Wharton County, Texas#Micropolitan Statistical Area

{{Infobox U.S. county

| county = Wharton County

| state = Texas

| seal =

| founded = 1846

| seat wl = Wharton

| largest city wl = El Campo

| area_total_sq_mi = 1094

| area_land_sq_mi = 1086

| area_water_sq_mi = 8.2

| area percentage = 0.8

| census yr = 2020

| pop = 41570

| density_sq_mi = auto

| ex image = Wharton county courthouse 2013.jpg

| ex image size = 250

| ex image cap = The Wharton County Courthouse in Wharton

| web = www.co.wharton.tx.us

| time zone = Central

| district = 22nd

| named for = William H. Wharton and John Austin Wharton

}}

Image:Veterans Monument at Wharton Courthouse IMG 1028.JPG

Image:Dickson monument at Wharton County, TX, Courthouse IMG 1030.JPG Hamilton B. Dickson of Wharton County who served during the 1880s and was killed in an ambush in the line of duty.]]

Wharton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 41,570.{{Cite web|title=Wharton County, Texas|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0500000US48481|website=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=February 23, 2021}} Its county seat is Wharton.{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}} The county was named for brothers William Harris 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 {{convert|1094|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|1086|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|8.2|sqmi}} (0.8%) is water.{{cite web|url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_48.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=May 12, 2015|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files}}

The county is about {{convert|130|mi|km}} southeast of Austin."[http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2016/1/27/texas-responsible-for-37-percent-of-all-us-executions.html 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

{{US Census population

|1850= 1752

|1860= 3380

|1870= 3426

|1880= 4459

|1890= 7584

|1900= 16942

|1910= 21123

|1920= 24288

|1930= 29681

|1940= 36158

|1950= 36077

|1960= 38152

|1970= 36729

|1980= 40242

|1990= 39955

|2000= 41188

|2010= 41280

|2020= 41570

|estyear=

|estimate=

|estref=

|align-fn=center

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.html|title=Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades|publisher=US Census Bureau|access-date=}}
1850–2010{{cite web|url=http://texasalmanac.com/sites/default/files/images/topics/ctypophistweb2010.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://texasalmanac.com/sites/default/files/images/topics/ctypophistweb2010.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live|title=Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010|publisher=Texas Almanac|access-date=May 12, 2015}} 2010 2020

}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

|+Wharton 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 2000{{Cite web|title=P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Wharton County, Texas |url=https://data.census.gov/table?g=050XX00US48481&tid=DECENNIALSF12000.P004|publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date= }}

!Pop 2010{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Wharton County, Texas |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=050XX00US48481&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date= }}

!{{partial|Pop 2020}}{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Wharton County, Texas |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=050XX00US48481&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date= }}

!% 2000

!% 2010

!{{partial|% 2020}}

White alone (NH)

|21,832

|19,681

|style='background: #ffffe6; |18,130

|53.01%

|47.68%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |43.61%

Black or African American alone (NH)

|6,060

|5,668

|style='background: #ffffe6; |5,469

|14.71%

|13.73%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |13.16%

Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|59

|62

|style='background: #ffffe6; |69

|0.14%

|0.15%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.17%

Asian alone (NH)

|113

|154

|style='background: #ffffe6; |164

|0.27%

|0.37%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.39%

Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|18

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0

|0.04%

|0.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.00%

Other race alone (NH)

|15

|26

|style='background: #ffffe6; |104

|0.04%

|0.06%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.25%

Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)

|203

|242

|style='background: #ffffe6; |667

|0.49%

|0.59%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.60%

Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|12,888

|15,445

|style='background: #ffffe6; |16,967

|31.29%

|37.42%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |40.82%

Total

|41,188

|41,280

|style='background: #ffffe6; |41,570

|100.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

As of the census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=May 14, 2011|title=U.S. Census website}} of 2000, there were 41,188 people, 14,799 households, and 10,744 families residing in the county. The population density was {{convert|38|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people |people|}}. There were 16,606 housing units at an average density of {{convert|15|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units |units|}}. 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.[http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/09/visualizing-slavery/ 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.[https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/12/10/opinion/20101210_Disunion_SlaveryMap.html 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=

20px U.S. Highway 59
20px Interstate 69 is currently under construction and will follow the current route of U.S. 59 in most places.
20px
20px U.S. Highway 90 Alternate
20px State Highway 60
20px State Highway 71
20px Farm to Market Road 102
20px Farm to Market Road 442
20px Farm to Market Road 1160
20px Farm to Market Road 1301

Politics

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

{{PresHead|place=Wharton 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=February 21, 2021}}}}

{{U.S. SenHead|place=Wharton County, Texas|Seat=1|source={{cite news |title=2024 Senate Election (Official Returns) |website=Commonwealth of Texas by county |date=November 5, 2024 |access-date=December 5, 2024 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-elections/texas-senate-results}}}}

Communities

=Cities=

East Bernard
El Campo
Wharton (county seat)

=Census-designated places=

=Unincorporated communities=

=Ghost towns=

References

External links

[https://texashistory.unt.edu/explore/partners/DHPS/ Danish Heritage Preservation Society]
[http://www.co.wharton.tx.us/ Wharton County government's website]
{{Handbook of Texas|id=hcw06|name=Wharton County}}
[http://whartoncountysheriff.org/ Wharton County Sheriff's Office]

{{Geographic Location

|Centre = Wharton County, Texas

|North = Austin County

|Northeast = Fort Bend County

|East = Brazoria County

|Southeast = Matagorda County

|South =

|Southwest = Jackson County

|West =

|Northwest = Colorado County

}}

{{coord|29.28|-96.22|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-TX_source:UScensus1990}}