Rockwall County, Texas

{{Infobox U.S. county

| county = Rockwall County

| state = Texas

| ex image = Rockwall county tx courthouse 2014.jpg

| ex image size = 300px

| ex image cap = The Rockwall County Courthouse in Rockwall

| type = County

| flag =

| seal =

| logo =

| coordinates = {{Coord|32.899886|-96.41205|region:US-TX_type:county|display=inline,title}}

| founded year = 1873

| founded date = March 1

| named for = Rockwall, Texas, named in turn for its clastic dikes

| seat wl = Rockwall

| largest city wl = Rockwall

| leader_title = County judge

| leader_name = Frank New

| area_total_sq_mi = 148.933

| area_land_sq_mi = 127.210

| area_water_sq_mi = 21.723

| area percentage = 14.59%

| population_as_of = 2020

| population_total = 107819

| pop_est_as_of = 2024

| population_est = 137044 {{increase}}

| density_sq_mi = 1077.44

| demonym = Rockwallian

| time zone = Central

| district = 4th

| website = {{URL|https://www.rockwallcountytexas.com/|rockwallcountytexas.com}}

| footnote =

}}

Rockwall County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 107,819,{{cite web|title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Rockwall_County,_Texas?g=050XX00US48397 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=April 12, 2025}} and was estimated to be 137,044 in 2024. Its county seat is Rockwall.{{cite web|title=Find a County |url=https://ce.naco.org/?find=true |publisher=National Association of Counties |access-date=April 12, 2025}} The county and city are named for a wall-like subterranean rock formation that runs throughout the county. Rockwall County is part of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan statistical area. It was one of the top 25 fastest-growing counties in the U.S. in 2009.{{Cite web|title=Texas big Census winner this decade |first=Haya |last=El Naser |url=https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/2010-03-23-census23_N.htm |publisher=USA Today |date=March 23, 2010 |access-date=April 12, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103053924/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/2010-03-23-census23_N.htm |archive-date=November 3, 2012}} Rockwall County is listed as the wealthiest county in Texas and the 17th-wealthiest in the United States by median household income. Cities in Rockwall County include Rockwall, Heath, Royse City, Fate, McClendon-Chisholm, Mobile City, and part of Rowlett.

History

Rockwall County was formed in 1873 from portions of Kaufman County. It split off because access to the county seat of Kaufman was inconvenient. It was named for its county seat, Rockwall.

Rockwall County also is home to the great rock wall, which is no longer in public view today.

{{Cite web|url=http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2017/02/mysterious-rock-walls-rockwall-texas/|title=The Mysterious Rock Walls of Rockwall, Texas|date=February 28, 2017}}

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of {{convert|148.933|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|127.210|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|21.723|sqmi}} (14.59%) is water.{{Cite web|title=2024 County Gazetteer Files – Texas|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_gaz_counties_48.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 12, 2025}} It is the 254th largest county in Texas by total area. It is the smallest county by area in Texas.

=Major highways=

=Lake=

Lake Ray Hubbard

=Adjacent counties=

Collin County (north)
Hunt County (east)
Kaufman County (south)
Dallas County (west)

Demographics

{{US Census population

|1880= 2984

|1890= 5972

|1900= 8531

|1910= 8072

|1920= 8591

|1930= 7658

|1940= 7051

|1950= 6156

|1960= 5878

|1970= 7046

|1980= 14528

|1990= 25604

|2000= 43080

|2010= 78337

|2020= 107819

|estyear=2024

|estimate=137044

|estref={{cite web|title=County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024 |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-total.html |access-date=April 12, 2025}}

|align-fn=center

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|title=U.S. Decennial Census |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=July 20, 2014}}
1790–1960{{cite web|title=Historical Census Browser |url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu |publisher=University of Virginia Library |url-status=live |date=2007 |access-date=July 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091212224028/http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu/ |archive-date=December 12, 2009}} 1900–1990{{cite web|last=Forstall |first=Richard L. |title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990 |url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/tx190090.txt |publisher=United States Census Bureau |url-status=live |date=March 27, 1995 |access-date=July 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990219135447/http://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/tx190090.txt |archive-date=February 19, 1999}}
1990–2000{{cite web|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000 |url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |url-status=live |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=July 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010}} 2010–2020

}}

As of the third quarter of 2024, the median home value in Rockwall County was $438,970.{{Cite web|title=County Median Home Price|url=https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics/housing-statistics/county-median-home-prices-and-monthly-mortgage-payment|publisher=National Association of Realtors|access-date=April 12, 2025}}

