Burnet County, Texas

County in Texas, United States

County in Texas

Burnet County

County

The Burnet County Courthouse in Burnet

Location within the U.S. state of Texas

Texas's location within the U.S.

Coordinates: 30°47′N 98°11′W﻿ / ﻿30.78°N 98.18°W﻿ / 30.78; -98.18
Country|  United States
State|  Texas
Founded| 1854
Named after| David Gouverneur Burnet
Seat| Burnet
Largest city| Marble Falls
Area

• Total

| 1,021 sq mi (2,640 km2)
• Land| 994 sq mi (2,570 km2)
• Water| 27 sq mi (70 km2)  2.6%
Population

(2020)

• Total

| 49,130
• Density| 48/sq mi (19/km2)
Time zone| UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district| 31st
Website| www.burnetcountytexas.org
Veterans Memorial at Burnet County courthouse Rolling highway in Burnet County in Texas Hill Country toward Longhorn Cavern State Park

Burnet County (/ˈbɜːrnɪt/ BUR-nit) is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 49,130.[1][2] Its county seat is Burnet.[3] The 2024 county population estimate was 55,722. The county was founded in 1852 and later organized in 1854.[4] It is named for David Gouverneur Burnet, the first (provisional) president of the Republic of Texas. The name of the county is pronounced with the emphasis or accent on the first syllable, just as is the case with its namesake.

## History

[edit]

Indigenous peoples inhabited the area as early as 4500 BC. Later known tribes in the area include Tonkawa, Lipan Apache, and Comanche.[5]

During the 1820s-1830s, Stephen F. Austin and Green DeWitt conducted surveying and Indian-fighting explorations.[5] In 1849, the United States established Fort Croghan,[6] and in 1848, the first settlers arrived in the county, Samuel Eli Holland, Logan Vandeveer, Peter Kerr, William Harrison Magill, Noah Smithwick, Captain Jesse B. Burnham, R. H. Hall, Adam Rankin "Stovepipe" Johnson, and Captain Christian Dorbandt.[7] In 1851, 20 Mormon families under the leadership of Lyman Wight establish a colony at Hamilton Creek, later to be known as Morman Mill.[citation needed]

In 1852, the Fourth Texas Legislature created Burnet County from Bell, Travis, and Williamson Counties.[5] The first post office was established at Hamilton in 1853.[5]

In 1860, 235 slaves were in Burnet County.[5] After the war, some former slaves left the county, but many stayed. A group of them settled on land in the eastern part of Oatmeal. In 1870, the black population of the county had increased to 358, keeping pace with the growth of the total number of residents; the number of blacks had fallen to 248 by 1880, however, and the number of new white residents was such that after 1890, blacks represented less than 3% of the total population. Some found work on farms and ranches, but by the turn of the century, many had moved into the Marble Falls area to work in town.

During 1882–1903, railroad tracks connected Burnet, Granite Mountain, Marble Falls, and Lampasas. Lake Victor and Bertram became shipping-point communities. Other communities lost population as the railroad offered employment.[5] During the Great Depression, county farmers suffered financially, but found work with government-sponsored public-works projects. The Lower Colorado River Authority employed hundreds of people for the construction of the Hamilton (Buchanan) Dam and Roy B. Inks Dam.[5]

## Geography

[edit]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,021 sq mi (2,640 km2), of which 27 sq mi (70 km2) (2.6%) are covered by water.[8]

### Major highways

[edit]

* U.S. Highway 183
* U.S. Highway 281
* State Highway 29

### Adjacent counties

[edit]

* Lampasas County (north)
* Bell County (northeast)
* Williamson County (east)
* Travis County (southeast)
* Blanco County (south)
* Llano County (west)
* San Saba County (northwest)

### National protected area

[edit]

* Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge (part)

## Demographics

[edit]

