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Cameron County | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 26°09′N97°27′W / 26.15°N 97.45°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Texas |
Founded | 1848 |
Named for | Ewen Cameron |
Seat | Brownsville |
Largest city | Brownsville |
Area | |
• Total | 1,276 sq mi (3,300 km2) |
• Land | 891 sq mi (2,310 km2) |
• Water | 386 sq mi (1,000 km2) 30% |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 421,017 |
• Density | 330/sq mi (130/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
Congressional district | 34th |
Website | www |
Cameron County, officially the County of Cameron, is the southernmost county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 421,017. [1] [2] Its county seat is Brownsville. [3]
The county was founded in 1848 and is named for Captain Ewen Cameron, [4] a soldier during the Texas Revolution and in the ill-fated Mier Expedition. During the later 19th century and through World War II, Fort Brown was a US Army outpost here, stimulating the development of the city of Brownsville.
Cameron County comprises the Brownsville–Harlingen, TX metropolitan statistical area, as well as the Brownsville–Harlingen–Raymondville combined statistical area, which itself is part of the larger Rio Grande Valley region.
The second-largest city in the county is Harlingen.
The county is home to the SpaceX Starbase spaceport, situated in Boca Chica; it is also the residence of Elon Musk, the second richest person in the World. [5]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,276 square miles (3,300 km2), of which 891 square miles (2,310 km2) are land and 386 square miles (1,000 km2) (30%) are covered by water. [6] To the east, the county borders the Gulf of Mexico.
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1850 | 8,541 | — | |
1860 | 6,028 | −29.4% | |
1870 | 10,999 | 82.5% | |
1880 | 14,959 | 36.0% | |
1890 | 14,424 | −3.6% | |
1900 | 16,095 | 11.6% | |
1910 | 27,158 | 68.7% | |
1920 | 36,662 | 35.0% | |
1930 | 77,540 | 111.5% | |
1940 | 83,202 | 7.3% | |
1950 | 125,170 | 50.4% | |
1960 | 151,098 | 20.7% | |
1970 | 140,368 | −7.1% | |
1980 | 209,680 | 49.4% | |
1990 | 260,120 | 24.1% | |
2000 | 335,227 | 28.9% | |
2010 | 406,220 | 21.2% | |
2020 | 421,017 | 3.6% | |
U.S. Decennial Census [7] 1850–2010 [8] 2010 [9] 2020 [10] |
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000 [11] | Pop 2010 [9] | Pop 2020 [10] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
White alone (NH) | 48,679 | 43,427 | 37,107 | 14.52% | 10.69% | 8.81% |
Black or African American alone (NH) | 909 | 1,192 | 1,405 | 0.27% | 0.29% | 0.33% |
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 334 | 385 | 365 | 0.10% | 0.09% | 0.09% |
Asian alone (NH) | 1,522 | 2,486 | 2,596 | 0.45% | 0.61% | 0.62% |
Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 41 | 76 | 80 | 0.01% | 0.02% | 0.02% |
Some Other Race alone (NH) | 118 | 191 | 846 | 0.04% | 0.05% | 0.20% |
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH) | 888 | 716 | 1,938 | 0.26% | 0.18% | 0.46% |
Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 282,736 | 357,747 | 376,680 | 84.34% | 88.07% | 89.47% |
Total | 335,227 | 406,220 | 421,017 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the census [12] of 2010, 406,220 people, 119,631 households, and 96,579 families were residing in the county. The population density was 370 people per square mile (140 people/km2). The 141,924 housing units averaged 132 per square mile (51/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 87.0% White, 0.5% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 9.8% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. About 88.1% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Of the 119,631 households, 50.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.80% were married couples living together, 20.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.3% were not families. About 16.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.36, and the average family size was 3.80.
In the county, the age distribution was 33.0% under the age of18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.10% who were 65 or older. The median age was 30.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.90 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 86.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,264, and for a family was $33,770. Males had a median income of $21,410 versus $15,597 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,695. About 30.0% of families and 34.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 46.8% of those under age 18 and 24.8% of those age 65 or over.
