Walker County, Texas

County in Texas, United States

Not to be confused with Waller County, Texas.

County in Texas

Walker County

County

The Walker County Courthouse in 2022

Location within the U.S. state of Texas

Texas's location within the U.S.

Coordinates: 30°44′N 95°34′W﻿ / ﻿30.74°N 95.57°W﻿ / 30.74; -95.57
Country|  United States
State|  Texas
Founded| 1846
Named after| Robert J. Walker, renamed for Samuel H. Walker
Seat| Huntsville
Largest city| Huntsville
Area

• Total

| 802 sq mi (2,080 km2)
• Land| 784 sq mi (2,030 km2)
• Water| 17 sq mi (40 km2)  2.2%
Population

(2020)

• Total

| 76,400
Time zone| UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts| 8th, 17th
Website| www.co.walker.tx.us

Walker County is a county located in the east-central section of the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 76,400.[1] Its county seat is Huntsville.[2] Initially, Walker County was named for Robert J. Walker, a legislator from Mississippi, who introduced into the United States Congress the resolution to annex Texas. Walker later supported the U.S. during its Civil War and earned some enmity for it. To keep the county's name, the state renamed it for Samuel H. Walker (no relation), a Texas Ranger and soldier in the United States Army.

Walker County comprises the Huntsville micropolitan statistical area that is part of the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land combined statistical area.

## Geography

[edit]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 802 square miles (2,080 km2), of which 17 sq mi (44 km2) (2.2%) are covered by water.[3]

### Major highways

[edit]

* Interstate 45
* U.S. Highway 190
* State Highway 19
* State Highway 30
* State Highway 75
* State Highway 150

### Adjacent counties

[edit]

* Houston County (north)
* Trinity County (northeast)
* San Jacinto County (east)
* Montgomery County (south)
* Grimes County (west)
* Madison County (northwest)

### National protected area

[edit]

* Sam Houston National Forest (part)

## Demographics

[edit]

Historical population Census| Pop.| Note| %±

|
|
|

1850| 3,964| | —
1860| 8,191| | 106.6%
1870| 9,766| | 19.2%
1880| 12,024| | 23.1%
1890| 12,874| | 7.1%
1900| 15,813| | 22.8%
1910| 16,061| | 1.6%
1920| 18,556| | 15.5%
1930| 18,528| | −0.2%
1940| 19,868| | 7.2%
1950| 20,163| | 1.5%
1960| 21,475| | 6.5%
1970| 27,680| | 28.9%
1980| 41,789| | 51.0%
1990| 50,917| | 21.8%
2000| 61,758| | 21.3%
2010| 67,861| | 9.9%
2020| 76,400| | 12.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[4]
1850–2010[5] 2010–2020[6]
Walker 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[7] | Pop 2010[8] | Pop 2020[6] | % 2000  | % 2010  | % 2020

|
|
|
|
|
|

White alone (NH)  | 37,090  | 39,671  | 39,823  | 60.06%  | 58.46%  | 52.12%
Black or African American alone (NH)  | 14,672  | 15,098  | 16,382  | 23.76%  | 22.25%  | 21.44%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)  | 169  | 186  | 251  | 0.27%  | 0.27%  | 0.33%
Asian alone (NH)  | 464  | 617  | 1,126  | 0.75%  | 0.91%  | 1.47%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)  | 25  | 19  | 39  | 0.04%  | 0.03%  | 0.05%
Other race alone (NH)  | 70  | 72  | 318  | 0.11%  | 0.11%  | 0.42%
Multiracial (NH)  | 556  | 809  | 1,883  | 0.90%  | 1.19%  | 2.46%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)  | 8,712  | 11,389  | 16,578  | 14.11%  | 16.78%  | 21.70%
Total | 61,758 | 67,861 | 76,400 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00%

As of the 2000 census,[9] 61,758 people, 18,303 households, and 11,384 families resided in the county. The population density was 78 people per square mile (30 people/km2). The 21,099 housing units had an average density of 27 units per square mile (10 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 69.12% White, 23.88% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.77% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 4.42% from other races, and 1.41% from two or more races. About 14.11% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

Of the 18,303 households, 28.7% had children under 18 living with them, 46.8% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.8% were not families. Around 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the county, the age distribution was 18.0% under 18, 23.0% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 8.9% who were 65 or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 151.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 161.9 males (numbers are skewed from normal due to men's prison population).

