History
Around 8000 BC, Paleo-Indians hunter-gatherers inhabited the area, and later Tonkawa, Karankawa and Comanche peoples became the first identified inhabitants. [4] Caldwell County, of Green DeWitt's petition for a land grant to establish a colony in Texas, was approved by the Mexican government in 1825.
In 1839, Edmund Bellinger became the first settler of Prairie Lea, the county's oldest town. Sam Houston named the town for his future wife Margaret Lea Houston. [5] [6] The legislature formed Caldwell County from Bastrop and Gonzales counties in March 1845. Lockhart was named as the county seat. [4] [7]
By 1860, the county population was 2,871, with 1,610 slaves. [4] The community of Fentress was established, originally as Riverside, but later changed to honor the town's first physician, James Fentress. [8] The next year, the county voted 434–188 in favor of secession from the Union. Several hundred men from Caldwell County served in the Confederate States Army. [4]
In the 1870s, St. John Colony was established by former slaves. [9] The town of Luling was established in 1874, [10] close to an earlier farming settlement named Atlanta . John and James Merriwether and Leonidas Hardeman built a gristmill and a sawmill, later known as Zedler's Mills. [11]
The Missouri, Kansas, and Texas completed its track between Lockhart and San Marcos in 1887. [4] Two years later, the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway connected Lockhart and Luling to Shiner. [4] By 1892, the Missouri, Kansas and Texas had laid track from Lockhart east to Smithville. [4]
From 1880 to 1900, tenant farming accounted for nearly half of all the county's farming and as much as 75% of the 3,149 farms. [4] The Southwest Texas Sacred Harp Singing Convention was established in 1902 in McMahan. [12]
On August 9, 1922, Edgar B. Davis discovered the Luling Oilfield. [13] The Luling Foundation was established in 1927 by Davis to teach diversity in agriculture and improve the lives of farm and ranch families. [14]
The Lockhart State Park opened to the public in 1948. [15] In 1953, Luling established its annual Watermelon Thump celebration. [16]
Demographics
Historical population| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|
| 1850 | 1,329 | | — |
|---|
| 1860 | 4,481 | | 237.2% |
|---|
| 1870 | 6,572 | | 46.7% |
|---|
| 1880 | 11,757 | | 78.9% |
|---|
| 1890 | 15,769 | | 34.1% |
|---|
| 1900 | 21,765 | | 38.0% |
|---|
| 1910 | 24,237 | | 11.4% |
|---|
| 1920 | 25,160 | | 3.8% |
|---|
| 1930 | 31,397 | | 24.8% |
|---|
| 1940 | 24,893 | | −20.7% |
|---|
| 1950 | 19,350 | | −22.3% |
|---|
| 1960 | 17,222 | | −11.0% |
|---|
| 1970 | 21,178 | | 23.0% |
|---|
| 1980 | 23,637 | | 11.6% |
|---|
| 1990 | 26,392 | | 11.7% |
|---|
| 2000 | 32,194 | | 22.0% |
|---|
| 2010 | 38,066 | | 18.2% |
|---|
| 2020 | 45,883 | | 20.5% |
|---|
| 2024 (est.) | 52,430 | [18]  | 14.3% |
|---|
|
As of the third quarter of 2024, the median home value in Caldwell County was $214,150. [23]
According to the 2023 American Community Survey, the average household size was 2.78 persons, and the county had a median household income of $68,503. Approximately 13.7% of the county's population lived at or below the poverty line. Caldwell County had an estimated 58.0% employment rate, with 16.4% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 80.3% holding a high school diploma. [2]
The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (64.1%), Spanish (35.0%), Indo-European (0.5%), Asian and Pacific Islander (0.2%), and Other (0.3%).
Racial and ethnic composition
Caldwell County, Texas – racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.| Race / ethnicity (NH = non-Hispanic) | Pop. 1980 [24] | Pop. 1990 [24] | Pop. 2000 [25] | Pop. 2010 [26] | Pop. 2020 [27] |
|---|
| White alone (NH) | 11,768
(49.79%) | 13,547
(51.33%) | 15,929
(49.48%) | 16,841
(44.24%) | 16,560
(36.09%) |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 3,811
(16.12%) | 2,675
(10.14%) | 2,674
(8.31%) | 2,456
(6.45%) | 2,225
(4.85%) |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 57
(0.24%) | 48
(0.18%) | 90
(0.28%) | 90
(0.24%) | 129
(0.28%) |
| Asian alone (NH) | 167
(0.71%) | 80
(0.30%) | 102
(0.32%) | 344
(0.90%) | 227
(0.49%) |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | — | — | 8
(0.02%) | 8
(0.02%) | 4
(0.01%) |
| Other race alone (NH) | 44
(0.19%) | 54
(0.20%) | 30
(0.09%) | 54
(0.14%) | 178
(0.39%) |
| Mixed race or multiracial (NH) | — | — | 343
(1.07%) | 351
(0.92%) | 1,092
(2.38%) |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 7,790
(32.96%) | 9,988
(37.84%) | 13,018
(40.44%) | 17,922
(47.08%) | 25,468
(55.51%) |
| Total | 23,637
(100.00%) | 26,392
(100.00%) | 32,194
(100.00%) | 38,066
(100.00%) | 45,883
(100.00%) |
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 45,883. The median age was 36.8 years. 25.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 15.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.0 males age 18 and over. [28] [29]
The racial makeup of the county was 51.5% White, 5.3% Black or African American, 1.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 21.2% from some other race, and 20.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 55.5% of the population. [29]
45.4% of residents lived in urban areas, while 54.6% lived in rural areas. [30]
There were 15,010 households in the county, of which 37.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 48.4% were married-couple households, 19.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. [28]
There were 16,379 housing units, of which 8.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 69.4% were owner-occupied and 30.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.5%. [28]
2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 38,066 people, 12,278 households, and _ families residing in the county. The population density was 69.8 inhabitants per square mile (26.9/km2). There were 13,733 housing units at an average density of 25.2 per square mile (9.7/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 75.65% White, 6.78% African American, 0.80% Native American, 0.94% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 13.03% from some other races and 2.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 47.08% of the population.
2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 32,194 people, 10,816 households, and 8,079 families residing in the county. The population density was 59.0 inhabitants per square mile (22.8/km2). There were 11,901 housing units at an average density of 22.0 per square mile (8.5/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 70.13% White, 8.50% African American, 0.61% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 17.66% from some other races and 2.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 40.44% of the population.
Of the 10,816 households, 37.0% had children under 18 living with them, 56.0% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.3% were not families. About 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.82, and the average family size was 3.28.
A Williams Institute analysis of 2010 census data found about 5.8 same-sex couples per 1,000 households lived in the county. [31]
In the county, the age distribution was 28.3% under 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.5 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 92.7 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $36,573, and for a family was $41,300. Males had a median income of $29,295 versus $21,595 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,099. About 10.40% of families and 13.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.10% of those under age 18 and 15.40% of those age 65 or over.
United States
Texas 
