Austin County, Texas

County in Texas, United States

Not to be confused with Austin, Texas or Travis County, Texas.

County in Texas

Austin County

County

The Austin County Courthouse in Bellville

Flag

Location within the U.S. state of Texas

Texas's location within the U.S.

Coordinates: 29°53′N 96°17′W﻿ / ﻿29.88°N 96.28°W﻿ / 29.88; -96.28
Country|  United States
State|  Texas
Founded| 1837
Named after| Stephen F. Austin
Seat| Bellville
Largest city| Sealy
Area

• Total

| 656 sq mi (1,700 km2)
• Land| 647 sq mi (1,680 km2)
• Water| 9.9 sq mi (26 km2)  1.5%
Population

(2020)

• Total

| 30,167
• Density| 46/sq mi (18/km2)
Time zone| UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district| 10th
Website| www.austincounty.com

Austin County is a rural, agricultural dominated county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 30,167.[1][2] Its seat is Bellville.[3] The county and region were settled primarily by German immigrants in the 1800s.[4]

Austin County is included in the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan statistical area. Austin County and the state capital Austin were both named after Stephen F. Austin; the city Austin is in Travis County, about 110 miles to the northwest.

## History

[edit]

In 1836, the Texas Legislature established Austin County, naming it for Stephen F. Austin, who facilitated Texas' Anglo-American colonization.

## Geography

[edit]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 656 square miles (1,700 km2), of which 9.9 square miles (26 km2) (1.5%) are covered by water.[5]

### Adjacent counties

[edit]

* Washington County (north)
* Waller County (east)
* Fort Bend County (southeast)
* Wharton County (south)
* Colorado County (southwest)
* Fayette County (west)

## Communities

[edit]

### Cities

[edit]

* Bellville (county seat)
* Brazos Country
* Sealy
* South Frydek
* Wallis

### Town

[edit]

* Industry
* San Felipe

### Census-designated place

[edit]

* New Ulm

### Unincorporated communities

[edit]

* Bleiblerville
* Buckhorn
* Burleigh
* Cat Spring
* Cochran
* Frydek
* Kenney
* Millheim
* Nelsonville
* New Wehdem
* Peters
* Post Oak Point
* Raccoon Bend
* Rockhouse
* Shelby
* Wehdem
* Welcome

### Ghost town

[edit]

* Rexville

## Demographics

[edit]

Historical population Census| Pop.| Note| %±

|
|
|

1850| 3,841| | —
1860| 10,139| | 164.0%
1870| 15,087| | 48.8%
1880| 14,429| | −4.4%
1890| 17,859| | 23.8%
1900| 20,676| | 15.8%
1910| 17,699| | −14.4%
1920| 18,874| | 6.6%
1930| 18,860| | −0.1%
1940| 17,384| | −7.8%
1950| 14,663| | −15.7%
1960| 13,777| | −6.0%
1970| 13,831| | 0.4%
1980| 17,726| | 28.2%
1990| 19,832| | 11.9%
2000| 23,590| | 18.9%
2010| 28,417| | 20.5%
2020| 30,167| | 6.2%
2024 (est.)| 32,546| [6]| 7.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]
1850–1900[8] 1910[9]
1920[10] 1930[11] 1940[12]
1950[13] 1960[14] 1970[15]
1980[16] 1990[17] 2000[18]
2010[19] 2020[20]
Austin 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[21] | Pop 2010[22] | Pop 2020[20] | % 2000  | % 2010  | % 2020

|
|
|
|
|
|

White alone (NH)  | 16,964  | 18,657  | 18,480  | 71.91%  | 65.65%  | 61.26%
Black or African American alone (NH)  | 2,475  | 2,622  | 2,352  | 10.49%  | 9.23%  | 7.80%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)  | 47  | 79  | 78  | 0.20%  | 0.28%  | 0.26%
Asian alone (NH)  | 68  | 110  | 201  | 0.29%  | 0.39%  | 0.67%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)  | 1  | 1  | 8  | 0.00%  | 0.00%  | 0.03%
Other race alone (NH)  | 34  | 36  | 107  | 0.14%  | 0.13%  | 0.35%
Multiracial (NH)  | 196  | 271  | 889  | 0.83%  | 0.95%  | 2.95%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)  | 3,805  | 6,641  | 8,052  | 16.13%  | 23.37%  | 26.69%
Total | 23,590 | 28,417 | 30,167 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00%

