405 | 32.38% | 810 | 1.43% |
| 2024 | 44,063 | 63.37% | 24,726 | 35.56% | 749 | 1.08% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 41,177 | 59.83% | 26,235 | 38.12% | 1,414 | 2.05% |
Education
School districts in the county include:[25]
- Crandall Independent School District
- Forney Independent School District
- Kaufman Independent School District
- Kemp Independent School District
- Mabank Independent School District
- Quinlan Independent School District
- Rockwall Independent School District
- Scurry-Rosser Independent School District
- Terrell Independent School District
- Wills Point Independent School District
It is in the service area for Trinity Valley Community College.[26]