Historical population Census| Pop.| Note| %±

|
|
|

1860| 2,487| | —
1870| 3,688| | 48.3%
1880| 6,855| | 85.9%
1890| 10,747| | 56.8%
1900| 10,528| | −2.0%
1910| 10,755| | 2.2%
1920| 9,499| | −11.7%
1930| 10,355| | 9.0%
1940| 10,771| | 4.0%
1950| 10,356| | −3.9%
1960| 9,265| | −10.5%
1970| 11,420| | 23.3%
1980| 17,803| | 55.9%
1990| 22,677| | 27.4%
2000| 34,147| | 50.6%
2010| 42,750| | 25.2%
2020| 49,130| | 14.9%
2024 (est.)| 55,722| [9]| 13.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]
1850–2010[11] 2010[12] 2020[13]
Burnet 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[14] | Pop. 2010[12] | Pop. 2020[13] | % 2000  | % 2010  | % 2020

|
|
|
|
|
|

White alone (NH)  | 28,017  | 32,530  | 34,810  | 82.05%  | 76.09%  | 70.85%
Black or African American alone (NH)  | 500  | 700  | 579  | 1.46%  | 1.64%  | 1.18%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)  | 155  | 169  | 183  | 0.45%  | 0.40%  | 0.37%
Asian alone (NH)  | 89  | 198  | 424  | 0.26%  | 0.46%  | 0.86%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)  | 13  | 13  | 14  | 0.04%  | 0.03%  | 0.03%
Other race alone (NH)  | 15  | 44  | 147  | 0.04%  | 0.10%  | 0.30%
Mixed race or multiracial (NH)  | 314  | 444  | 1,774  | 0.92%  | 1.04%  | 3.61%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)  | 5,044  | 8,652  | 11,199  | 14.77%  | 20.24%  | 22.79%
Total | 34,147 | 42,750 | 49,130 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00%

As of the census[15] of 2020, 49,130 people and 16,743 households resided in the county. (The remaining data that follow in this section are outdated. The Census 2020 data for the following demographics have not yet been released.) The population density was 34 people/sq mi (13 people/km2). The 15,933 housing units averaged 16 per square mile (6.2/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 89.64% White, 1.52% African American, 0.68% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 6.30% from other races, and 1.58% from two or more races. About 14.77% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 16,743 households, 30.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.50% were married couples living together, 8.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.40% were not families. About 22.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53, and the average family size was 2.94.

In the county, the age distribution was 24.50% under 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 26.00% from 25 to 44, 24.50% from 45 to 64, and 17.90% who were 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $37,921, and for a family was $43,871. Males had a median income of $30,255 versus $20,908 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,850. About 7.90% of families and 10.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.50% of those under age 18 and 7.90% of those age 65 or over.

## Communities

[edit]

### Cities

[edit]

* Bertram
* Burnet (county seat)
* Cottonwood Shores
* Double Horn
* Granite Shoals
* Highland Haven
* Horseshoe Bay (mostly in Llano County)
* Marble Falls
* Meadowlakes

### Unincorporated communities

[edit]

* Fairland
* Joppa
* Lake Victor
* Mahomet
* Naruna
* Oakalla
* Oatmeal
* Sherwood Shores
* Shovel Mountain
* Silver Creek Village
* Smithwick
* Spicewood
* Watson

## Notable people

[edit]

* Adam R. "Stovepipe" Johnson, Confederate general; the 1887 founder of Marble Falls, despite being blinded during the war
* Gerald Lyda (1923–2005), general contractor and cattle rancher, born and raised in Burnet County
* Stephen McGee (born September 27, 1985), former American football quarterback, played college football for Texas A&M drafted and played NFL football for the Dallas Cowboys
* James Oakley, former County Commissioner (1998–2005) and County Judge (2015–present)
* Logan Vandeveer, early Texas soldier, ranger, cattleman and civic leader; a leader in presenting the petition to the legislature in 1852 to establish Burnet County and was instrumental in having the town of Burnet named the county seat
* Al Witcher (born 1936), American football player

## Politics

[edit]

United States presidential election results for Burnet County, Texas[16] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies)

