Wharton County, Texas

Wharton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 41,570. Its county seat is Wharton. The county was named for brothers William H. 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 , of which is land and (0.8%) is water.

The county is about southeast of Austin."Texas to carry out second execution of the year." Al Jazeera America. January 27, 2016. Retrieved on January 27, 2016.

Adjacent counties Austin County (north) Fort Bend County (northeast) Brazoria County (east) Matagorda County (southeast) Jackson County (southwest) Colorado County (northwest)

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 41,570. The median age was 39.5 years. 24.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.8 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 55.1% White, 13.7% Black or African American, 0.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 14.7% from some other race, and 15.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 40.8% of the population.

52.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 47.5% lived in rural areas.

There were 15,446 households in the county, of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.4% were married-couple households, 18.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 17,296 housing units, of which 10.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 68.7% were owner-occupied and 31.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.0%.

Racial and ethnic composition +Wharton County, Texas – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980 Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)24,64223,50121,83219,68118,13061.23%58.82%53.01%47.68%43.61%Black or African American alone (NH)6,6056,1666,0605,6685,46916.41%15.43%14.71%13.73%13.16%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)55175962690.14%0.04%0.14%0.15%0.17%Asian alone (NH)401031131541640.10%0.26%0.27%0.37%0.39%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census1820xx0.04%0.00%0.00%Other race alone (NH)1476515261040.37%0.16%0.04%0.06%0.25%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census203242667xx0.49%0.59%1.60%Hispanic or Latino (any race)8,75310,10312,88815,44516,96721.75%25.29%31.29%37.42%40.82%Total40,24239,95541,18841,28041,570 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 41,188 people, 14,799 households, and 10,744 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 16,606 housing units at an average density of . 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.Susan Schulte, "Visualizing Slavery", Blog, New York Times, December 9, 2010, accessed December 10, 2013 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.Susan Schulte, "Visualizing Slavery": "A Map of Slavery Interactive Feature", New York Times, December 10, 2010

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 U.S. Highway 59 Interstate 69 is currently under construction and will follow the current route of U.S. 59 in most places. U.S. Highway 90 Alternate State Highway 60 State Highway 71 Loop 523 Loop 524 Loop 526 Farm to Market Road 102 Farm to Market Road 442 Farm to Market Road 1160 Farm to Market Road 1301

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

Communities

Cities East Bernard El Campo Wharton (county seat)

Census-designated places Boling Hungerford Iago Louise

Unincorporated communities

Bonus Burr Danevang Dinsmore Don-Tol Egypt Elm Grove Glen Flora Hillje Lane City Lissie Magnet Newgulf New Taiton Pierce Sand Ridge Spanish Camp

Ghost towns

Dorman Hahn Jones Creek Mackay Nottawa Peach Creek Plainview Preston Round Mott Sorrelle Taiton Waterville

Education School districts include: - Text list

Boling Independent School District East Bernard Independent School District El Campo Independent School District Hallettsville Independent School District Louise Independent School District Wharton Independent School District

The Texas Legislature assigns all of Wharton County to Wharton County Junior College.Texas Education Code Sec. 130.211. WHARTON COUNTY JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.. Retrieved on October 5, 2025.

Wharton County, Texas

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