The median income for a household in the county was $31,468, and for a family was $42,589. Males had a median income of $27,634 versus $22,579 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,508. About 10.6% of families and 18.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.1% of those under 18 and 13.4% of those 65 or over.

## Education

[edit]

Sam Houston State University is located in Huntsville.

School districts serving portions of the county include:[10]

* Huntsville Independent School District
* New Waverly Independent School District
* Richards Independent School District (portion)
* Trinity Independent School District (portion)

The Gulf Coast Trades Center, a charter school, is in an unincorporated area of the county.[10][11]

The Huntsville and New Waverly ISDs are assigned to Lone Star College. Areas of Walker County in Trinity ISD are assigned to Angelina College. The portion of Richards ISD in Walker County is zoned to Blinn College.[12]

## Government and infrastructure

[edit]

Ellis Unit, a prison in unincorporated Walker County

The headquarters of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), the Texas agency that operates adult state correctional facilities, are in Huntsville.[13][14]

Walker County has the highest number of state prisons and jails of all of the counties in Texas.[15] Several TDCJ prisons for men, including the Byrd Unit,[16] the Goree Unit,[17] the Huntsville Unit,[18] and the Wynne Unit, are in the Huntsville city limits.[19] The Holliday Unit, a transfer unit, is in Huntsville.[20] In addition the Ellis Unit and the Estelle Unit are in unincorporated areas of Walker County.[21][22] The Huntsville Unit houses the State of Texas execution chamber.[23]

### Politics

[edit]

Like most of Texas, Walker County was solidly Democratic for the first half of the 20th century. Before 1972, the only time a Republican carried the county was in 1956, and it became a Republican stronghold afterwards, with only one candidate carrying the county from that point forward.

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

|
|
|

No. | % | No. | % | No. | %
2024 | 17,515  | 69.47% | 7,461  | 29.59%  | 238  | 0.94%
2020 | 15,375  | 64.99% | 7,884  | 33.32%  | 399  | 1.69%
2016 | 12,884  | 65.08% | 6,091  | 30.77%  | 821  | 4.15%
2012 | 12,140  | 64.97% | 6,252  | 33.46%  | 293  | 1.57%
2008 | 11,623  | 60.71% | 7,334  | 38.31%  | 189  | 0.99%
2004 | 11,710  | 65.71% | 5,977  | 33.54%  | 135  | 0.76%
2000 | 9,076  | 63.14% | 4,943  | 34.39%  | 355  | 2.47%
1996 | 7,177  | 49.27% | 6,088  | 41.79%  | 1,302  | 8.94%
1992 | 6,662  | 41.84% | 5,619  | 35.29%  | 3,643  | 22.88%
1988 | 8,473  | 58.88% | 5,826  | 40.48%  | 92  | 0.64%
1984 | 8,809  | 67.24% | 4,263  | 32.54%  | 28  | 0.21%
1980 | 5,657  | 51.87% | 4,869  | 44.65%  | 380  | 3.48%
1976 | 4,974  | 48.90%  | 5,105  | 50.19% | 92  | 0.90%
1972 | 5,082  | 63.20% | 2,940  | 36.56%  | 19  | 0.24%
1968 | 1,946  | 33.62%  | 2,391  | 41.30% | 1,452  | 25.08%
1964 | 1,557  | 35.10%  | 2,877  | 64.86% | 2  | 0.05%
1960 | 1,750  | 48.57%  | 1,832  | 50.85% | 21  | 0.58%
1956 | 1,991  | 59.86% | 1,287  | 38.70%  | 48  | 1.44%
1952 | 1,897  | 47.71%  | 2,078  | 52.26% | 1  | 0.03%
1948 | 570  | 22.23%  | 1,439  | 56.12% | 555  | 21.65%
1944 | 145  | 7.12%  | 1,638  | 80.41% | 254  | 12.47%
1940 | 218  | 9.18%  | 2,158  | 90.82% | 0  | 0.00%
1936 | 69  | 3.86%  | 1,715  | 96.02% | 2  | 0.11%
1932 | 83  | 4.36%  | 1,811  | 95.17% | 9  | 0.47%
1928 | 488  | 39.51%  | 747  | 60.49% | 0  | 0.00%
1924 | 201  | 10.07%  | 1,792  | 89.78% | 3  | 0.15%
1920 | 404  | 23.45%  | 788  | 45.73% | 531  | 30.82%
1916 | 315  | 28.56%  | 763  | 69.17% | 25  | 2.27%
1912 | 323  | 30.88%  | 631  | 60.33% | 92  | 8.80%
United States Senate election results for Walker County, Texas1[25] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies)

|
|
|

No. | % | No. | % | No. | %
2024 | 16,775  | 67.16% | 7,728  | 30.94%  | 475  | 1.90%

