Medina County, Texas

Last updated

Medina County
County
Medina county tx courthouse.jpg
The Medina County Courthouse in Hondo
Map of Texas highlighting Medina County.svg
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas in United States.svg
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 29°21′N99°07′W / 29.35°N 99.11°W / 29.35; -99.11
CountryFlag of the United States.svg United States
StateFlag of Texas.svg  Texas
Founded1848
Named for Medina River
Seat Hondo
Largest cityHondo
Area
 • Total1,335 sq mi (3,460 km2)
 • Land1,325 sq mi (3,430 km2)
 • Water9.2 sq mi (24 km2)  0.7%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total50,748
 • Density38/sq mi (15/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 23rd
Website www.medinacountytexas.org

Medina County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 50,748. [1] Its county seat is Hondo. [2] The county is named for the Medina River. The extreme northern part of the county lies within the Edwards Plateau, which elevates into the Texas Hill Country. The Medina Dam, the fourth largest in the nation when completed in 1913, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. [3] The irrigation project, creating Medina Lake, was built by 1500 skilled workers who worked in shifts operating 24 hours a day to complete the dam in two years. Medina County is part of the San Antonio, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Contents

History

The county is named after the Medina River, which was named in 1689 after the Spanish cartographer Pedro de Medina by the Spanish explorer Alonso de Leon, the first European to encounter the river. [4] Because Pedro de Medina derived his surname from the Andalusian city of Medina-Sidonia, the name Medina comes from the Arabic for city.

The Texas Legislature formed Medina county on February 12, 1848, and enlarged it on February 1, 1850, using land taken from Bexar County. Castroville was the county seat, and the county erected the first permanent courthouse there in 1854. The county seat moved to Hondo in 1892, and a new courthouse was completed there in 1893. [5]

Texas-Indian Wars

The county was home to tribes such as the Lipan Apache, Coahuiltecan, and Tonkawa.

The county was subject to frequent Comanche and Kiowa raids during the 1860s and 1870s. On a June 11, 1873 raid, Comanches attacked four settlers near Hondo. These raids were feared by the local residents, however by 1875, the raiding had stopped. However, although the Comanche were gone, there were still other tribes raiding the county very frequently.

The last Indian raid of the county happened on April 22, 1877, when 19 year old Joe Wilton was killed by Indians near Devine, Texas.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,335 square miles (3,460 km2), of which 1,325 square miles (3,430 km2) is land and 9.2 square miles (24 km2) (0.7%) is water. [6]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1850 909—
1860 1,838102.2%
1870 2,07813.1%
1880 4,492116.2%
1890 5,73027.6%
1900 7,78335.8%
1910 13,41572.4%
1920 11,679−12.9%
1930 13,98919.8%
1940 16,10615.1%
1950 17,0135.6%
1960 18,90411.1%
1970 20,2497.1%
1980 23,16414.4%
1990 27,31217.9%
2000 39,30443.9%
2010 46,00617.1%
2020 50,74810.3%
U.S. Decennial Census [7]
1850–2010 [8] 2010 [9] 2020 [10]
Medina 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 [11] Pop 2010 [9] Pop 2020 [10] % 2000% 2010% 2020
White alone (NH)19,91921,40822,32450.68%46.53%43.99%
Black or African American alone (NH)8019131,2522.04%1.98%2.47%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)1441461580.37%0.32%0.31%
Asian alone (NH)1172722150.30%0.59%0.42%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)1724380.04%0.05%0.07%
Other race alone (NH)50281880.13%0.06%0.37%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)3833441,1180.97%0.75%2.20%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)17,87322,87125,45545.47%49.71%50.16%
Total39,30446,00650,748100.00%100.00%100.00%

As of the census [12] of 2000, there were 39,304 people, 12,880 households, and 10,136 families residing in the county. The population density was 30 people per square mile (12 people/km2). There were 14,826 housing units at an average density of 11 units per square mile (4.2/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 79.38% White, 2.20% Black or African American, 0.68% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 14.48% from other races, and 2.88% from two or more races. 45.47% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 12,880 households, out of which 39.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.20% were married couples living together, 11.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.30% were non-families. 18.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.30.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 29.00% under the age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 28.70% from 25 to 44, 21.50% from 45 to 64, and 12.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $36,063, and the median income for a family was $40,288. Males had a median income of $27,045 versus $21,734 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,210. About 12.00% of families and 15.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.80% of those under age 18 and 15.60% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Ghost towns

Education

School districts include: [13]

The designated community college is Southwest Texas Junior College. [14]

Politics

United States presidential election results for Medina County, Texas [15]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No. %No. %No. %
2020 15,64269.04%6,77329.89%2421.07%
2016 12,08570.07%4,63426.87%5273.06%
2012 11,07969.03%4,78429.81%1861.16%
2008 10,48066.59%5,14732.71%1100.70%
2004 10,38970.07%4,32229.15%1150.78%
2000 8,59066.73%4,02531.27%2582.00%
1996 5,71055.03%3,88037.39%7877.58%
1992 4,91245.54%3,65033.84%2,22320.61%
1988 5,72257.05%4,22742.15%800.80%
1984 5,73765.17%3,05334.68%130.15%
1980 4,74260.12%3,03438.46%1121.42%
1976 3,25246.54%3,68152.68%550.79%
1972 4,05971.85%1,50726.68%831.47%
1968 2,05839.19%2,47147.06%72213.75%
1964 1,58331.71%3,40868.27%10.02%
1960 2,02846.43%2,32553.23%150.34%
1956 2,66863.51%1,51636.09%170.40%
1952 3,20463.52%1,84036.48%00.00%
1948 1,49242.39%1,87553.27%1534.35%
1944 1,60747.42%1,46943.35%3139.24%
1940 1,48045.83%1,74954.17%00.00%
1936 96931.97%2,05067.63%120.40%
1932 51516.96%2,51682.87%50.16%
1928 1,24346.94%1,40052.87%50.19%
1924 81635.81%98643.26%47720.93%
1920 77245.71%51930.73%39823.56%
1916 65045.11%75852.60%332.29%
1912 21918.85%64855.77%29525.39%

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Medina County, Texas". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ↑ Ruben E. Ochoa, "Medina County", Handbook of Texas Online, accessed August 3, 2010
  4. ↑ Norris, Lola Orellano. GENERAL ALONSO DE LEÓN'S EXPEDITION DIARIES INTO TEXAS (1686-1690): A LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS OF THE SPANISH MANUSCRIPTS WITH SEMIPALEOGRAPHIC TRANSCRIPTIONS AND ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS (PDF). pp. 274, 277.
  5. ↑ Ochoa, Ruben E. "Medina County". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
  6. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Decennial Census by Decade". US Census Bureau.
  8. ↑ "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.
  9. 1 2 "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Medina County, Texas". United States Census Bureau .
  10. 1 2 "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Medina County, Texas". United States Census Bureau .
  11. ↑ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Medina County, Texas". United States Census Bureau .
  12. ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  13. ↑ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Medina County, TX" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022. - Text list
  14. ↑ Texas Education Code: Sec. 130.200. SOUTHWEST TEXAS JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.
  15. ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved July 27, 2018.

Further reading

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