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Wharton County, Texas
Wharton county courthouse 2013
The Wharton County Courthouse in Wharton
Map of Texas highlighting Wharton County
Location in the state of Texas
Map of the U.S
Texas's location in the U.S.
Founded 1846
Named for William H. Wharton and John Austin Wharton
Seat Wharton
Largest city El Campo
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

1,094 sq mi (2,833 km²)
1,086 sq mi (2,813 km²)
8.2 sq mi (21 km²), 0.8
Population
 - (2020)
 - Density

41,570
Congressional district 27th
Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5
Website www.co.wharton.tx.us
Veterans Monument at Wharton Courthouse IMG 1028

Veterans Memorial with eternal flame (not visible in photo) at Wharton County Courthouse

Dickson monument at Wharton County, TX, Courthouse IMG 1030

Memorial to Sheriff Hamilton B. Dickson of Wharton County who served during the 1880s and was killed in an ambush in the line of duty.

Wharton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 41,570.[1] Its county seat is Wharton.[2] The county was named for brothers William Harris Wharton and John Austin Wharton.

Wharton County comprises the El Campo, 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 1,094 square miles (2,830 km2), of which 1,086 square miles (2,810 km2) is land and 8.2 square miles (21 km2) (0.8%) is water.[3]

The county is about 130 miles (210 km) southeast of Austin.[4]

Adjacent counties[]

Demographics[]

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1850 1,752
1860 3,380 92.9%
1870 3,426 1.4%
1880 4,459 30.2%
1890 7,584 70.1%
1900 16,942 123.4%
1910 21,123 24.7%
1920 24,288 15.0%
1930 29,681 22.2%
1940 36,158 21.8%
1950 36,077 −0.2%
1960 38,152 5.8%
1970 36,729 −3.7%
1980 40,242 9.6%
1990 39,955 −0.7%
2000 41,188 3.1%
2010 41,280 0.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[5]
1850–2010[6] 2010[7] 2020[8]

2020 census[]

Wharton County, Texas - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2010[7] Pop 2020[8] % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 19,681 18,130 47.68% 43.61%
Black or African American alone (NH) 5,668 5,469 13.73% 13.16%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 62 69 0.15% 0.17%
Asian alone (NH) 154 164 0.37% 0.39%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 2 0 0.00% 0.00%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 26 104 0.06% 0.25%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) 242 667 0.59% 1.60%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 15,445 16,967 37.42% 40.82%
Total 41,280 41,570 100.00% 100.00%

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.

2000 Census[]

As of the census[9] of 2000, there were 41,188 people, 14,799 households, and 10,744 families residing in the county. The population density was 38 people per square mile (15/km2). There were 16,606 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile (6/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 69.01% White, 14.95% Black or African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 13.65% from other races, and 1.64% from two or more races. 31.29% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 12.8% were of Czech, 11.0% German and 7.0% American ancestry according to Census 2000. 73.8% spoke English, 24.0% Spanish and 2.0% Czech as their first language.

There were 14,799 households, out of which 35.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.50% were married couples living together, 12.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.40% were non-families. 24.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.26.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.70% under the age of 18, 9.30% from 18 to 24, 26.50% from 25 to 44, 21.50% from 45 to 64, and 13.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 96.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,208, and the median income for a family was $39,919. Males had a median income of $30,480 versus $20,101 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,388. About 13.30% of families and 16.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.50% of those under age 18 and 17.70% of those age 65 or over.

Legacy of slavery[]

A map commissioned by the United States government in the 1860s, and sold by the Union Army for the benefit of wounded troops, indicates that, based on data from the 1860 national census, 80.9% of the population of Wharton County was enslaved.[10] The county then had a total of 3,380 people. This was the highest proportion of slaves in a single county in the state of Texas. Demand related to development of new areas for cultivation had caused the number of slaves overall in the state to triple between 1850 and 1860, from 58,000 to 182,566.[11]

Transportation[]

Airports[]

El Campo Metropolitan Airport, a general aviation airport, is located in unincorporated Wharton County southwest of El Campo.

Wharton Regional Airport, also a general aviation airport, is located in the extreme southwestern portion of Wharton.