As of the 2000 census,[23] 23,590 people, 8,747 households, and 6,481 families resided in the county. The population density was 36 people per square mile (14 people/km2). The 10,205 housing units averaged 16 units per square mile (6.2/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 80.22% White, 10.64% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 6.99% from other races, and 1.58% from two or more races. About 16.13% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race, and 26.9% were of German, 8.0% Czech, 6.4% English, and 5.0% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000.

Of the 8,747 households, 34.70% had children under 18 living with them, 60.60% were married couples living together, 9.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.90% were not families; 22.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.50% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the county, the population was distributed as 27.0% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 92.9 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $38,615, and for a family was $46,342. Males had a median income of $32,455 versus $22,142 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,140. About 8.80% of families and 12.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.70% of those under age 18 and 14.40% of those age 65 or over.

## Politics

[edit]

United States presidential election results for Austin County, Texas[24] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies)

|
|
|

No. | % | No. | % | No. | %
2024 | 12,457  | 80.81% | 2,816  | 18.27%  | 142  | 0.92%
2020 | 11,447  | 78.48% | 2,951  | 20.23%  | 188  | 1.29%
2016 | 9,637  | 78.52% | 2,320  | 18.90%  | 317  | 2.58%
2012 | 9,265  | 79.53% | 2,252  | 19.33%  | 132  | 1.13%
2008 | 8,786  | 74.96% | 2,821  | 24.07%  | 114  | 0.97%
2004 | 8,072  | 75.43% | 2,582  | 24.13%  | 48  | 0.45%
2000 | 6,661  | 72.19% | 2,407  | 26.09%  | 159  | 1.72%
1996 | 4,669  | 58.36% | 2,719  | 33.98%  | 613  | 7.66%
1992 | 4,015  | 50.89% | 2,278  | 28.87%  | 1,597  | 20.24%
1988 | 4,524  | 63.18% | 2,593  | 36.22%  | 43  | 0.60%
1984 | 4,872  | 71.29% | 1,941  | 28.40%  | 21  | 0.31%
1980 | 3,734  | 64.91% | 1,893  | 32.90%  | 126  | 2.19%
1976 | 2,686  | 53.37% | 2,313  | 45.96%  | 34  | 0.68%
1972 | 3,084  | 74.24% | 1,043  | 25.11%  | 27  | 0.65%
1968 | 1,971  | 45.27% | 1,299  | 29.83%  | 1,084  | 24.90%
1964 | 1,545  | 39.46%  | 2,365  | 60.41% | 5  | 0.13%
1960 | 1,978  | 52.92% | 1,725  | 46.15%  | 35  | 0.94%
1956 | 2,501  | 67.12% | 1,215  | 32.61%  | 10  | 0.27%
1952 | 2,964  | 67.17% | 1,445  | 32.74%  | 4  | 0.09%
1948 | 1,260  | 43.98% | 1,252  | 43.70%  | 353  | 12.32%
1944 | 619  | 19.44%  | 1,316  | 41.33% | 1,249  | 39.23%
1940 | 1,400  | 49.88%  | 1,404  | 50.02% | 3  | 0.11%
1936 | 290  | 15.03%  | 1,635  | 84.76% | 4  | 0.21%
1932 | 142  | 4.81%  | 2,806  | 94.96% | 7  | 0.24%
1928 | 466  | 17.94%  | 2,129  | 81.98% | 2  | 0.08%
1924 | 457  | 12.60%  | 2,601  | 71.71% | 569  | 15.69%
1920 | 568  | 19.65%  | 538  | 18.62%  | 1,784  | 61.73%
1916 | 673  | 40.96%  | 960  | 58.43% | 10  | 0.61%
1912 | 244  | 16.43%  | 1,161  | 78.18% | 80  | 5.39%
United States Senate election results for Austin County, Texas1[25] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies)

|
|
|

No. | % | No. | % | No. | %
2024 | 11,981  | 78.36% | 2,998  | 19.61%  | 310  | 2.03%

Austin County was one of the earliest counties in Texas to turn Republican. After 1944, the only time a Democrat has carried this county is in 1964. Every Republican presidential candidate since 2000 has carried more than 70% of the county vote.

