Washington County, Texas
County in Texas, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Washington County is a county in Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 35,805.[1] Its county seat is Brenham, which is located along U.S. Highway 290, 72 miles northwest of Houston.[2] The county was created in 1835 as a municipality of Mexico and organized as a county in 1837.[3][4] It is named for George Washington, the first president of the United States.
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Washington County, Texas | |
|---|---|
The Washington County Courthouse in Brenham | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Texas | |
| Coordinates: 30°13′N 96°25′W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Texas |
| Founded | 1837 |
| Named after | George Washington |
| Seat | Brenham |
| Largest city | Brenham |
| Area | |
• Total | 622 sq mi (1,610 km2) |
| • Land | 604 sq mi (1,560 km2) |
| • Water | 18 sq mi (47 km2) 2.9% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 35,805 |
• Estimate (2025) | 38,288  |
| • Density | 58/sq mi (22/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 10th |
| Website | www |
Washington County comprises the Brenham, TX micropolitan statistical area, which is also included in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX combined statistical area.
Washington-on-the-Brazos in the county is notable as the site of the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence during the Convention of 1836. Reflecting the county's history as a destination of mid-19th-century German immigrants who came after the 1848 German revolutions, in the 2000 US Census, more than one-third of residents identified as being of German ancestry.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 622 square miles (1,610 km2), of which 18 square miles (47 km2) (2.9%) are covered by water.[5]
Major highways
Adjacent counties
- Brazos County (north)
- Grimes County (northeast)
- Waller County (east)
- Austin County (south)
- Fayette County (southwest)
- Lee County (west)
- Burleson County (northwest)
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 5,983 | — | |
| 1860 | 15,215 | 154.3% | |
| 1870 | 23,104 | 51.9% | |
| 1880 | 27,565 | 19.3% | |
| 1890 | 29,161 | 5.8% | |
| 1900 | 32,931 | 12.9% | |
| 1910 | 25,561 | −22.4% | |
| 1920 | 26,624 | 4.2% | |
| 1930 | 25,394 | −4.6% | |
| 1940 | 25,387 | 0.0% | |
| 1950 | 20,542 | −19.1% | |
| 1960 | 19,145 | −6.8% | |
| 1970 | 18,842 | −1.6% | |
| 1980 | 21,998 | 16.7% | |
| 1990 | 26,154 | 18.9% | |
| 2000 | 30,373 | 16.1% | |
| 2010 | 33,718 | 11.0% | |
| 2020 | 35,805 | 6.2% | |
| 2025 (est.) | 38,288 | [6] | 6.9% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1850–2010[8] 2010[9] 2020[10] | |||
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 35,805. The median age was 42.4 years. 21.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 22.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.3 males age 18 and over.[11]
The racial makeup of the county was 65.1% White, 15.7% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 6.3% from some other race, and 10.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 17.9% of the population.[12]
48.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 51.4% lived in rural areas.[13]
There were 13,906 households in the county, of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 50.5% were married-couple households, 17.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[11]
There were 16,838 housing units, of which 17.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 71.8% were owner-occupied and 28.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.9%.[11]
Racial and ethnic composition
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980[14] | Pop 1990[15] | Pop 2000[16] | Pop 2010[9] | Pop 2020[10] | % 1980 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 16,391 | 19,321 | 21,515 | 22,394 | 22,023 | 74.51% | 73.87% | 70.84% | 66.42% | 61.51% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 4,794 | 5,427 | 5,604 | 5,861 | 5,555 | 21.79% | 20.75% | 18.45% | 17.38% | 15.51% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 15 | 37 | 49 | 61 | 75 | 0.07% | 0.14% | 0.16% | 0.18% | 0.21% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 73 | 181 | 363 | 432 | 547 | 0.33% | 0.69% | 1.20% | 1.28% | 1.53% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) | x [17] | x [18] | 1 | 7 | 14 | x | x | 0.00% | 0.02% | 0.04% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 62 | 30 | 8 | 34 | 140 | 0.28% | 0.11% | 0.03% | 0.10% | 0.39% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x [19] | x [20] | 186 | 288 | 1,026 | x | x | 0.61% | 0.85% | 2.87% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 663 | 1,158 | 2,647 | 4,641 | 6,425 | 3.01% | 4.43% | 8.71% | 13.76% | 17.94% |
| Total | 21,998 | 26,154 | 30,373 | 33,718 | 35,805 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2000 census
As of the census[21] of 2000, 30,373 people, 11,322 households, and 7,936 families were residing in the county. The population density was 50 people per square mile (19 people/km2). There were 13,241 housing units at an average density of 22 units per square mile (8.5 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 74.68% White, 18.66% African American, 0.27% Native American, 1.21% Asian, 4.02% from other races, and 1.16% from two or more races. About 8.71% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino of any race; 33.6% identified as of German, 6.1% American, 5.7% English, 5.3% Irish, and 5.0% Polish ancestry according to Census 2000. Around 88.1% spoke English, 8.6% Spanish, and 1.2% German as their first language.