As of the 2023 American Community Survey, there are 39,513 estimated households in Rockwall County with an average of 2.94 persons per household. The county has a median household income of $124,917. Approximately 5.1% of the county's population lives at or below the poverty line. Rockwall County has an estimated 70.1% employment rate, with 44.0% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 94.2% holding a high school diploma.{{Cite web|title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Rockwall County, Texas |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/rockwallcountytexas/PST045224 |access-date=April 12, 2025 |website=www.census.gov |language=en}}

The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (81.5%), Spanish (12.1%), Indo-European (2.7%), Asian and Pacific Islander (1.9%), and Other (1.8%).

The median age in the county was 37.6 years.

Rockwall County, Texas – racial and ethnic composition
{{nobold|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. 1980{{Cite web\|title=Rockwall County, Texas — Population by Race \|url=https://censusscope.org/us/s48/c397/chart_race.html \|publisher=CensusScope \|access-date=April 12, 2025}}	Pop. 1990{{Cite web\|title=Rockwall County, Texas — Population by Race \|url=https://censusscope.org/us/s48/c397/chart_race.html \|publisher=CensusScope \|access-date=April 12, 2025}}	Pop. 2000{{Cite web\|title=P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Rockwall County, Texas \|url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALSF12000.P004?g=050XX00US48397 \|publisher=United States Census Bureau \|access-date=April 12, 2025}}	Pop. 2010{{Cite web\|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Rockwall County, Texas \|url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=p2&g=050XX00US48397&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2 \|publisher=United States Census Bureau \|access-date=April 12, 2025}}	{{partial\|Pop. 2020}}{{Cite web\|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Rockwall County, Texas \|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=050XX00US48397&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 \|publisher=United States Census Bureau \|access-date=April 12, 2025}}
class="wikitable sortable collapsible" style="font-size: 95%;"
White alone (NH) \| 13,241 (91.14%)	22,981 (89.76%)	35,817 (83.14%)	58,046 (74.10%)	style='background: #ffffe6; \|70,198 (65.11%)
Black or African American alone (NH) \| 712 (4.90%)	851 (3.32%)	1,374 (3.19%)	4,397 (5.61%)	style='background: #ffffe6; \|8,179 (7.59%)
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) \| 21 (0.14%)	99 (0.39%)	143 (0.33%)	345 (0.44%)	style='background: #ffffe6; \|479 (0.44%)
Asian alone (NH) \| 47 (0.32%)	159 (0.62%)	555 (1.29%)	1,850 (2.36%)	style='background: #ffffe6; \|3,306 (3.07%)
Pacific Islander alone (NH) \| —	—	14 (0.03%)	47 (0.06%)	style='background: #ffffe6; \|75 (0.07%)
Other race alone (NH) \| 19 (0.13%)	14 (0.05%)	31 (0.07%)	116 (0.15%)	style='background: #ffffe6; \|344 (0.32%)
Mixed race or multiracial (NH) \| —	—	375 (0.87%)	1,066 (1.36%)	style='background: #ffffe6; \|4,678 (4.34%)
Hispanic or Latino (any race) \| 488 (3.36%)	1,500 (5.86%)	4,771 (11.07%)	12,470 (15.92%)	style='background: #ffffe6; \|20,560 (19.07%)
Total \| 14,528 (100.00%)	25,604 (100.00%)	43,080 (100.00%)	78,337 (100.00%)	style='background: #ffffe6; \|107,819 (100.00%)

=2023 estimate=

As of the 2023 estimate, there were 131,307 people and 39,513 households residing in the county. There were 46,258 housing units. The racial makeup of the county was 81.9% White (81,542 or 62.1% NH White), 10.5% African American (12,999 or 9.9% NH Black), 0.9% Native American (657 or 0.5% NH Native), 4.0% Asian (4,990 or 3.8% NH Asian), 0.1% Pacific Islander (131 or 0.1% NH Pacific Islander), _% from some other races and 2.5% from two or more races (2,757 or 2.1% NH Multiracial). Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 28,231 or 21.5% of the population.{{Cite web|title=County Population by Characteristics: 2020-2023 |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-detail.html |publisher=United States Census Bureau |website=www.census.gov |access-date=November 18, 2024 |language=en}}

