Jefferson County is a county in the Coastal Plain or Gulf Prairie region of Southeast Texas. The Neches River forms its northeastern boundary. The county was named for U.S. president Thomas Jefferson. The county seat is Beaumont, which is also the largest city within the county.
The county was established in 1835 as a municipality of Mexico, which had gained independence from Spain. Because the area was lightly settled, the Mexican government allowed European Americans from the United States to settle here if they pledged loyalty to Mexico. This was organized as a county in 1837 after Texas achieved independence as a republic. Texas later became part of the US.
Jefferson County is part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area and has the highest population of the four-county MSA. As of the 2020 census, the population was 256,526. Jefferson County has the highest percentage of African Americans in the state of Texas.
Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (21%) is water.
Jefferson County is on the plains of the Texas Gulf Coast in the southeastern part of the state. It is bounded on the north by Pine Island Bayou, on the northeast by the Neches River, and on the east by Sabine Lake and the mouth of the Sabine River, a natural outlet called Sabine Pass. The southern part of the county is largely marshland, much of which is within Sea Rim State Park, reaching the storm-battered beach at the Gulf of Mexico.
Adjacent counties and parishes Hardin County (north) Orange County (northeast) Chambers County (southwest) Liberty County (northwest) Cameron Parish, Louisiana (east)
National protected areas Big Thicket National Preserve (part) McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge Texas Point National Wildlife Refuge
Communities
Cities
Beaumont (county seat and largest municipality) Bevil Oaks China Groves Nederland Nome Port Arthur (small part in Orange County) Port Neches Taylor Landing
Census-designated places
Beauxart Gardens Central Gardens Fannett Hamshire
Unincorporated areas
Cheek Dowling LaBelle Viterbo
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition +Jefferson 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)166,985147,333130,604112,50396,04766.54%61.54%51.82%44.60%37.44%Black or African American alone (NH)70,14373,77984,48284,50083,85627.95%30.82%33.52%33.50%32.69%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)4495256547476220.18%0.22%0.26%0.30%0.24%Asian alone (NH)2,6524,9387,2368,5259,9431.06%2.06%2.87%3.38%3.88%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 Census686466xx0.03%0.03%0.03%Other race alone (NH)4301931852558670.17%0.08%0.07%0.10%0.34%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census2,2862,7806,210xx0.91%1.10%2.42%Hispanic or Latino (any race)10,27912,62926,53642,89958,9154.10%5.28%10.53%17.00%22.97%Total250,938239,397252,051252,273256,526 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 256,526. The median age was 37.4 years. 23.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 15.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 104.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 104.6 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 42.5% White, 33.1% Black or African American, 0.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.9% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 11.0% from some other race, and 8.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 23.0% of the population.
90.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 9.8% lived in rural areas.
There were 95,658 households in the county, of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 41.5% were married-couple households, 21.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 108,330 housing units, of which 11.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 60.7% were owner-occupied and 39.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 12.2%.
2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 252,051 people, 92,880 households, and 63,808 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 102,080 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 57.24% White, 33.74% Black or African American, 0.34% Native American, 2.89% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 4.26% from other races, and 1.50% from two or more races. 10.53% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 8.3% were of American, 7.2% French, 6.2% German, 5.8% English and 5.3% Irish ancestry according to census 2000.
There were 92,880 households, out of which 33.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.40% were married couples living together, 16.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.30% were non-families. 27.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.90% under the age of 18, 10.00% from 18 to 24, 29.30% from 25 to 44, 21.10% from 45 to 64, and 13.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $34,706, and the median income for a family was $42,290. Males had a median income of $36,719 versus $23,924 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,571. About 14.60% of families and 17.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.60% of those under age 18 and 11.80% of those age 65 or over. Government and politics County The County Commissioners Court, considered the administrative arm of the state government, is made up of a county judge and four commissioners. The four commissioners are elected to staggered terms from single-member districts or precincts, two in years of presidential elections and two in off-years. The County Commissioners Court carries out the "budgetary and policy making functions of county government. In addition, in many counties, commissioners have extensive responsibilities related to the building and maintenance of county roads.""Duties of Texas County Commissioner", Jefferson County, Texas, website; accessed January 2, 2016
The elected county judge in Texas may also be the judge of the County Criminal Court, County Civil Court, Probate Court and Juvenile Court.
