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Lee County, Texas

Lee County
County
County courthouse in Giddings, built 1899
County courthouse in Giddings, built 1899
Official seal of Lee County
Seal
Map of Texas highlighting Lee County
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Map of the United States highlighting Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 30°19′N 96°58′W / 30.31°N 96.96°W / 30.31; -96.96
Country United States
State Texas
Founded1874
Named forRobert E. Lee
SeatGiddings
Largest cityGiddings
Area
 • Total634 sq mi (1,640 km2)
 • Land629 sq mi (1,630 km2)
 • Water5.1 sq mi (13 km2)  0.8%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total17,478
 • Density28/sq mi (11/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district10th
Websitewww.co.lee.tx.us

Lee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 17,478.[1] Its county seat is Giddings.[2] The county was founded in 1874 and is named for Confederate General Robert E. Lee. The county has many Confederate memorials and monuments to the Confederate States of America.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 634 square miles (1,640 km2), of which 5.1 square miles (13 km2) (0.8%) are covered by water.[3]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18808,937—
189011,95233.7%
190014,59522.1%
191013,132−10.0%
192014,0146.7%
193013,390−4.5%
194012,751−4.8%
195010,144−20.4%
19608,949−11.8%
19708,048−10.1%
198010,95236.1%
199012,85417.4%
200015,65721.8%
201016,6126.1%
202017,4785.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[4]
1850–2010[5] 2010[6] 2020[7]
Lee 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[8] Pop 2010[6] Pop 2020[7] % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 10,724 10,798 10,612 68.49% 65.00% 60.72%
Black or African American alone (NH) 1,872 1,772 1,631 11.96% 10.67% 9.33%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 47 44 47 0.30% 0.26% 0.27%
Asian alone (NH) 32 52 57 0.20% 0.31% 0.33%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 5 17 1 0.03% 0.10% 0.01%
Other race alone (NH) 11 7 37 0.07% 0.04% 0.21%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) 118 198 614 0.75% 1.19% 3.51%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2,848 3,724 4,479 18.19% 22.42% 25.63%
Total 15,657 16,612 17,478 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

As of the census[9] of 2000, 15,657 people, 5,663 households, and 4,150 families were residing in the county. The population density was 25 inhabitants per square mile (9.7/km2). The 6,851 housing units had an average density of 11 units per square mile (4.2 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 76.59% White, 12.08% African American, 0.46% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 8.90% from other races, and 1.72% from two or more races. About 18.19% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race. About 35.5% were of German and 8.3% American ancestry according to Census 2000; 80.1% spoke English, 14.4% Spanish, and 5.1% German as their first language. Of the 5,663 households, 35.7% had children under 18 living with them, 60.0% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were not families. About 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.65, and the average family size was 3.15. In the county, the age distribution was 28.8% under 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.60 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 98.0 males. The median income for a household in the county was $36,280, and for a family was $42,073. Males had a median income of $30,635 versus $21,611 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,163. About 9.70% of families and 11.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.70% of those under age 18 and 16.10% of those 65 or over. As of the 2010 census, Lee County has a similar ethnic makeup compared to the overall United States.[10]

Politics

Lee County was historically Democratic, although less so than the majority of Texas, as it was somewhat allied with the isolated Republican German-American Unionist stronghold centered in Gillespie and Kendall Counties. It nonetheless voted Democratic in every election up to 1976 except the landslide Republican triumphs of 1956 and 1972, plus the heavily war-influenced elections of 1916 and 1940, when its German-American population was suspicious of the Democratic Party's position towards Germany. Since 1980, like all of the rural white South, Lee County has become powerfully Republican. No Democratic presidential candidate has won a majority in the county since Jimmy Carter in 1976, although during the drought- and farm crisis-dominated 1988 election Michael Dukakis won a 14-vote plurality. In the past five elections, the GOP candidate has always passed two-thirds of the county's vote and Donald Trump exceeded three-quarters in 2016 & 2020.

United States presidential election results for Lee County, Texas[11]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 6,255 77.22% 1,750 21.60% 95 1.17%
2016 4,997 76.20% 1,372 20.92% 189 2.88%
2012 4,507 72.27% 1,632 26.17% 97 1.56%
2008 4,312 67.62% 2,000 31.36% 65 1.02%
2004 4,160 68.33% 1,899 31.19% 29 0.48%
2000 3,699 66.82% 1,733 31.30% 104 1.88%
1996 2,354 49.00% 2,008 41.80% 442 9.20%
1992 2,108 41.68% 1,847 36.52% 1,103 21.81%
1988 2,513 49.60% 2,527 49.87% 27 0.53%
1984 2,967 64.05% 1,659 35.82% 6 0.13%
1980 1,803 52.08% 1,581 45.67% 78 2.25%
1976 1,348 40.81% 1,937 58.64% 18 0.54%
1972 1,877 66.70% 920 32.69% 17 0.60%
1968 1,075 35.97% 1,283 42.92% 631 21.11%
1964 923 32.86% 1,884 67.07% 2 0.07%
1960 1,048 42.76% 1,369 55.85% 34 1.39%
1956 1,200 52.77% 1,061 46.66% 13 0.57%
1952 1,316 48.61% 1,389 51.31% 2 0.07%
1948 465 21.91% 1,540 72.57% 117 5.51%
1944 771 35.11% 953 43.40% 472 21.49%
1940 1,150 54.61% 954 45.30% 2 0.09%
1936 271 18.99% 1,155 80.94% 1 0.07%
1932 110 5.67% 1,831 94.33% 0 0.00%
1928 449 27.63% 1,176 72.37% 0 0.00%
1924 271 11.87% 1,561 68.35% 452 19.79%
1920 325 14.65% 712 32.09% 1,182 53.27%
1916 836 56.11% 571 38.32% 83 5.57%
1912 134 13.58% 687 69.60% 166 16.82%

Government and infrastructure

Giddings State School, a Texas Juvenile Justice Department reformatory, in unincorporated Lee County

The Texas Juvenile Justice Department (previously the Texas Youth Commission) operates the Giddings State School in unincorporated Lee County, near Giddings.[12] As of 2004, the Giddings State School was Lee County's largest employer.[13]

Communities

City

Town

Unincorporated communities

Education

School districts:[14]

Most of Lee County is assigned to Blinn Junior College District. Austin Community College is the designated community college for portions of Lee County in Elgin ISD.[15]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Lee 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 3, 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 3, 2015.
  6. ^ a b "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Lee County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
  7. ^ a b "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Lee County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
  8. ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Lee County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
  9. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  10. ^ Patterson, Thom (July 15, 2011). "Welcome to Little America: Lee County, Texas". CNN. Retrieved July 15, 2011.
  11. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  12. ^ "Giddings State School". Texas Youth Commission. Archived from the original on February 20, 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
  13. ^ "Disruption at the Giddings State School". Texas Youth Commission. October 5, 2004. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved January 20, 2011.
  14. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Lee County, TX" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022. - List
  15. ^ Texas Education Code, Sec. 130.166. Austin Community College District Service Area. Sec. 130.168. Blinn Junior College District Service Area.

30°19′N 96°58′W / 30.31°N 96.96°W / 30.31; -96.96

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