## Communities

[edit]

### Cities

[edit]

* Huntsville (county seat)
* New Waverly
* Riverside

### Unincorporated community

[edit]

* Dodge

## Notable people

[edit]

* Eugene C. Barker
* Marilyn McAdams Sibley[26]
* Sherri Ann Jarvis, previously unidentified teenager found murdered on November 1, 1980
* Slater Martin, basketball Player

## See also

[edit]

* Texas portal

* National Register of Historic Places listings in Walker County, Texas
* Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Walker County
* John N. Raney
* Kate Borcherding

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Walker County, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
4. ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". US Census Bureau.
5. ^ "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
6. ^ a b "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Walker County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
7. ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Walker County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
8. ^ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Walker County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
9. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
10. ^ a b "Education Service Center, Region VI Archived November 17, 2011, at the Wayback Machine." (Map) Educational Service Center 6. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
"2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Walker County, TX" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved June 30, 2022. \- See text list
11. ^ "We can be reached at: Archived December 3, 2011, at the Wayback Machine" Gulf Coast Trades Center. Retrieved December 8, 2011. "Gulf Coast Trades Center / Raven School 143 Forest Service Rd. 233 New Waverly, TX 77358"
12. ^ Texas Education Code, Sec. 130.165. ANGELINA COUNTY JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA. Sec. 130.168. BLINN JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA. Sec. 130.191. LONE STAR COLLEGE SYSTEM DISTRICT SERVICE AREA..
13. ^ "Huntsville Prison Blues." National Public Radio. September 10, 2001. Retrieved December 2, 2009.
14. ^ "LIVINGSTON NAMED EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF STATE’S CRIMINAL JUSTICE AGENCY Archived January 25, 2010, at the Wayback Machine." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. July 28, 2005. Retrieved December 2, 2009.
15. ^ Horswell, Cindy. "For hard-hit economy of Liberty County, crime officially pays." Houston Chronicle. June 29, 1995, A30, Retrieved July 23, 2010.
16. ^ "Byrd Unit Archived July 25, 2010, at the Wayback Machine." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
17. ^ "Goree Unit Archived July 25, 2010, at the Wayback Machine." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
18. ^ "Huntsville Unit Archived March 30, 2008, at the Wayback Machine." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
19. ^ "Wynne Unit Archived July 25, 2010, at the Wayback Machine." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
20. ^ "Holliday Unit Archived July 25, 2010, at the Wayback Machine." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
21. ^ "Ellis Unit Archived July 25, 2010, at the Wayback Machine." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
22. ^ "Estelle Unit Archived January 25, 2010, at the Wayback Machine." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
23. ^ "Death Row Facts Archived November 5, 2010, at the Wayback Machine." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
24. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
25. ^ "2024 Senate Election (Official Returns)". Commonwealth of Texas by county. November 5, 2024. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
26. ^ "Marilyn McAdams Sibley". Huntsville Item online. January 19, 2006. Retrieved September 23, 2010.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Walker County, Texas.

* Official website
* Walker County from the Handbook of Texas Online

30°44′N 95°34′W﻿ / ﻿30.74°N 95.57°W﻿ / 30.74; -95.57

Places adjacent to Walker County, Texas

| Madison County | Houston County | Trinity County

|
|

|  |
Grimes County |

Walker County, Texas

| San Jacinto County
|  |
| Montgomery County |

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Walker County, Texas, United States

County seat: Huntsville

Cities|

* Huntsville
* New Waverly
* Riverside

Walker County map

Unincorporated
communities|

* Authon
* Dodge
* Goshen
* Old Waverly

Ghost towns|

* Bath
* Kittrell
* Old Carolina

* Texas portal
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* v
* t
* e

Houston–Pasadena–The Woodlands

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

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areas|

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