Commissioners' court Commissioners Name Party First Elected Communities Represented Judge Jeff Branick Republican 2010 Countywide Precinct 1 Brandon Willis Republican 2024 North Beaumont, Bevil Oaks, West Bury, China, Nome, Pine Island Precinct 2 Cary Erickson Republican 2022 Southwest Beaumont, Beauxart Gardens, Central Gardens, Viterbo, Fannett, LaBelle, Taylor Landing, Nederland, Port Neches, Groves Precinct 3 Michael Sinegal Democrat 2008 Port Arthur, Sabine Pass, Hamshire, Uninhabited and Wildlife areas Precinct 4 Everette "Bo" Alfred Democrat 2002 Beaumont, Cheek, Fannett
County officials Position Name Party County Clerk Roxanne Acosta-Helberg Republican District Attorney Kenneth Giblin Democrat District Clerk Jamie Smith Democrat Sheriff Zena Stephens Democrat Tax Assessor-Collector Kate Carroll Republican Treasurer Tim Funchess Republican
Courts Criminal District Courts Office Name Party Criminal District Court No. 1 John Stevens Democratic 58th District Court W. Kent Walston Republican 252nd District Court J. Raquel West Republican
Civil District Courts Office Name Party 60th District Court Justin G. Sanderson Democratic 136th District Court Baylor Wortham Democratic 172nd District Court Mitch Templeton Republican 279th District Court Randy Shelton Democratic 317th District Court Gordon Friesz Republican
State Texas Legislature Texas Senate District Name Party First Elected 3 Robert Nichols Republican 2006 4 Brett Ligon Republican 2026
Texas House of Representatives District Name Party First Elected 21 Dade Phelan Republican 2014 22 Christian Manuel Democratic 2022
Federal United States Congress Source:
Senators Name Party First Elected Level Senate Class 1 Ted Cruz Republican 2012 Junior Senator Senate Class 2 John Cornyn Republican 2002 Senior senator Representatives Name Party First Elected District 14 Randy Weber Republican 2012 District 36 Brian Babin Republican 2014
Presidential elections Membership in political parties in Texas has undergone realignment since the late 20th century, following passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and renewed participation by minorities in the political system. Jefferson County had been dominated by Democratic voters in presidential elections: prior to 1965 they were majority white and the party has since attracted many minorities. In many parts of Texas, Republican voters have predominated in presidential elections, especially since the turn of the 21st century.
In 2004, Jefferson was one of only 18 counties in Texas that gave Senator John Kerry a majority of the popular vote. Kerry received 47,050 votes while George W. Bush received 44,412. In 2008, Barack Obama won 51.25% of the vote. John McCain won 48.38% of the vote. Other candidates received 1% of the vote. The Democratic trend continued in 2012 when Barack Obama won Jefferson County with 50.34% of the vote, while 48.73% went to Mitt Romney.
In 2016, Donald Trump won the county by a very narrow margin over Hillary Clinton, becoming the first Republican presidential candidate to win in Jefferson County since Richard Nixon in 1972. Trump carried the county again in 2020, this time with a slight majority, as well as in 2024 with an increased majority.
Criminal justice The county has three state correctional facilities and a federal high-security prison in unincorporated areas of the county. Together they have a maximum capacity of nearly 9,000 prisoners.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice operates three facilities in the county: the Gist Unit, a state jail;"Gist Unit ." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on January 11, 2010. the Stiles Unit, a prison;"Stiles Unit ." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on January 11, 2010. and the Leblanc Unit, a pre-release facility, in an unincorporated area of Jefferson County."Leblanc Unit ." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on January 11, 2010.