Robertson County, Texas
Robertson County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 16,757.[1] Its county seat is Franklin.[2] The county was created in 1837 and organized the following year.[3][4] It is named for Sterling C. Robertson,[5] an early settler who signed the Texas Declaration of Independence.
Robertson County is in east-central Texas and is part of the College Station-Bryan, TX metropolitan statistical area.
Geography
[edit | edit source]According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 865 sq mi (2,240 km2), of which 856 square miles (2,220 km2) are land and 9.7 sq mi (25 km2) (1.1%) are covered by water.[6]
Major highways
[edit | edit source]- File:US 79.svg U.S. Highway 79
- File:US 190.svg U.S. Highway 190
- File:Texas 6.svg State Highway 6
- File:Texas 7.svg State Highway 7
- File:Texas 14.svg State Highway 14
Additionally, State Highway OSR forms Robertson County's southeastern border, but does not fully enter the county.
Adjacent counties
[edit | edit source]- Limestone County (north)
- Leon County (northeast)
- Brazos County (southeast)
- Burleson County (south)
- Milam County (southwest)
- Falls County (northwest)
Demographics
[edit | edit source]Racial and ethnic composition
[edit | edit source]| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980[7] | Pop 1990[8] | Pop 2000[9] | Pop 2010[10] | Pop 2020[11] | % 1980 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 8,617 | 9,373 | 9,580 | 9,821 | 9,505 | 58.81% | 60.43% | 59.88% | 59.08% | 56.72% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 4,626 | 4,197 | 3,830 | 3,509 | 3,095 | 31.57% | 27.06% | 23.94% | 21.11% | 18.47% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 12 | 19 | 43 | 47 | 29 | 0.08% | 0.12% | 0.27% | 0.28% | 0.17% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 13 | 12 | 26 | 96 | 104 | 0.09% | 0.08% | 0.16% | 0.58% | 0.62% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) | x [12] | x [13] | 4 | 0 | 21 | x | x | 0.03% | 0.00% | 0.13% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 13 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 37 | 0.09% | 0.04% | 0.05% | 0.05% | 0.22% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x [14] | x [15] | 150 | 150 | 438 | x | x | 0.94% | 0.90% | 2.61% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1,372 | 1,904 | 2,359 | 2,990 | 3,528 | 9.36% | 12.28% | 14.74% | 17.99% | 21.05% |
| Total | 14,653 | 15,511 | 16,000 | 16,622 | 16,757 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2020 census
[edit | edit source]As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 16,757. The median age was 42.7 years, 24.1% of residents were under the age of 18, and 21.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.7 males age 18 and over.[16]
The racial makeup of the county was 62.7% White, 19.0% Black or African American, 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 9.4% from some other race, and 7.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 21.1% of the population.[17]
There were 6,540 households in the county, of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.1% were married-couple households, 19.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 8,422 housing units, of which 22.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 73.2% were owner-occupied and 26.8% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 11.6%.[16]
Less than 0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[18]
2000 census
[edit | edit source]As of the 2000 census[19], 16,000 people, 6,179 households, and 4,356 families were residing in the county. The population density was 19 people/sq mi (7.3 people/km2). The 7,874 housing units averaged 9 units per square mile (3.5 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 66.20% White, 24.19% African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 7.22% from other races, and 1.79% from two or more races. About 14.74% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.
Of the 6,179 households, 32.00% had children under 18 living with them, 51.10% were married couples living together, 15.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.50% were not families. About 26.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.50% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.55, and the average family size was 3.09.
