Matagorda County, Texas

Last updated

Matagorda County
County
Matagorda County Texas Courthouse 2016.jpg
The Matagorda County Courthouse and Confederate Soldier Statue in Bay City
Map of Texas highlighting Matagorda County.svg
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas in United States.svg
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 28°47′N96°00′W / 28.78°N 96°W / 28.78; -96
CountryFlag of the United States.svg United States
StateFlag of Texas.svg  Texas
Founded1836
Seat Bay City
Largest cityBay City
Area
 • Total
1,613 sq mi (4,180 km2)
 • Land1,100 sq mi (3,000 km2)
 • Water512 sq mi (1,330 km2)  32%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
36,255
 • Density22/sq mi (8.7/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 22nd
Website www.co.matagorda.tx.us
Matagorda County Office Building MatagordaCountyOfficeBuilding.JPG
Matagorda County Office Building

Matagorda County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 36,255. [1] Its county seat is Bay City, [2] not to be confused with the larger Baytown in Harris and Chambers Counties. Matagorda County is named for the canebrakes that once grew along the coast (matagorda is a Spanish word meaning "thick bush").

Contents

Matagorda County comprises the Bay City, TX micropolitan statistical area, which is also included in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX combined statistical area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,613 square miles (4,180 km2), of which 512 square miles (1,330 km2) (32%) are covered by water. [3] The water area includes Matagorda Bay. It borders the Gulf of Mexico.

Major highways

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1850 2,124—
1860 3,45462.6%
1870 3,377−2.2%
1880 3,94016.7%
1890 3,9851.1%
1900 6,09753.0%
1910 13,597123.0%
1920 16,58922.0%
1930 17,6786.6%
1940 20,06613.5%
1950 21,5597.4%
1960 25,74419.4%
1970 27,9138.4%
1980 37,82835.5%
1990 36,928−2.4%
2000 37,9572.8%
2010 36,702−3.3%
2020 36,255−1.2%
U.S. Decennial Census [4]
1850–2010 [5] 2010 [6] 2020 [7]
Matagorda 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 2000 [8] Pop 2010 [6] Pop 2020 [7] % 2000% 2010% 2020
White alone (NH)19,90017,40015,35552.43%47.41%42.35%
Black or African American alone (NH)4,7784,0603,73412.59%11.06%10.30%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)125104990.33%0.28%0.27%
Asian alone (NH)8916937002.35%1.89%1.93%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)6770.02%0.02%0.02%
Other race alone (NH)23331030.06%0.09%0.28%
Mixed race or multiracial (NH)3363318020.89%0.90%2.21%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)11,89814,07415,45531.35%38.35%42.63%
Total37,95736,70236,255100.00%100.00%100.00%

As of the census [9] of 2000, 37,957 people, 13,901 households, and 9,925 families were residing in the county. The population density was 34 people per square mile (13 people/km2). The 18,611 housing units averaged 17 units per square mile (6.6/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 67.83% White, 12.72% African American, 0.67% Native American, 2.38% Asian, 14.02% from other races, and 2.38% from two or more races. About 31.35% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. By ancestry, 10.3% were of German, 8.2% American, 5.4% English, and 5.2% Irish according to Census 2000, and 73.9% spoke English, 24.0% Spanish, and 1.6% Vietnamese as their first language.

Of the 13,901 households, 36.70% had children under 18 living with them, 53.80% were married couples living together, 12.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.60% were not families. About 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.70, and the average family size was 3.25.

In the county, the age distribution was 30.0% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 26.90% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.60 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 95.5 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,174, and for a family was $40,586. Males had a median income of $37,733 versus $21,871 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,709. About 14.90% of families and 18.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.00% of those under age 18 and 13.60% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

The Matagorda County Museum in Bay City is located across from the Courthouse. Matagorda County Museum in Bay City.jpg
The Matagorda County Museum in Bay City is located across from the Courthouse.

Rice is grown extensively in Matagorda County, as are St. Augustine and other turf grasses. In addition to a wealth of offshore oil rigs and natural gas extraction facilities all over the county, two petrochemical processing plants (Celanese and Equistar) and the South Texas Project nuclear power plant operate within the county. Matagorda County has secluded, extensive forests, wetlands, prairie, and coastal regions. The Gulf Coast floodplain has several conditions conducive to a variety of ecosystems and recreational activities evident by the highest count of migrating birds in the United States. Fishing (on- and offshore), hunting, and scuba diving are large parts of the recreation industry due to the Colorado River, the forests, and Matagorda Bay. The Rio Colorado Golf Course and a birdwatching park are on the Colorado River near the State Highway 35 bridge, and several wildlife preserves are located around the county, a portion of which is land bought for that purpose by the two major petrochemical refineries and nuclear plant in the county.

Education

School districts serving Matagorda County include: [10]

Residents in Bay City, Boling, Matagorda, Palacios, Tidehaven, and Van Vleck ISDs (in other words, the entire county) are in the service area of Wharton County Junior College. [11]

Communities

Cities

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Ghost towns

Notable people

Politics

United States presidential election results for Matagorda County, Texas [15]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No. %No. %No. %
2024 9,95774.71%3,23124.24%1391.04%
2020 9,84571.72%3,73327.19%1491.09%
2016 8,36668.60%3,50028.70%3302.71%
2012 8,04066.27%3,98032.80%1130.93%
2008 7,83563.32%4,44035.88%980.79%
2004 8,11964.84%4,35534.78%470.38%
2000 7,58460.87%4,69637.69%1791.44%
1996 5,87647.03%5,37443.01%1,2449.96%
1992 5,32840.47%4,75936.15%3,07823.38%
1988 6,78754.01%5,67545.16%1040.83%
1984 8,45261.72%5,20137.98%410.30%
1980 5,54553.41%4,58544.16%2522.43%
1976 3,67942.14%4,97156.94%810.93%
1972 5,00366.75%2,47333.00%190.25%
1968 3,09436.55%3,59542.46%1,77720.99%
1964 2,40736.72%4,14363.20%50.08%
1960 2,97549.60%2,97149.53%520.87%
1956 3,92766.46%1,90432.22%781.32%
1952 4,12266.23%2,10133.76%10.02%
1948 1,01630.80%1,62849.35%65519.85%
1944 41213.43%1,85460.45%80126.12%
1940 65123.14%2,15676.64%60.21%
1936 45921.21%1,70078.56%50.23%
1932 40816.58%2,03982.85%140.57%
1928 1,19458.85%82940.86%60.30%
1924 89337.62%1,35356.99%1285.39%
1920 91843.90%99247.44%1818.66%
1916 25223.10%74868.56%918.34%
1912 1079.64%71063.96%29326.40%

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Matagorda County, Texas". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". US Census Bureau.
  5. ↑ "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  6. 1 2 "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Matagorda County, Texas". United States Census Bureau .
  7. 1 2 "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Matagorda County, Texas". United States Census Bureau .
  8. ↑ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Matagorda County, Texas". United States Census Bureau .
  9. ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  10. ↑ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Matagorda County, TX" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved November 29, 2024. - Text list
  11. ↑ Texas Education Code Sec. 130.211. WHARTON COUNTY JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.
  12. ↑ JENKINS, RACHEL (June 15, 2010). "HAWLEY, TX". tshaonline.org. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  13. ↑ Lewis, Frank Hawkins (February 1979). "Evolution of an Early Texas Ranch". Rangelands. 1 (1): 6–8. JSTOR   3900331.
  14. ↑ "Was Craig Watkins the first black DA in Texas? Historians find evidence of another". February 23, 2019.
  15. ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org.

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