History
In 1828, 200 Irish Catholic families, recruited from Ireland and the Irish population of New York City, contracted with the Mexican government to settle on 80 leagues of land in this area. By 1836, about 500 people lived in the colony on 84 Mexican land grants. During the Texas Revolution, most fled from the colony because of fighting in the area. By 1841, a small number of permanent residents had returned. When Texas was admitted by treaty to the United States in 1845, the area was stabilized by the presence of U.S. troops under General Zachary Taylor. In 1845, the county was formed (San Patricio is Spanish for Saint Patrick, the primary patron saint of the colonists' home country of Ireland), and Corpus Christi was designated as the county seat. The following year, the county south of the Nueces River was reorganized as Nueces County, and the town of San Patricio became the county seat of San Patricio County. In 1848, additional counties were formed out of San Patricio, which further reduced its size. [3]
The 1850 U.S. census listed only 200 people in the county, including three slaves. The local economy was based on cattle raising. In the mid-1860s, more settlers moved, drawn by the cheap land. By 1870, 602 people lived in the county, and the agricultural census reported 51 farms and ranches, totaling 52,000 acres (210 km2), in the area, with about 2,400 acres (9.7 km2) described as "improved". Development of the county intensified during the early 20th century, as hundreds of farmers moved in from North Texas and other states. The population reached 7,307 by 1910, and was 11,386 by 1920; 470 farms were counted in 1910, and 757 farms in 1920. Cattle ranching remained important, but vegetables and cotton also became important. The acres planted in the cotton increased from about 15,000 acres (61 km2) in 1910 to 155,000 acres (630 km2) by 1930. [3] [4] [5]
Demographics
Historical population| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|
| 1850 | 200 | | — |
|---|
| 1860 | 620 | | 210.0% |
|---|
| 1870 | 602 | | −2.9% |
|---|
| 1880 | 1,010 | | 67.8% |
|---|
| 1890 | 1,312 | | 29.9% |
|---|
| 1900 | 2,372 | | 80.8% |
|---|
| 1910 | 7,307 | | 208.1% |
|---|
| 1920 | 11,386 | | 55.8% |
|---|
| 1930 | 23,836 | | 109.3% |
|---|
| 1940 | 28,871 | | 21.1% |
|---|
| 1950 | 35,842 | | 24.1% |
|---|
| 1960 | 45,021 | | 25.6% |
|---|
| 1970 | 47,288 | | 5.0% |
|---|
| 1980 | 58,013 | | 22.7% |
|---|
| 1990 | 58,749 | | 1.3% |
|---|
| 2000 | 67,138 | | 14.3% |
|---|
| 2010 | 64,804 | | −3.5% |
|---|
| 2020 | 68,755 | | 6.1% |
|---|
|
San Patricio 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 [10] | Pop 2010 [11] | Pop 2020 [12] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|
| White alone (NH) | 30,749 | 27,330 | 26,613 | 45.80% | 42.17% | 38.71% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 1,767 | 902 | 994 | 2.63% | 1.39% | 1.45% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 233 | 169 | 198 | 0.35% | 0.26% | 0.29% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 389 | 506 | 845 | 0.58% | 0.78% | 1.23% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 58 | 46 | 66 | 0.09% | 0.07% | 0.1% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 78 | 53 | 227 | 0.12% | 0.08% | 0.33% |
| Multiracial (NH) | 683 | 550 | 1,592 | 1.02% | 0.85% | 2.32% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 33,181 | 35,248 | 38,220 | 49.42% | 54.39% | 55.59% |
| Total | 67,138 | 64,804 | 68,755 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the 2020 United States census, 68,755 people, 23,422 households, and 16,838 families were residing in the county.