A 2000 Texas A&M study stated that of the residents of Cameron County, 43% do not have basic literacy skills. [13]
Within the 2010s decade, a noticeable trend in the county population showed that growth among the county's northern cities (defined as major towns whose city limits lie entirely north or east of U.S. Highway 83 in the county) on average has been greater than those cities on U.S. Highway 83 in the county, suggesting a possible desire among both locals and new residents from outside the Rio Grande Valley to move away from the population centers of the county. This trend has also been shared by nearby Hidalgo County. Los Fresnos, for example, grew by 42.2% from 2010 to 2018. Other major cities, such as Indian Lake, Primera, and Rio Hondo, all grew by more than 15% in the same period. In contrast, the cities of Harlingen, La Feria, and San Benito, all cities along U.S. Highway 83, have seen growths less than 1% in the same period. The city that grew the most among the Highway 83 cities in the county was Brownsville, which grew by 4.4% from 2010 to 2019.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operates the Port Isabel Service Processing Center, located in an unincorporated area adjacent to the Port Isabel-Cameron County Airport, [14] which is itself owned and operated by the county. [15] The airport has four runways and offers fuel and other general aviation services. [16]
U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen stated in 2013 that the corruption in the county judiciary and legal system was so pervasive that most people would not believe it "unless they heard it themselves." [17]
Cameron County leans toward the Democratic Party in presidential elections. The last Republican to win the county was George W. Bush in 2004. Donald Trump's 2016 showing of 32.0% was the lowest received by a Republican candidate in the county since Alf Landon in 1936. However, in 2020, Trump's performance of 43% was the best for a Republican in the county since 2004.
In the Texas House of Representatives, Cameron County is covered by Districts 35, 37 and 38.
As of 2006, officeholders tend to be Democrats. As of 2006, about 20,000 to 30,000 people in Cameron County vote in primary elections, and presidential elections have higher turnouts.[ citation needed ]Politiqueras, women hired to help elderly people vote, are crucial in South Texas elections.
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 49,032 | 42.89% | 64,063 | 56.04% | 1,231 | 1.08% |
2016 | 29,472 | 31.80% | 59,402 | 64.10% | 3,791 | 4.09% |
2012 | 26,099 | 33.94% | 49,975 | 64.99% | 821 | 1.07% |
2008 | 26,671 | 35.06% | 48,480 | 63.72% | 926 | 1.22% |
2004 | 34,801 | 50.32% | 33,998 | 49.16% | 357 | 0.52% |
2000 | 27,800 | 44.80% | 33,214 | 53.52% | 1,043 | 1.68% |
1996 | 18,434 | 32.63% | 34,891 | 61.76% | 3,168 | 5.61% |
1992 | 20,123 | 34.07% | 29,435 | 49.84% | 9,499 | 16.08% |
1988 | 24,263 | 43.68% | 30,972 | 55.75% | 317 | 0.57% |
1984 | 29,545 | 52.64% | 26,394 | 47.03% | 187 | 0.33% |
1980 | 22,041 | 47.62% | 23,200 | 50.12% | 1,044 | 2.26% |
1976 | 16,448 | 39.06% | 25,310 | 60.10% | 353 | 0.84% |
1972 | 20,816 | 60.69% | 13,340 | 38.89% | 144 | 0.42% |
1968 | 11,759 | 39.82% | 15,726 | 53.26% | 2,042 | 6.92% |
1964 | 9,531 | 37.14% | 16,056 | 62.57% | 72 | 0.28% |
1960 | 10,190 | 45.01% | 12,416 | 54.84% | 34 | 0.15% |
1956 | 11,952 | 56.85% | 8,829 | 42.00% | 241 | 1.15% |
1952 | 14,018 | 64.89% | 7,559 | 34.99% | 25 | 0.12% |
1948 | 4,689 | 39.54% | 6,778 | 57.15% | 392 | 3.31% |
1944 | 5,309 | 44.82% | 5,998 | 50.63% | 539 | 4.55% |
1940 | 3,370 | 35.73% | 6,035 | 63.98% | 28 | 0.30% |
1936 | 2,160 | 26.32% | 5,887 | 71.74% | 159 | 1.94% |
1932 | 1,785 | 19.87% | 7,146 | 79.53% | 54 | 0.60% |
1928 | 3,544 | 52.45% | 3,202 | 47.39% | 11 | 0.16% |
1924 | 1,266 | 34.52% | 2,225 | 60.68% | 176 | 4.80% |
1920 | 909 | 49.24% | 920 | 49.84% | 17 | 0.92% |
1916 | 420 | 24.48% | 1,260 | 73.43% | 36 | 2.10% |
1912 | 149 | 6.13% | 2,146 | 88.35% | 134 | 5.52% |
Cameron County is served by several school districts. They include: [19]
In addition, residents are eligible to apply to South Texas Independent School District's magnet schools. [20]
All of the county is in the service area of Texas Southmost College. [21]
Cameron County has been considered one of the poorest urban counties in the US [22] [23]
The FAA approved a SpaceX private spaceport east of Brownsville on the Gulf Coast. [24]
The SpaceX South Texas Launch Site is projected to employ 75–100 full-time workers in the early years with up to 150 full-time employees/contractors by 2019. [25] In 2014, SpaceX acquired additional land near Boca Chica, which they consolidated into a subdivision called "Mars Crossing", possibly named after the novel by science-fiction writer Geoffrey A. Landis. [26]
The southern cattle tick ( Rhipicephalus microplus ) is invasive here. [27] Populations here have also become highly permethrin resistant. [27] In 2014 the problem had become so severe that spread to neighboring counties was feared, and a Temporary Preventative Quarantine Area was established to preserve efficacy in those counties. [27] All quarantine efforts have been somewhat unsuccessful, due at least in part to the ticks' infestation of wildlife including whitetail ( Odocoileus virginianus ). [27]
Harlingen is a city in Cameron County in the central region of the Rio Grande Valley of the southern part of the U.S. state of Texas, about 30 miles (48 km) from the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. The city covers more than 40 square miles (104 km2) and is the second-largest city in Cameron County, as well as the fourth-largest in the Rio Grande Valley. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 71,892.
