Starr County, Texas

Last updated

Starr County
County
Architect Stanley Bliss designed the brick Starr County Courthouse, which opened in 1939 in Rio Grande City, Texas LCCN2014631828.tif
The Starr County Courthouse in Rio Grande City
Starr County, TX Seal.png
Seal
Map of Texas highlighting Starr County.svg
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas in United States.svg
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 26°34′N98°44′W / 26.57°N 98.73°W / 26.57; -98.73
CountryFlag of the United States.svg United States
StateFlag of Texas.svg  Texas
Founded1848
Named for James Harper Starr
Seat Rio Grande City
Largest cityRio Grande City
Government
 • SheriffRene "Orta" Fuentes
Area
 • Total1,229 sq mi (3,180 km2)
 • Land1,223 sq mi (3,170 km2)
 • Water88.5 sq mi (229 km2)  0.5%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total65,920
 • Density54/sq mi (21/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 28th
Website www.co.starr.tx.us

Starr County is located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 65,920. [1] Its county seat is Rio Grande City. [2] The county was created in 1848. [3] It is named for James Harper Starr, who served as secretary of the treasury of the Republic of Texas.

Contents

Starr County comprises the Rio Grande City micropolitan statistical area, which also includes other small cities, which itself is part of the larger Rio Grande Valley region. It is directly northeast of the Mexican border.

The county population is almost entirely Hispanic or Latino. With 97.7% of its population identifying as such, it is the county with the highest proportion of Hispanics [4] in the continental United States.

History

From 2000 to 2010, the population of Starr County increased from 53,597 to 60,968. [5]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,229 square miles (3,180 km2), of which 5.9 square miles (15 km2) (0.5%) are covered by water. [6]

Major highways

Adjacent counties and municipalities

National protected area

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1860 2,406—
1870 4,15472.7%
1880 8,30499.9%
1890 10,74929.4%
1900 11,4696.7%
1910 13,15114.7%
1920 11,089−15.7%
1930 11,4092.9%
1940 13,31216.7%
1950 13,9484.8%
1960 17,13722.9%
1970 17,7073.3%
1980 27,26654.0%
1990 40,51848.6%
2000 53,59732.3%
2010 60,96813.8%
2020 65,9208.1%
U.S. Decennial Census [7]
1850–2010 [8] 2010–2014 [9]
Starr County racial/ethnic composition [10] [11]
(NH = Non-Hispanic) [lower-alpha 1]
RacePop 2010Pop 2020% 2010% 2020
White (NH)2,4491,1714.02%1.78%
Black or African American (NH)15310.02%0.05%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH)1780.03%0.01%
Asian (NH)1191000.2%0.15%
Some other race (NH)5980.01%0.15%
Mixed/multiracial (NH)261190.04%0.18%
Hispanic or Latino 58,33764,39395.68%97.68%
Total60,96865,920100.00%100.00%

As of the 2020 United States census, 65,920 people, 16,281 households, and 12,836 families were residing in the county. As of the 2010 United States Census, 60,968 people living in the county. About 0.4% were Non-Hispanic White, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% Native American, 0.1% Black or African American, 3.0% of some other race, and 0.5% of two or more races; 95.7% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). According to the Census Bureau, Starr County had the highest percentage of Hispanic residents of any county in the United States, [14] and the lowest percentage of non-Hispanic White residents. [15]

As of the census [16] of 2000, 53,597 people, 14,410 households, and 12,666 families were living in the county. The population density was 44 people per square mile (17 people/km2). The 17,589 housing units had an average density of 14 units per square mile (5.4 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 87.92% White, 0.15% African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 9.95% from other races, and 1.46% from two or more races.

Of the 14,410 households, 54.7% had children under 18 living with them, 66.5% were married couples living together, 17.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 12.1% were not families. About 11.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.9% had someone living alone who was 65or older. The average household size was 3.69, and the average family size was 4.01.

In the county, the age distribution was 37.4% under the age of 18, 11.0% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 16.3% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.20 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 88.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $16,504, and for a family was $17,556. Males had a median income of $17,398 versus $13,533 for females. The per capita income for the county was $7,069, which is the third-lowest in the United States. About 47.40% of families and 50.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 59.40% of those under age 18 and 43.30% of those age 65 or over.