### United States Congress

[edit]

Austin County is part of Texas's 10th congressional district, which as of 2019 is represented in the United States House of Representatives by Michael McCaul.

### Texas Legislature

[edit]

#### Texas Senate

[edit]

District 18: Lois Kolkhorst (R) – first elected in 2014

#### Texas House of Representatives

[edit]

District 13: Ben Leman (R) – first elected in 2018

### Austin County Courthouse

[edit]

County judge: Tim Lapham (R)

Tax assessor-collector: Kim Rinn (R)

## Education

[edit]

These school districts serve Austin County:

* Bellville Independent School District
* Brazos Independent School District (partial) (formerly Wallis-Orchard ISD)
* Brenham Independent School District (partial)
* Columbus Independent School District (partial)
* Sealy Independent School District
* Burton Independent School District

(partial)

Blinn Junior College District is the designated community college for most of the county. Areas in Brazos ISD are in Wharton County Junior College District.[26]

## Transportation

[edit]

### Major highways

[edit]

* Interstate 10
* U.S. Highway 90
* State Highway 36
* State Highway 159

The TTC-69 component (recommended preferred) of the once-planned Trans-Texas Corridor went through Austin County.[27]

## See also

[edit]

* Texas portal

* Adelsverein
* List of museums in the Texas Gulf Coast
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Austin County, Texas
* Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Austin County

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Austin County, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
2. ^ "Austin County, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
4. ^ "Austin County, Texas".
5. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
6. ^ "QuickFacts: Austin County, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 11, 2025.
7. ^ "Decennial Census by Decade". United States Census Bureau.
8. ^ "1900 Census of Population - Population of Texas By Counties And Minor Civil Divisions" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
9. ^ "1910 Census of Population - Supplement for Texas" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
10. ^ "1920 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
11. ^ "1930 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
12. ^ "1940 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
13. ^ "1950 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
14. ^ "1960 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
15. ^ "1970 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
16. ^ "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - Texas" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
17. ^ "1990 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Texas" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
18. ^ "2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Texas" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
19. ^ "2010 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - Texas" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
20. ^ a b "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Austin County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
21. ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Austin County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
22. ^ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Austin County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
23. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
24. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
25. ^ "2024 Senate Election (Official Returns)". Commonwealth of Texas by county. November 5, 2024. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
26. ^ Texas Education Code, Sec. 130.168. BLINN JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA. Sec. 130.211. WHARTON COUNTY JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA..
27. ^ TxDoT, TTC Section C & S, Detailed Map 2, 2007-12-17 Archived February 2, 2008, at the Wayback Machine

## External links

[edit]

Wikisource has the text of an 1879 American Cyclopædia article about Austin County, Texas.

* Austin County website
* Austin County, Texas from the Handbook of Texas Online
* Austin County from the Texas Almanac
* Austin County from the TXGenWeb Project
* Historic Austin County materials, hosted by the Portal to Texas History.