Willacy County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 20,164. Its county seat is Raymondville. The county was created in 1911 and organized the next year.
Hidalgo County is located in the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat is Edinburg and the largest city is McAllen. The county is named for Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, the priest who raised the call for Mexico's independence from Spain. It is located in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas and is one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 870,781, making it the ninth-most populous county in Texas, and the most populous county outside of the counties in the Texas Triangle. Hidalgo County is designated by the U.S. Census Bureau as the McAllen–Edinburg–Mission metropolitan statistical area, which itself is part of the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission-Rio Grande City, Texas combined statistical area with neighboring Starr County.
Arroyo Alto is a neighborhood of the city of La Feria in Cameron County, in the U.S. state of Texas. Annexed by the city in 2004, Arroyo Alto was a census-designated place (CDP) at the 2000 census, at which time it had a population of 320. It is part of the Brownsville–Harlingen Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Arroyo Colorado Estates is a census-designated place (CDP) in Cameron County, in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 997 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Brownsville–Harlingen Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Combes is a town in northern Cameron County, Texas, United States. Its population was 2,999 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Brownsville–Harlingen–Raymondville and the Matamoros–Brownsville metropolitan areas.
Green Valley Farms is a census-designated place (CDP) in Cameron County, Texas, United States. The population was 655 at the 2020 census, down from 1,272 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Brownsville–Harlingen Metropolitan Statistical Area.
La Feria is a city in Cameron County, Texas, United States. Its population was 6,817 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Brownsville–Harlingen–Raymondville, the Matamoros–Brownsville, and the McAllen–Edinburg–Mission metropolitan areas.
La Feria North is a census-designated place (CDP) in Cameron County, Texas, United States. The population was 225 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Brownsville–Harlingen Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Laguna Heights is a census-designated place (CDP) in Cameron County, Texas, United States. The population was 962 at the 2020 census, significantly down from 3,488 at the 2010 census.
Los Fresnos is a city in Cameron County, Texas, United States. The population was 8,114 at the 2020 census, up from 5,542 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Brownsville–Harlingen–Raymondville and the Matamoros–Brownsville metropolitan areas.
Port Isabel is a city in Cameron County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Brownsville–Harlingen–Raymondville and the Matamoros–Brownsville metropolitan areas. The population was 5,028 at the 2020 census.
Reid Hope King is a census-designated place (CDP) in Cameron County, Texas, United States. The population was 667 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Brownsville–Harlingen Metropolitan Statistical Area.
South Padre Island is a resort town in Cameron County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Brownsville–Harlingen Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,066 at the 2020 census. The town is located on South Padre Island, a barrier island with the Laguna Madre situated to the leeward of the island and the Gulf of Mexico on the windward flank, along the Texas Gulf Coast. South Padre Island is accessible via the Queen Isabella Causeway from the town of Port Isabel. South Padre Island is named after José Nicolás Ballí, a Catholic priest and settler.
Edinburg is a city in and the county seat of Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. The population was 100,243 at the 2020 census, and in 2022, its estimated population was 104,294, making it the second-largest city in Hidalgo County, and the third-largest city in the larger Rio Grande Valley region.
Mission is a city in Hidalgo County, in the US state of Texas, United States. The population was 85,778 at the 2020 census and an estimated 86,635 in 2022. Mission is part of the McAllen–Edinburg–Mission and Reynosa–McAllen metropolitan areas.
The Brownsville–Harlingen–Raymondville combined statistical area is made up of two counties in the Rio Grande Valley region of Texas. The CSA consists of the Brownsville–Harlingen metropolitan statistical area and the Raymondville micropolitan statistical area. A 2013 census estimate puts its population at 439,197.
Bluetown is a census-designated place (CDP) in Cameron County, in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 356 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Brownsville–Harlingen Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Arroyo Gardens is a census-designated place (CDP) in Cameron County, in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 456 at the 2010 census. Prior to the 2010 census, the community was part of the Arroyo Gardens-La Tina Ranch CDP. It is part of the Brownsville–Harlingen Metropolitan Statistical Area.
La Tina Ranch is a census-designated place (CDP) in Cameron County, in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 618 at the 2010 census. Prior to the 2010 census, the community was part of the Arroyo Gardens-La Tina Ranch CDP. It is part of the Brownsville–Harlingen Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The district stretches over three counties, Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy,[...]
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