As of the 2000 census [13] 67,138 people, 22,093 households, and 17,232 families resided in the county. The population density was 97 people/sq mi (37 people/km2). The 24,864 housing units averaged 36 units per square mile (14 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 76.76% White, 2.81% African American, 0.70% Native American, 0.63% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 15.94% from other races, and 3.05% from two or more races. About 49.42% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Of the 22,093 households, 41.6% had children under 18 living with them, 60.6% were married couples living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.0% were not families. About 18.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.97, and the average family size was 3.40.
In the county, the age distribution was 31.1% under 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $34,836, and for a family was $40,002. Males had a median income of $31,132 versus $20,730 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,425. About 14.60% of families and 18.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.50% of those under age 18 and 16.80% of those age 65 or over.
Government and politics
Government
San Patricio County, like all counties in Texas, is governed by a commissioners' court. This court consists of the county judge (the chairperson of the court), who is elected county-wide, and four commissioners who are elected by the voters in each of four precincts.
The commissioners' court is the policy-making body for the county; in addition, the county judge is the senior executive and administrative position in the county. The Commissioners' Court sets the county tax rate, adopts the budget, appoints boards and commissions, approves grants and personnel actions, and oversees the administration of county government. Each commissioner also supervises a Road and Bridge District. [17]
County commissioners
| Office [18] | Name | Party |
|---|
| | County judge | David Krebs | Republican |
| | Commissioner, Precinct 1 | William "Ski" Zagorski | Republican |
| | Commissioner, Precinct 2 | Tom Yardley | Republican |
| | Commissioner, Precinct 3 | Ruben Gonzales | Republican |
| | Commissioner, Precinct 4 | Howard Gillespie | Republican |
|
County officials
| Office [18] | Name | Party |
|---|
| | County attorney | Tamera Cochran-May | Republican |
| | County clerk | Gracie Alaniz-Gonzales | Democratic |
| | District attorney | Margie Silva Flores | Republican |
| | District clerk | Heather Marks | Republican |
| | Sheriff | Oscar Riveria | Republican |
| | Tax assessor-collector | Marcela Thormaehlen | Republican |
| | Treasurer | April Garcia | Republican |
Constables
| Office [18] | Name | Party |
|---|
| | Constable, Precinct 1 | Steve Hutchins | Republican |
| | Constable, Precinct 2 | Franciso Cantu | Democratic |
| | Constable, Precinct 4 | Paul Good | Republican |
| | Constable, Precinct 5 | Sean Orsak | Republican |
| | Constable, Precinct 6 | Kody Fahrenthold | Republican |
| | Constable, Precinct 8 | James Easley | Republican |
Justices of the peace
| Office [18] | Name | Party |
|---|
| | Justice of the peace, Precinct 1 | Leslie DeAses | Republican |
| | Justice of the peace, Precinct 2 | Danny Garza | Democratic |
| | Justice of the peace, Precinct 4 | Karen Diaz | Republican |
| | Justice of the peace, Precinct 5 | Nere Villarreal | Democratic |
| | Justice of the peace, Precinct 6 | Susan Price | Republican |
| | Justice of the peace, Precinct 8 | Leslie Pullin | Republican |
County courts
| Office [18] | Name | Party |
|---|
| | County Court at Law No. 1 | Elizabeth Welborn | Republican |
| | County Court at Law No. 2 | Vicki Hesseltine Martino | Republican |
District Courts
| Office [18] | Name | Party |
|---|
| | 36th District Court | Starr Bauer | Republican |
| | 156th District Court | Patrick L. Flanigan | Republican |
| | 343rd District Court | Jana Whatley | Republican |
Politics
Despite being majority-minority San Patricio county leans overwhelmingly Republican. The GOP does better than average among Latino residents in Texas, particularly south Texas. In 2022, Republicans won 40% of the Latino vote. [19] This has been as high as 48% in 2014. [20] These margins help Republicans win majority-minority districts, while Republicans in other parts of the country struggle - only garnering between 21% and 30% of the vote. Republicans appear to be increasing their Latino support from picking off specific segments: Men, rural Latinos, Rio Grande Valley, devout Catholics, Tejano and pro-life voters.
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