In the county, the age distribution was 28.20% under 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 24.20% from 25 to 44, 23.10% from 45 to 64, and 17.00% who were 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $28,886, and for a family was $35,590. Males had a median income of $30,795 versus $21,529 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,714. About 17.30% of families and 20.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.70% of those under age 18 and 21.60% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
[edit | edit source]Cities
[edit | edit source]Unincorporated communities
[edit | edit source]Ghost towns
[edit | edit source]Politics
[edit | edit source]Robertson County was a longtime Democratic stronghold, as were many rural Southern counties during the Jim Crow and immediate post-Jim Crow eras (It had only voted for a Republican in the national Republican landslide of 1972, and even then, only by a single vote). In 2000, the last time the county went to a Democrat (Al Gore), it was one of only three majority-white rural counties in Texas (with Newton and Morris) to vote for Bill Clinton's former vice president. None of the three have gone to a Democrat since.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 153 | 11.57% | 1,051 | 79.50% | 118 | 8.93% |
| 1916 | 218 | 13.82% | 1,313 | 83.26% | 46 | 2.92% |
| 1920 | 225 | 8.95% | 1,634 | 64.97% | 656 | 26.08% |
| 1924 | 226 | 10.00% | 1,971 | 87.17% | 64 | 2.83% |
| 1928 | 751 | 33.54% | 1,487 | 66.41% | 1 | 0.04% |
| 1932 | 148 | 5.82% | 2,396 | 94.18% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 86 | 3.16% | 2,633 | 96.77% | 2 | 0.07% |
| 1940 | 175 | 5.20% | 3,191 | 94.80% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 126 | 4.14% | 2,681 | 88.13% | 235 | 7.73% |
| 1948 | 246 | 8.49% | 2,147 | 74.11% | 504 | 17.40% |
| 1952 | 1,378 | 34.39% | 2,626 | 65.54% | 3 | 0.07% |
| 1956 | 1,285 | 36.63% | 2,212 | 63.06% | 11 | 0.31% |
| 1960 | 935 | 25.86% | 2,669 | 73.81% | 12 | 0.33% |
| 1964 | 895 | 21.07% | 3,350 | 78.88% | 2 | 0.05% |
| 1968 | 965 | 20.35% | 2,833 | 59.74% | 944 | 19.91% |
| 1972 | 1,977 | 50.01% | 1,976 | 49.99% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1976 | 1,244 | 24.90% | 3,741 | 74.88% | 11 | 0.22% |
| 1980 | 1,661 | 31.28% | 3,572 | 67.27% | 77 | 1.45% |
| 1984 | 2,663 | 44.27% | 3,339 | 55.50% | 14 | 0.23% |
| 1988 | 2,184 | 37.45% | 3,630 | 62.24% | 18 | 0.31% |
| 1992 | 1,707 | 30.46% | 2,927 | 52.23% | 970 | 17.31% |
| 1996 | 1,944 | 37.57% | 2,912 | 56.27% | 319 | 6.16% |
| 2000 | 3,007 | 47.21% | 3,283 | 51.55% | 79 | 1.24% |
| 2004 | 3,792 | 55.81% | 2,979 | 43.84% | 24 | 0.35% |
| 2008 | 3,980 | 59.31% | 2,675 | 39.87% | 55 | 0.82% |
| 2012 | 4,419 | 60.64% | 2,798 | 38.40% | 70 | 0.96% |
| 2016 | 4,668 | 66.35% | 2,203 | 31.31% | 164 | 2.33% |
| 2020 | 5,646 | 69.62% | 2,374 | 29.27% | 90 | 1.11% |
| 2024 | 6,177 | 75.72% | 1,926 | 23.61% | 55 | 0.67% |
| 2016 | 1 | 33.33% | 1 | 33.33% | 1 | 33.33% |
Template:U.S. SenHead Template:U.S. SenRow Template:U.S. SenFoot Template:U.S. SenHead Template:U.S. SenRow Template:U.S. SenFoot Template:T.X. GovHead Template:T.X. GovRow Template:T.X. GovFoot
Education
[edit | edit source]School districts:
- Bremond Independent School District
- Bryan Independent School District
- Calvert Independent School District
- Franklin Independent School District
- Groesbeck Independent School District
- Hearne Independent School District
- Leon Independent School District
- Mumford Independent School District
Blinn College is the designated community college for portions of the county in Bryan, Franklin, Hearne, and Mumford ISDs. Portions in Bremond ISD and Calvert ISD are zoned to the McLennan Community College District.[22]
See also
[edit | edit source]- National Register of Historic Places listings in Robertson County, Texas
- Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Robertson County
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ "Robertson County, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
- ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ↑ "Texas: Individual County Chronologies". Texas Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2008. Archived from the original on May 13, 2015. Retrieved June 23, 2015.
- ↑ "Roberston County". Texas Almanac. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved June 23, 2015.
- ↑ Hailey, James L; Long, Christopher. "Robertson County". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved October 12, 2011.
- ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
- ↑ "1980 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics- Texas - Table 15. Persons by Race and Table 16. Total Persons and Spanish Origin Persons by Type of Spanish Origin and Race" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. p. 21-46. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 7, 2022.
- ↑ "1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics- Texas - Table 3. Race and Hispanic Origin: 1990" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. p. 29-138. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 3, 2026.
- ↑ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Robertson County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
- ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Robertson County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
- ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Robertson County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
- ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
- ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
- ↑ not an option in the 1980 Census
- ↑ not an option in the 1990 Census
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
- ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
- ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
- ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
- ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
- ↑ Nelson, Jane (November 5, 2024). "PRESIDENT/VICE-PRESIDENT". Secretary of State of Texas. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
- ↑ Texas Education Code Sec. 130.168. BLINN JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA. Sec. 130.187. MCLENNAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.
External links
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- Template:Handbook of Texas
- Sketch of Sterling Robertson from A pictorial history of Texas, from the earliest visits of European adventurers, to A.D. 1879, hosted by the Portal to Texas History.
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