Victoria County, Texas

Last updated

Victoria County
Old Victoria Courthouse.jpg
The Victoria County Courthouse of Romanesque revival design in Victoria
Map of Texas highlighting Victoria County.svg
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas in United States.svg
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 28°48′N96°58′W / 28.8°N 96.97°W / 28.8; -96.97
CountryFlag of the United States.svg United States
StateFlag of Texas.svg  Texas
Founded1836
Named for Guadalupe Victoria
Seat Victoria
Largest cityVictoria
Area
  Total889 sq mi (2,300 km2)
  Land882 sq mi (2,280 km2)
  Water6.7 sq mi (17 km2)  0.8%
Population
 (2020)
  Total91,319
  Density100/sq mi (40/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
  Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 27th
Website www.victoriacountytx.org

Victoria County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 91,319. [1] Its county seat is also named Victoria. [2] Victoria County is included in the Victoria, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area, and comprises the entirety of the Victoria, TX media market.

Contents

History

Through colonial times

Paleo-Indians Hunter-gatherers, and later Tonkawa, Aranamas, Tamiques, Karankawa. Tawakoni, Lipan Apache and Comanche were the first inhabitants of modern-day Victoria County. [3]

In 1685, René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle established Fort St. Louis. [4]

In 1689, Alonso de Leon named the Guadalupe River in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe. [5]

In 1722, Nuestra Señora de Loreto Presidio [6] and Mission Nuestra Señora del Espíritu Santo de Zúñiga became the first Spanish settlement in Victoria County. [7]

In 1824, Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Jesús Victoria (the future city of Victoria) is established by Martín De León, who started his colony with 5,000 branded cattle and established the county's claim as the "Cradle of the Texas Cattle Industry." The only primarily Mexican colony in Texas. [8]

In 1835, Victoria's settlers supported the revolution against Antonio López de Santa Anna, but were ostracized by new incoming Americans, many of whom were adventurous soldiers or fortune hunters, who wrongly profiled them as Mexican sympathizers and forced them to flee after the revolution in 1836. [9] Anglo-Americans resettle the area. [10]

In 1836, Victory County was formed by the Republic of Texas. It is named after Guadalupe Victoria, the first President of Mexico. [3] Three thousand troops of the Texas army encamped near Spring Creek, Victoria County, under the command of Gen. Thomas J. Rusk, as the main defense against a threatened attack by Mexican general José de Urrea. [11]

In 1842, Rafael Vásquez and Adrián Woll led Mexican forces in an invasion into the county. [12]

Post-Revolution through Civil War

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1850 2,019
1860 4,171106.6%
1870 4,86016.5%
1880 6,28929.4%
1890 8,73738.9%
1900 13,67856.6%
1910 14,9909.6%
1920 18,27121.9%
1930 20,0489.7%
1940 23,74118.4%
1950 31,24131.6%
1960 46,47548.8%
1970 53,76615.7%
1980 68,80728.0%
1990 74,3618.1%
2000 84,08813.1%
2010 86,7933.2%
2020 91,3195.2%
U.S. Decennial Census [17]
1850–2010 [18] 2010–2014 [19]
Victoria County ethnic/racial composition [20] [21]
(NH = Non-Hispanic) [lower-alpha 1]
RacePop 2010Pop 2020% 2010% 2020
White (NH)41,56439,33047.89%43.07%
Black or African American (NH)5,1905,2305.98%5.73%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH)1994250.23%0.23%
Asian (NH)8602,4040.99%1.52%
Pacific Islander (NH)16460.02%0.04%
Some Other Race (NH)1096980.13%0.25%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH)7427,9610.85%2.14%
Hispanic or Latino 38,11342,93143.91%47.01%
Total86,79391,319

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 91,319 people, 32,520 households, and 22,172 families residing in the county.

As of the census [24] of 2000, there were 84,088 people, 30,071 households, and 22,192 families residing in the county. The population density was 95 people per square mile (37 people/km2). There were 32,945 housing units at an average density of 37 units per square mile (14 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 74.22% White, 6.30% Black or African American, 0.53% Native American, 0.77% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 15.92% from other races, and 2.22% from two or more races. 39.20% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 16.2% were of German, 6.2% American and 5.6% English ancestry according to Census 2000. 73.3% spoke English and 25.5% Spanish as their first language.