|
|
|

No. | % | No. | % | No. | %
2024 | 21,795  | 77.42% | 6,114  | 21.72%  | 244  | 0.87%
2020 | 18,767  | 75.93% | 5,639  | 22.81%  | 311  | 1.26%
2016 | 14,638  | 76.22% | 3,797  | 19.77%  | 769  | 4.00%
2012 | 12,843  | 76.46% | 3,674  | 21.87%  | 279  | 1.66%
2008 | 12,059  | 71.38% | 4,608  | 27.28%  | 226  | 1.34%
2004 | 11,456  | 72.77% | 4,147  | 26.34%  | 139  | 0.88%
2000 | 9,286  | 70.18% | 3,557  | 26.88%  | 389  | 2.94%
1996 | 5,744  | 51.99% | 4,123  | 37.32%  | 1,182  | 10.70%
1992 | 4,272  | 39.53% | 3,638  | 33.66%  | 2,897  | 26.81%
1988 | 5,120  | 53.85% | 4,343  | 45.68%  | 45  | 0.47%
1984 | 5,895  | 66.18% | 2,983  | 33.49%  | 29  | 0.33%
1980 | 4,033  | 50.84% | 3,711  | 46.78%  | 189  | 2.38%
1976 | 2,777  | 41.85%  | 3,818  | 57.53% | 41  | 0.62%
1972 | 3,438  | 73.34% | 1,227  | 26.17%  | 23  | 0.49%
1968 | 1,459  | 36.68%  | 1,876  | 47.16% | 643  | 16.16%
1964 | 821  | 24.08%  | 2,585  | 75.81% | 4  | 0.12%
1960 | 1,189  | 39.95%  | 1,770  | 59.48% | 17  | 0.57%
1956 | 1,163  | 44.90%  | 1,422  | 54.90% | 5  | 0.19%
1952 | 1,270  | 46.98%  | 1,431  | 52.94% | 2  | 0.07%
1948 | 287  | 12.35%  | 1,955  | 84.12% | 82  | 3.53%
1944 | 228  | 10.80%  | 1,697  | 80.35% | 187  | 8.85%
1940 | 233  | 9.66%  | 2,177  | 90.26% | 2  | 0.08%
1936 | 111  | 6.54%  | 1,583  | 93.34% | 2  | 0.12%
1932 | 144  | 7.02%  | 1,904  | 92.88% | 2  | 0.10%
1928 | 936  | 66.67% | 467  | 33.26%  | 1  | 0.07%
1924 | 277  | 13.45%  | 1,725  | 83.74% | 58  | 2.82%
1920 | 241  | 18.98%  | 795  | 62.60% | 234  | 18.43%
1916 | 115  | 10.87%  | 913  | 86.29% | 30  | 2.84%
1912 | 85  | 10.87%  | 623  | 79.67% | 74  | 9.46%
United States Senate election results for Burnet County, Texas1[17] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies)

|
|
|

No. | % | No. | % | No. | %
2024 | 21,056  | 74.97% | 6,401  | 22.79%  | 629  | 2.24%

## See also

[edit]

* Texas portal

* List of museums in Central Texas
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Burnet County, Texas
* Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Burnet County

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Burnet County, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
2. ^ "Burnet 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. ^ "Texas: Individual County Chronologies". Texas Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2008. Archived from the original on May 13, 2015. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
5. ^ a b c d e f g Smyrl, Vivian Elizabeth (June 12, 2010). "Burnet County, Texas". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved November 29, 2010.
6. ^ "Fort Croghan". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. June 12, 2010. Retrieved November 29, 2010.
7. ^ Goble, Carole A (2009). "Fort Croghan and the First Settlers". Burnet (Images of America). Arcadia Publishing. pp. 9–30\. ISBN 978-0-7385-7121-8.
8. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
9. ^ "QuickFacts: Burnet County, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 11, 2025.
10. ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decade". US Census Bureau.
11. ^ "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
12. ^ a b "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Burnet County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
13. ^ a b "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Burnet County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
14. ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Burnet County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
15. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
16. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
17. ^ "2024 Senate Election (Official Returns)". Commonwealth of Texas by county. November 5, 2024. Retrieved December 5, 2024.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Burnet County, Texas.

* Burnet County government’s website
* Burnet County tourism office
* Burnet County from the Handbook of Texas Online
* Burnet County TXGenWeb Project
* Burnet Bulletin newspaper
* The Highlander newspaper

Places adjacent to Burnet County, Texas

| San Saba County | Lampasas County | Bell County

|
|

|  |
Llano County |

Burnet County, Texas

| Williamson County
|  |
| Blanco County | Travis County

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Burnet County, Texas, United States

County seat: Burnet

Cities|

* Bertram
* Burnet
* Cottonwood Shores
* Double Horn
* Granite Shoals
* Highland Haven
* Horseshoe Bay‡
* Marble Falls
* Meadowlakes

Burnet County map

CDP|

* Briggs

Other
communities|

* Fairland
* Joppa
* Lake Victor
* Mahomet
* Naruna
* Oakalla
* Oatmeal
* Sherwood Shores
* Shovel Mountain
* Silver Creek Village
* Smithwick
* Spicewood‡
* Watson