As of 2009 the median household income was $22,418. [5]

Economy

Starr County is especially known for oilseeds and dry beans, one of the highest-producing counties in the state. [17] : 431 

Education

Residents of eastern Starr County are zoned to schools in the Rio Grande City Consolidated Independent School District. Residents of western Starr County are zoned to schools in the Roma Independent School District. Residents of northeastern Starr County are zoned to schools in the San Isidro Independent School District. [18]

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brownsville operates area Catholic schools. Immaculate Conception School, located in Rio Grande City and founded in 1884, is the only Catholic school in Starr County and provides a faith-based pre-K through eighth-grade education to approximately 250 students each year.

All of the county is in the service area of South Texas College. [19]

Government and Politics

Law enforcement

In the 1970s and into the 1980s, federal law-enforcement officials concentrated their efforts against drug smuggling on Starr County. [20]

On May 1, 2009, the former sheriff of Starr County, Reymundo Guerra, a Democrat, pleaded guilty in federal court to a narcotics conspiracy charge. [21]

In April 2016, Starr County Justice of the Peace Salvador Zarate Jr., faced up to 20 years imprisonment and a $10,000 fine on two counts of bribery for accepting a $500 bribe in exchange for reducing bond on two persons arrested on narcotics charges in an incident on Christmas Eve 2014. He was found not guilty of possession of a controlled substance. Zarate was expected to appeal any sentence rendered. [22]

Presidential elections

Starr County has long been a strongly Democratic county, but has suffered from low voter turnout with only about 20% of its 53,000 residents voting. No Republican has won the county for president since incumbent Benjamin Harrison in 1892; as of 2020, Starr has the longest streak of voting for Democrats in the entire country. Its streak is currently almost triple the length of Minnesota's Democratic streak, which began in 1976. [23] In 1988, the county gave Michael Dukakis his highest vote share in the nation. [24] In 2008, Illinois Senator Barack H. Obama won Starr County with 8,274 votes (84 percent). In the most recent election, Donald Trump came within five points of winning the county, receiving 8,247 votes (47 percent) to Joe Biden's 9,123 (52 percent). This was a major shift from Hillary Clinton's 60-point margin of victory four years earlier, and represented the strongest pro-Trump swing of any county in the nation. [25] [26]

United States presidential election results for Starr County, Texas [27]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No. %No. %No. %
2020 8,24747.06%9,12352.06%1550.88%
2016 2,22418.94%9,28979.12%2271.93%
2012 1,54713.02%10,26086.34%760.64%
2008 1,49215.24%8,27484.50%260.27%
2004 2,55226.09%7,19973.60%300.31%
2000 1,91122.58%6,50576.85%480.57%
1996 75610.41%6,31286.94%1922.64%
1992 1,20913.05%7,66882.80%3844.15%
1988 1,21814.83%6,95884.74%350.43%
1984 1,65824.70%5,04775.18%80.12%
1980 1,38922.21%4,78276.48%821.31%
1976 66412.47%4,64687.25%150.28%
1972 2,38941.82%3,32058.11%40.07%
1968 1,37425.60%3,92273.08%711.32%
1964 67814.30%4,05685.53%80.17%
1960 2806.46%4,05193.49%20.05%
1956 54716.71%2,72783.29%00.00%
1952 62016.87%3,05583.13%00.00%
1948 1798.18%1,99691.22%130.59%
1944 684.87%1,31294.05%151.08%
1940 685.36%1,20094.64%00.00%
1936 32012.22%2,28987.43%90.34%
1932 324.07%75495.93%00.00%
1928 799.69%73690.31%00.00%
1924 232.95%75697.05%00.00%
1920 8917.55%41882.45%00.00%
1916 11518.23%51681.77%00.00%
1912 25227.16%67472.63%20.22%

Communities

As of 2011, Starr County had approximately 55 colonias. By that year, many families were moving to the colonias. [5]

Between the 2000 and 2010 censuses, Starr County went through many changes. Four CDPs were deleted, one gained area, 12 lost area, and 92 new CDPs were created. Only 11 remained unchanged. [28]

Cities

Unincorporated communities

Former communities

Census-designated places

See also

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West Alto Bonito is a census-designated place (CDP) in Starr County, Texas, United States. The population was 696 in 2010 census. Prior to the 2010 census, West Alto Bonito CDP was known as Alto Bonito CDP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Refugio, Texas</span> CDP in Texas, United States