Major highways[]

  • US 59 U.S. Highway 59
    • I-69 (TX) Interstate 69 is currently under construction and will follow the current route of U.S. 59 in most places.
  • Alternate plate
    US 90 U.S. Highway 90 Alternate
  • Texas 60 State Highway 60
  • Texas 71 State Highway 71
  • Texas FM 102 Farm to Market Road 102
  • Texas FM 442 Farm to Market Road 442
  • Texas FM 1160 Farm to Market Road 1160
  • Texas FM 1300 Farm to Market Road 1300

Politics[]

Wharton County is a strongly Republican county in the 21st century.

United States presidential election results for Wharton County, Texas[12]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 11,926 71.15% 4,694 28.01% 141 0.84%
2016 10,149 68.89% 4,238 28.77% 345 2.34%
2012 9,750 69.21% 4,235 30.06% 102 0.72%
2008 9,431 65.41% 4,937 34.24% 50 0.35%
2004 9,288 66.16% 4,702 33.49% 49 0.35%
2000 8,455 62.97% 4,838 36.03% 133 0.99%
1996 6,163 50.38% 5,176 42.31% 895 7.32%
1992 5,503 43.00% 4,643 36.28% 2,651 20.72%
1988 6,978 53.71% 5,935 45.69% 78 0.60%
1984 8,495 62.54% 5,072 37.34% 17 0.13%
1980 6,598 55.18% 5,138 42.97% 222 1.86%
1976 4,682 43.99% 5,914 55.56% 48 0.45%
1972 6,271 64.27% 3,481 35.68% 5 0.05%
1968 3,773 37.89% 4,304 43.22% 1,882 18.90%
1964 2,775 30.76% 6,234 69.11% 11 0.12%
1960 3,387 40.04% 5,004 59.16% 67 0.79%
1956 4,714 57.47% 3,439 41.92% 50 0.61%
1952 5,232 56.51% 4,022 43.44% 5 0.05%
1948 1,354 28.90% 2,811 60.00% 520 11.10%
1944 529 10.49% 3,754 74.45% 759 15.05%
1940 760 16.03% 3,976 83.88% 4 0.08%
1936 307 9.15% 3,034 90.43% 14 0.42%
1932 405 10.68% 3,357 88.53% 30 0.79%
1928 1,151 42.69% 1,545 57.31% 0 0.00%
1924 858 28.71% 2,020 67.58% 111 3.71%
1920 852 36.06% 836 35.38% 675 28.57%
1916 351 25.05% 948 67.67% 102 7.28%
1912 109 8.80% 793 64.00% 337 27.20%



Communities[]

Cities[]

  • East Bernard
  • El Campo
  • Wharton (county seat)

Census-designated places[]

  • Boling
  • Hungerford
  • Iago
  • Louise

Unincorporated communities[]

  • Bonus
  • Burr
  • Danevang
  • Egypt
  • Elm Grove
  • Glen Flora
  • Hahn
  • Hillje
  • Lane City
  • Lissie
  • Mackay
  • Magnet
  • Newgulf
  • New Taiton
  • Pierce
  • Sand Ridge
  • Spanish Camp

Ghost towns[]

  • Don-Tol
  • Nottawa
  • Peach Creek
  • Plainview
  • Preston
  • Round Mott
  • Taiton
  • Waterville

See also[]

  • Congregation Shearith Israel
  • List of museums in the Texas Gulf Coast
  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Wharton County, Texas
  • Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Wharton County
  • 20th Century Technology Museum

References[]

  1. ^ "Wharton County, Texas". https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0500000US48481. Retrieved February 23, 2021. 
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. 
  3. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_48.txt. 
  4. ^ "Texas to carry out second execution of the year." Al Jazeera America. January 27, 2016. Retrieved on January 27, 2016.
  5. ^ "Census of Population and Housing from 1790-2000". US Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html. 
  6. ^ "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010". Texas Almanac. http://texasalmanac.com/sites/default/files/images/topics/ctypophistweb2010.pdf. 
  7. ^ a b "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Wharton County, Texas". https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=0500000US48481&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2. 
  8. ^ a b "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Wharton County, Texas". https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=0500000US48481&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2. 
  9. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov. 
  10. ^ Susan Schulte, "Visualizing Slavery", Blog, New York Times, 9 December 2010, accessed 10 December 2013
  11. ^ Susan Schulte, "Visualizing Slavery": "A Map of Slavery Interactive Feature", New York Times, 10 December 2010
  12. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS. 

External links[]

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Coordinates: 29°17′N 96°13′W / 29.28, -96.22


This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Wharton County, Texas. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.
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