Ghost towns|

* Mormon Mill
* Shady Grove
* Sunnylane

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
* Coryell
* Cottle
* Crane
* Crockett
* Crosby
* Culberson
* Dallam
* Dallas
* Dawson
* Deaf Smith
* Delta
* Denton
* DeWitt
* Dickens
* Dimmit
* Donley
* Duval
* Eastland
* Ector
* Edwards
* El Paso
* Ellis
* Erath
* Falls
* Fannin
* Fayette
* Fisher
* Floyd
* Foard
* Fort Bend
* Franklin
* Freestone
* Frio
* Gaines
* Galveston
* Garza
* Gillespie
* Glasscock
* Goliad
* Gonzales
* Gray
* Grayson
* Gregg
* Grimes
* Guadalupe
* Hale
* Hall
* Hamilton
* Hansford
* Hardeman
* Hardin
* Harris
* Harrison
* Hartley
* Haskell
* Hays
* Hemphill
* Henderson
* Hidalgo
* Hill
* Hockley
* Hood
* Hopkins
* Houston
* Howard
* Hudspeth
* Hunt
* Hutchinson
* Irion
* Jack
* Jackson
* Jasper
* Jeff Davis
* Jefferson
* Jim Hogg
* Jim Wells
* Johnson
* Jones
* Karnes
* Kaufman
* Kendall
* Kenedy
* Kent
* Kerr
* Kimble
* King
* Kinney
* Kleberg
* Knox
* La Salle
* Lamar
* Lamb
* Lampasas
* Lavaca
* Lee
* Leon
* Liberty
* Limestone
* Lipscomb
* Live Oak
* Llano
* Loving
* Lubbock
* Lynn
* Madison
* Marion
* Martin
* Mason
* Matagorda
* Maverick
* McCulloch
* McLennan
* McMullen
* Medina
* Menard
* Midland
* Milam
* Mills
* Mitchell
* Montague
* Montgomery
* Moore
* Morris
* Motley
* Nacogdoches
* Navarro
* Newton
* Nolan
* Nueces
* Ochiltree
* Oldham
* Orange
* Palo Pinto
* Panola
* Parker
* Parmer
* Pecos
* Polk
* Potter
* Presidio
* Rains
* Randall
* Reagan
* Real
* Red River
* Reeves
* 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|

* Outline
* Architecture
* Climate (Climate change)
* Cuisine
* Dialects
* Geography
* Government
* Healthcare
* History
* Languages
* Law
* Literature
* Mass media
* Newspapers
* Radio
* TV
* National Historic Landmarks
* National Register of Historic Places Sites
* Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks
* Sports
* Symbols
* Texans
* Time
* Tourist attractions
* Transportation

Society|

* Abortion
* Culture
* Crime
* Demographics
* Economy
* Education
* Gambling
* Gun laws
* Homelessness
* LGBT rights
* Politics

Regions|

* Ark‑La‑Tex
* Big Bend
* Boca Chica
* Blackland Prairies
* Brazos Valley
* Central Texas
* Coastal Bend
* Concho Valley
* Cross Timbers
* East Texas
* Edwards Plateau
* Golden Triangle
* Hill Country
* Llano Estacado
* Northeast Texas
* North Texas
* Osage Plains
* Panhandle
* Permian Basin
* Piney Woods
* Rio Grande Valley
* Southeast Texas
* South Plains
* South Texas
* Texoma
* Trans-Pecos
* West Texas

Metropolitan
areas|

* Abilene
* Amarillo
* Austin–Round Rock (Greater Austin)
* Beaumont–Port Arthur
* Brownsville–Harlingen
* College Station–Bryan
* Corpus Christi
* Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington (DFW)
* El Paso
* Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land (Greater Houston)
* Killeen–Temple
* Laredo
* Longview/Kilgore
* Lubbock
* McAllen–Edinburg–Mission
* Midland
* Odessa
* San Angelo
* San Antonio–New Braunfels
* Sherman–Denison
* Texarkana
* Tyler
* Victoria
* Waco
* Wagner Creek
* Wichita Falls

Counties|

See: List of counties in Texas

Texas portal

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF
* WorldCat

National|

* United States
* Israel

Other|

* NARA
* Yale LUX

30°47′N 98°11′W﻿ / ﻿30.78°N 98.18°W﻿ / 30.78; -98.18
*[Pop.]: Population
*[%±]: Percent change
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template