El Refugio is a census-designated place (CDP) in Starr County, Texas, United States. The population was 331 at the 2010 census. El Refugio gained area in the 2010 census.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Puerta, Texas</span> CDP in Texas, United States

La Puerta is a census-designated place (CDP) in Starr County, Texas, United States. The population was 632 at the 2010 census, a decline from the figure of 1,636 tabulated in 2000 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Victoria, Texas</span> CDP in Texas, United States

La Victoria is a census-designated place (CDP) in Starr County, Texas, United States. La Victoria underwent some changes prior to the 2010 census. It gained area, had portions taken to form new CDPs, and lost additional area. Only a small part of 2010 La Victoria CDP was within the 2000 La Victoria CDP. The population was only 171 at the 2010 census, a decline from the figure of 1,683 tabulated at the 2000 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Las Lomas, Texas</span> CDP in Texas, United States

Las Lomas is a census-designated place (CDP) in Starr County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,147 at the 2010 census. Las Lomas is one of several colonias in Starr County, within the Rio Grande Valley region. The name is derived from the community's terrain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Escobares, Texas</span> CDP in Texas, United States

North Escobares is a census-designated place (CDP) in Starr County, Texas, United States. The population was 118 at the 2010 census, a decline from the figure of 1,692 tablulated in 2000.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Castillo, Texas</span> CDP in Texas, United States

El Castillo is a census-designated place located in Starr County, Texas, United States. It is a new CDP, formed from part of the old La Victoria CDP for the 2010 census, with a population of 188.

References

  1. ↑ "QuickFacts: Starr County, Texas". U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Texas: Individual County Chronologies". Texas Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2008. Archived from the original on May 13, 2015. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  4. ↑ "P2: HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE". 2020 Census. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 Grinberg, Emmanuella. "Impoverished border town grows from shacks into community Archived 2012-11-10 at the Wayback Machine ." CNN . July 8, 2011. Retrieved on July 9, 2011.
  6. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on April 19, 2015. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decade". US Census Bureau.
  8. ↑ "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 26, 2015. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  9. ↑ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on October 18, 2011. Retrieved December 24, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  12. ↑ https://www.census.gov/ [ not specific enough to verify ]
  13. ↑ "About the Hispanic Population and its Origin". www.census.gov. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  14. ↑ Villarreal, Alexandra (July 10, 2020). "Texas border county had 'model' Covid-19 response – then the governor stepped in". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  15. ↑ Census Bureau data, cited in "Minorities now in the majority in nearly 10% of U.S. counties", Associated Press August 8, 2007, Lexington Herald-Leader p A8
  16. ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  17. ↑ "2017 Census - Volume 1, Chapter 1: State Level Data". United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA NASS). 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  18. ↑ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Starr County, TX" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022. - list
  19. ↑ Texas Education Code, Sec. 130.199. SOUTH TEXAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA..
  20. ↑ Miller, Tom. On the Border: Portraits of America’s Southwestern Frontier, pp. 27-34.
  21. ↑ "A Counterintelligence Approach To Controlling Cartel Corruption". www.poligazette.com. Archived from the original on May 26, 2009.
  22. ↑ Aaron Nelsen, "Star County JP faces jail for bribery", San Antonio Express-News , April 16, 2016, p. A7
  23. ↑ "Presidential election of 1892 - Map by counties". geoelections.free.fr. Archived from the original on March 7, 2006.
  24. ↑ "David Leip's Presidential Atlas (1988 election statistics)". uselectionatlas.org. Archived from the original on November 26, 2008.
  25. ↑ "Texas Election Night Results". Texas Election Results. Texas Secretary of State. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
  26. ↑ "President Donald J. Trump nearly wins Starr County". KRGV.com. Mobile Video Tapes, Inc. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
  27. ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Archived from the original on March 23, 2018.
  28. ↑ "Population and Housing Unit Counts, 2010 Census of Population and Housing" (PDF). Texas: 2010. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 13, 2017.
  1. ↑ 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 can be of any race. [12] [13]

26°34′N98°44′W / 26.57°N 98.73°W / 26.57; -98.73

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