Places adjacent to Austin County, Texas

| Fayette County | Washington County |

|
|

|  |
Colorado County |

Austin County, Texas

| Waller County
|  |
| Wharton County | Fort Bend County

* v
* t
* e

Houston–Pasadena–The Woodlands

Counties|

* Austin
* Brazoria
* Chambers
* Fort Bend
* Galveston
* Harris
* Liberty
* Montgomery
* San Jacinto
* Waller

"Principal" cities|

* Houston
* Pasadena
* The Woodlands
* Sugar Land
* Baytown
* Conroe
* Galveston
* Texas City

Other cities|

* Alvin
* Angleton
* Bellaire
* Clute
* Deer Park
* Dickinson
* Freeport
* Friendswood
* Galena Park
* Humble
* Jacinto City
* Katy
* Lake Jackson
* La Marque
* La Porte
* League City
* Manvel
* Missouri City
* Pasadena
* Pearland
* Richmond
* Rosenberg
* South Houston
* Stafford
* West University Place

For a complete listing, see list of cities and towns in Greater Houston

Unincorporated
areas|

* Atascocita
* Channelview
* Cloverleaf
* Crosby
* Cypress
* Fresno
* Hockley
* Klein
* Port Bolivar
* Spring
* The Woodlands

Bodies of water|

* Buffalo Bayou
* Galveston Bay
* Gulf Intracoastal Waterway
* Houston Ship Channel
* San Jacinto River
* Trinity River
* Lake Houston
* Lake Conroe

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Austin County, Texas, United States

County seat: Bellville

Cities|

* Bellville
* Brazos Country
* Sealy
* South Frydek
* Wallis

Austin County map

Towns|

* Industry
* San Felipe

Other
communities|

* Bleiblerville
* Buckhorn
* Burleigh
* Cat Spring
* Cochran
* Frydek
* Kenney
* Millheim
* Nelsonville
* New Ulm
* New Wehdem
* Peters
* Phillipsburg‡
* Post Oak Point
* Raccoon Bend
* Rockhouse
* Shelby
* Wehdem
* Welcome

Ghost town|

* Rexville

Footnotes|

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

* Texas portal
* United States portal

* v
* t
* e

Counties of Texas

* Anderson
* Andrews
* Angelina
* Aransas
* Archer
* Armstrong
* Atascosa
* Austin
* Bailey
* Bandera
* Bastrop
* Baylor
* Bee
* Bell
* Bexar
* Blanco
* Borden
* Bosque
* Bowie
* Brazoria
* Brazos
* Brewster
* Briscoe
* Brooks
* Brown
* Burleson
* Burnet
* Caldwell
* Calhoun
* Callahan
* Cameron
* Camp
* Carson
* Cass
* Castro
* Chambers
* Cherokee
* Childress
* Clay
* Cochran
* Coke
* Coleman
* Collin
* Collingsworth
* Colorado
* Comal
* Comanche
* Concho
* Cooke
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* Crosby
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* Hardeman
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* Hartley
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* Hood
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* Howard
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* Jim Hogg
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* Lynn
* Madison
* Marion
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* Mason
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* Maverick
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* McMullen
* Medina
* Menard
* Midland
* Milam
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* Polk
* Potter
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* Rains
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* Refugio
* Roberts
* Robertson
* Rockwall
* Runnels
* Rusk
* Sabine
* San Augustine
* San Jacinto
* San Patricio
* San Saba
* Schleicher
* Scurry
* Shackelford
* Shelby
* Sherman
* Smith
* Somervell
* Starr
* Stephens
* Sterling
* Stonewall
* Sutton
* Swisher
* Tarrant
* Taylor
* Terrell
* Terry
* Throckmorton
* Titus
* Tom Green
* Travis
* Trinity
* Tyler
* Upshur
* Upton
* Uvalde
* Val Verde
* Van Zandt
* Victoria
* Walker
* Waller
* Ward
* Washington
* Webb
* Wharton
* Wheeler
* Wichita
* Wilbarger
* Willacy
* Williamson
* Wilson
* Winkler
* Wise
* Wood
* Yoakum
* Young
* Zapata
* Zavala

* v
* t
* e

State of Texas

Austin (capital)

Topics|

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Regions|

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Metropolitan
areas|

* Abilene
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* Tyler
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Counties|

See: List of counties in Texas

Texas portal

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF
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National|

* United States
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Other|

* NARA
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29°53′N 96°17′W﻿ / ﻿29.88°N 96.28°W﻿ / 29.88; -96.28
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