Of the 11,322 households, 31.6% had children under 18 living with them, 54.8% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.90% were not families. About 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the county, the age distribution was 24.7% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 92.1 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $36,760, and for a family was $43,982. Males had a median income of $31,698 versus $21,346 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,384. About 9.8% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.8% of those under 18 and 14.5% of those 65 or over.
Communities
Cities
Unincorporated communities
Historic communities
As part of a San Jacinto Day speech in 1900, Hon. Harry Haynes said, "This grand old county, the birthplace and cradle of Texas liberty, is in a sense a vast town cemetery. Tiger Point, Union Hill, Long Point, Sandtown, Old Gay Hill, Mt. Vernon, Turkey Creek, Mt. Gilead, Rock Island, Jacksonville, Mustang, all by the inexorable decrees of new conditions and changes wrought in the course of human events have been blotted from the face of this beautiful earth."[22]
Politics
Since the 1940s, Washington County has been powerfully Republican, with the only Democratic presidential candidate to carry it since Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1936 landslide being Hill Country native Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. Since 1980, no Democrat has gained more than 40 percent of the county’s vote.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 546 | 29.43% | 1,111 | 59.89% | 198 | 10.67% |
| 1916 | 1,306 | 53.72% | 1,119 | 46.03% | 6 | 0.25% |
| 1920 | 684 | 21.24% | 796 | 24.72% | 1,740 | 54.04% |
| 1924 | 496 | 11.99% | 3,568 | 86.25% | 73 | 1.76% |
| 1928 | 275 | 9.94% | 2,491 | 90.06% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 99 | 2.79% | 3,443 | 97.12% | 3 | 0.08% |
| 1936 | 176 | 8.10% | 1,993 | 91.72% | 4 | 0.18% |
| 1940 | 1,868 | 56.32% | 1,449 | 43.68% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 534 | 13.27% | 1,387 | 34.46% | 2,104 | 52.27% |
| 1948 | 1,904 | 50.88% | 1,647 | 44.01% | 191 | 5.10% |
| 1952 | 3,519 | 72.17% | 1,354 | 27.77% | 3 | 0.06% |
| 1956 | 2,975 | 75.83% | 933 | 23.78% | 15 | 0.38% |
| 1960 | 2,613 | 58.21% | 1,864 | 41.52% | 12 | 0.27% |
| 1964 | 2,019 | 40.69% | 2,938 | 59.21% | 5 | 0.10% |
| 1968 | 3,244 | 57.86% | 1,686 | 30.07% | 677 | 12.07% |
| 1972 | 3,862 | 74.30% | 1,323 | 25.45% | 13 | 0.25% |
| 1976 | 3,820 | 58.77% | 2,635 | 40.54% | 45 | 0.69% |
| 1980 | 4,821 | 64.32% | 2,518 | 33.60% | 156 | 2.08% |
| 1984 | 6,506 | 72.32% | 2,483 | 27.60% | 7 | 0.08% |
| 1988 | 6,041 | 66.85% | 2,960 | 32.75% | 36 | 0.40% |
| 1992 | 5,817 | 53.60% | 3,283 | 30.25% | 1,753 | 16.15% |
| 1996 | 6,319 | 60.65% | 3,460 | 33.21% | 640 | 6.14% |
| 2000 | 8,645 | 73.21% | 2,996 | 25.37% | 168 | 1.42% |
| 2004 | 9,597 | 73.47% | 3,389 | 25.94% | 77 | 0.59% |
| 2008 | 10,176 | 70.78% | 4,034 | 28.06% | 167 | 1.16% |
| 2012 | 10,857 | 75.41% | 3,381 | 23.48% | 159 | 1.10% |
| 2016 | 10,945 | 73.79% | 3,382 | 22.80% | 505 | 3.40% |
| 2020 | 12,959 | 74.27% | 4,261 | 24.42% | 229 | 1.31% |
| 2024 | 14,020 | 76.96% | 4,058 | 22.28% | 139 | 0.76% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 13,586 | 74.86% | 4,240 | 23.36% | 323 | 1.78% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2020 | 12,988 | 75.16% | 4,017 | 23.25% | 275 | 1.59% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2022 | 10,965 | 78.48% | 2,824 | 20.21% | 183 | 1.31% |
The GOP was competitive in the county during the Third Party System and to a smaller extent during the “System of 1896” era, as the county then had a sizeable freedman population, but the county became typically “Solid South” Democratic for a brief period once that freedman population was completely disfranchised. Following the New Deal, the almost entirely White electorate of Washington County – which was being gradually stripped of its freedman population by the Great Migration – was one of the first to turn against FDR, being one of just 7 Texas counties to vote for Wendell Willkie in 1940. Washington was one of 11 Texas counties to vote in 1920 for American Party candidate James E. Ferguson, and the solitary county to give a majority to the conservative “Texas Regulars”, which were a predecessor to the numerous “Dixiecrat” movements of the following two decades, in the 1944 election.
Education
School districts:[36]
- Brenham Independent School District
- Burton Independent School District District
Blinn College is the designated community college for all of the county.[37] Additionally, Washington County is the sole taxation zone for Blinn College, meaning it is the only place with in-district tuition.[38]