There were 30,071 households, out of which 37.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.70% were married couples living together, 12.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.20% were non-families. 22.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.23.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 29.10% under the age of 18, 9.20% from 18 to 24, 28.10% from 25 to 44, 21.50% from 45 to 64, and 12.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $38,732, and the median income for a family was $44,443. Males had a median income of $35,484 versus $21,231 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,379. About 10.50% of families and 12.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.20% of those under age 18 and 11.70% of those age 65 or over.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 889 square miles (2,300 km2), of which 882 square miles (2,280 km2) is land and 6.7 square miles (17 km2) (0.8%) is water. [25]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Politics

County government

Victoria County elected officials

PositionNameParty
 County JudgeBen Zeller Republican
 Commissioner, Precinct 1Danny Garcia Democratic
 Commissioner, Precinct 2Kevin M. Janak Republican
 Commissioner, Precinct 3Gary Burns Republican
 Commissioner, Precinct 4Clint Ives Republican
United States presidential election results for Victoria County, Texas [26]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.%No.%No.%
2020 23,35868.25%10,38030.33%4881.43%
2016 21,27567.92%8,86628.30%1,1833.78%
2012 19,69268.25%8,80230.51%3591.24%
2008 19,87866.22%9,83232.75%3101.03%
2004 20,87570.52%8,55328.89%1740.59%
2000 18,78768.55%8,17629.83%4451.62%
1996 14,45759.94%8,23834.16%1,4245.90%
1992 13,08650.26%7,60429.20%5,34720.54%
1988 15,05662.08%8,92336.79%2741.13%
1984 18,78772.41%7,03727.12%1210.47%
1980 13,39262.96%7,38234.71%4952.33%
1976 9,59456.34%7,32643.02%1080.63%
1972 11,24672.56%4,22627.27%260.17%
1968 6,35243.12%6,04241.02%2,33615.86%
1964 4,20133.97%8,14165.83%250.20%
1960 4,59144.16%5,77955.58%270.26%
1956 5,59662.85%3,28036.84%280.31%
1952 4,30657.89%3,12842.05%40.05%
1948 1,26231.22%2,43560.24%3458.54%
1944 93625.41%2,33163.27%41711.32%
1940 95627.70%2,49372.24%20.06%
1936 35214.46%2,08185.46%20.08%
1932 1906.39%2,77793.44%50.17%
1928 66327.94%1,71072.06%00.00%
1924 45918.98%1,65368.36%30612.66%
1920 78241.62%68636.51%41121.87%
1916 47633.66%89763.44%412.90%
1912 1009.90%68768.02%22322.08%

Communities

City

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

See also

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References

  1. "QuickFacts: Victoria 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. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Roell, Craig H. "Victoria County, Texas". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
  4. Harrigan, Stephen (January 1979). "In Search of La Salle". Texas Monthly: 88–90, 138, 141–147.
  5. Bencke, Arthur C; Cushing, Colbert E (2005). Rivers of North America. Academic Press. pp.  192–194. ISBN   978-0-12-088253-3.
  6. Heard, J Norman (1987). Handbook of the American Frontier, Volume I: The Southeastern Woodlands . The Scarecrow Press, Inc. p.  272. ISBN   978-0-8108-1931-3.
  7. Walter, Tamra Lynn (2007). Espíritu Santo de Zúñiga: A Frontier Mission in South Texas. University of Texas Press. p. 12. ISBN   978-0-292-71478-6.
  8. Craig H. Roell, "DE LEON, MARTIN," Handbook of Texas Online Archived 2017-03-17 at the Wayback Machine , accessed September 11, 2011. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
  9. Craig H. Roell, "DE LEON'S COLONY," Handbook of Texas Online Archived 2017-08-01 at the Wayback Machine , accessed September 11, 2011. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
  10. Room, Adrian (2005). Placenames Of The World: Origins and Meanings of the Names for 6,600 Countries, Cities, Territories, Natural Features and Historic Sites. McFarland & Company. p. 395. ISBN   978-0-7864-2248-7.
  11. De La Teja, Jesus F (2010). Tejano Leadership in Mexican and Revolutionary Texas. TAMU Press. p. 116. ISBN   978-1-60344-166-7.
  12. Fowler, Will (2007). Santa Anna of Mexico. University of Nebraska Press. p. 226. ISBN   978-0-8032-1120-9.
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  16. "Victoria, Texas-Air Forces". Life. June 1942. pp. 56–59 61.
  17. "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". US Census Bureau.
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  19. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on September 18, 2011. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
  20. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  21. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  22. https://www.census.gov/ [ not specific enough to verify ]
  23. "About the Hispanic Population and its Origin". www.census.gov. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  24. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  25. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on April 19, 2015. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  26. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Archived from the original on March 23, 2018. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  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. [22] [23]

28°48′N96°58′W / 28.80°N 96.97°W / 28.80; -96.97