=2020 census=

As of the 2020 census, there were 107,819 people, 36,326 households, and 29,255 families residing in the county.{{Cite web|title=US Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=Rockwall%20County,%20Texas%20p16&y=2020 |access-date=April 12, 2025 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}} The population density was {{convert|847.6|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 38,219 housing units at an average density of {{convert|300.4|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the county was 69.48% White, 7.79% African American, 0.83% Native American, 3.13% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 6.21% from some other races and 12.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 19.07% of the population.{{Cite web|title=How many people live in Rockwall County, Texas |url=https://data.usatoday.com/census/total-population/total-population-change/rockwall-county-texas/050-48397/ |access-date=April 12, 2025 |publisher=USA Today}}

=2010 census=

As of the 2010 census, there were 78,337 people, 26,466 households, and _ families residing in the county. The population density was {{convert|616.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 27,957 housing units at an average density of {{convert|220.1|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the county was 83.68% White, 5.79% African American, 0.60% Native American, 2.42% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 5.43% from some other races and 2.08% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 15.92% of the population.

=2000 census=

As of the 2000 census, there were 43,080 people, 14,530 households, and 11,972 families residing in the county. The population density was {{convert|334.0|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 15,351 housing units at an average density of {{convert|119.0|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the county was 89.17% White, 3.24% African American, 0.40% Native American, 1.32% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 4.45% from some other races and 1.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 11.07% of the population.

Communities<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.county.org/about-texas-counties/county-data/Documents/towns.html|title=Population of Texas Cities and Towns Sorted by County|publisher=The County Information Project Texas Association of Counties|access-date=March 16, 2015}}</ref>

Dallas (mostly in Dallas County with small parts in Collin, Denton, Kaufman and Rockwall counties)
Fate
Garland (mostly in Dallas County with a small part in Collin County)
Heath (small part in Kaufman County)
McLendon-Chisholm
Mobile City
Rockwall (county seat)
Rowlett (mostly in Dallas County)
Royse City (partly in Collin and Hunt counties)
Wylie (mostly in Collin County and a small part in Dallas County)

Education

These school districts serve Rockwall County:{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st48_tx/schooldistrict_maps/c48397_rockwall/DC20SD_C48397.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210614174618/https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st48_tx/schooldistrict_maps/c48397_rockwall/DC20SD_C48397.pdf |archive-date=June 14, 2021 |url-status=live|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Rockwall County, TX|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=June 30, 2022}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st48_tx/schooldistrict_maps/c48397_rockwall/DC20SD_C48397_SD2MS.txt Text list]

Rockwall Independent School District (small portion in Kaufman County)
Royse City Independent School District (small portion in Collin and Hunt Counties)

From 1997 to 2015, the number of non-Hispanic white children in K-12 schools in the county increased by 6,000 as part of a trend of white flight and suburbanization by non-Hispanic white families.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=February 10, 2020|title=Texas Education Agency - Student Enrollment Reports, by Grade, Gender and Ethnicity|url=https://rptsvr1.tea.texas.gov/adhocrpt/adste.html|access-date=January 21, 2021|website=Texas Education Agency}}{{cite web|author=Nicholson, Eric|url=https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/in-dallas-white-flight-never-ends-8265092|title=In Dallas, White Flight Never Ends|work=Dallas Observer|date=May 3, 2016|access-date=October 29, 2019}}

Collin College's official service area includes all of Rockwall County.[https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.130.htm Texas Education Code, Sec. 130.175. COLLIN COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.]

Politics

Prior to 1972, Rockwall County was a Democratic stronghold. The 1968 election was highly transitional for the county, with Hubert Humphrey only winning with 39% of the vote due to the strong third-party candidacy of George Wallace. From 1972 on, the county has become a Republican stronghold. George H. W. Bush in 1992 has been the only Republican to fail to win a majority in the county since then, as the strong third-party candidacy of Ross Perot that year led him to a second-place finish in the county over national winner Bill Clinton. However, the county was represented in Congress by a Democrat as late as January 2004, when Representative and Rockwall resident Ralph Hall, a conservative Democrat, switched parties and became a Republican.

In recent years, though, especially as the Dallas-Fort Worth Metro area continues to grow and spill over into neighboring counties, the county's Republican bent has lessened a bit. Native son George W. Bush received almost 79% of the vote in 2004.

=Local government=

Rockwall County is divided into four precincts, each represented by a county commissioner.

As of the most recent elections in 2020, all four commissioners are Republicans.

{{PresHead|place=Rockwall County, Texas|source={{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=July 29, 2018}}}}