Robertson County, Texas

Coordinates: 31°02′N 96°31′W / 31.03°N 96.51°W / 31.03; -96.51
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Robertson County
The Robertson County Courthouse in Franklin
Map of Texas highlighting Robertson County
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Map of the United States highlighting Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 31°02′N 96°31′W / 31.03°N 96.51°W / 31.03; -96.51
Country United States
State Texas
Founded1838
Named forSterling C. Robertson
SeatFranklin
Largest cityHearne
Area
 • Total865 sq mi (2,240 km2)
 • Land856 sq mi (2,220 km2)
 • Water9.7 sq mi (25 km2)  1.1%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total16,757
 • Density19/sq mi (7.5/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district17th
Websitewww.co.robertson.tx.us

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]

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]

Additionally, State Highway OSR forms Robertson County's southeastern border, but does not fully enter the county.

Adjacent counties[edit]

Demographics[edit]

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1850934
18604,997435.0%
18709,99099.9%
188022,383124.1%
189026,50618.4%
190031,48018.8%
191027,454−12.8%
192027,9331.7%
193027,240−2.5%
194025,710−5.6%
195019,908−22.6%
196016,157−18.8%
197014,389−10.9%
198014,6531.8%
199015,5115.9%
200016,0003.2%
201016,6223.9%
202016,7570.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]
1850–2010[8] 2010[9] 2020[10]
Robertson County, Texas - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2010[9] Pop 2020[10] % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 9,821 9,505 59.08% 56.72%
Black or African American alone (NH) 3,509 3,095 21.11% 18.47%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 47 29 0.28% 0.17%
Asian alone (NH) 96 104 0.58% 0.62%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 0 21 0.00% 0.13%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 9 37 0.05% 0.22%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) 150 438 0.90% 2.61%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2,990 3,528 17.99% 21.05%
Total 16,622 16,757 100.00% 100.00%

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 can be of any race.

As of the census[11] of 2000, 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]

Cities[edit]

Unincorporated communities[edit]

Ghost towns[edit]

Politics[edit]

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 (with Newton and Morris) to vote for Bill Clinton's former vice president. None of the three have gone to a Democrat since.

United States presidential election results for Robertson County, Texas[12]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 5,646 69.71% 2,374 29.31% 79 0.98%
2016 4,668 66.35% 2,203 31.31% 164 2.33%
2012 4,419 60.64% 2,798 38.40% 70 0.96%
2008 3,980 59.31% 2,675 39.87% 55 0.82%
2004 3,792 55.81% 2,979 43.84% 24 0.35%
2000 3,007 47.21% 3,283 51.55% 79 1.24%
1996 1,944 37.57% 2,912 56.27% 319 6.16%
1992 1,707 30.46% 2,927 52.23% 970 17.31%
1988 2,184 37.45% 3,630 62.24% 18 0.31%
1984 2,663 44.27% 3,339 55.50% 14 0.23%
1980 1,661 31.28% 3,572 67.27% 77 1.45%
1976 1,244 24.90% 3,741 74.88% 11 0.22%
1972 1,977 50.01% 1,976 49.99% 0 0.00%
1968 965 20.35% 2,833 59.74% 944 19.91%
1964 895 21.07% 3,350 78.88% 2 0.05%
1960 935 25.86% 2,669 73.81% 12 0.33%
1956 1,285 36.63% 2,212 63.06% 11 0.31%
1952 1,378 34.39% 2,626 65.54% 3 0.07%
1948 246 8.49% 2,147 74.11% 504 17.40%
1944 126 4.14% 2,681 88.13% 235 7.73%
1940 175 5.20% 3,191 94.80% 0 0.00%
1936 86 3.16% 2,633 96.77% 2 0.07%
1932 148 5.82% 2,396 94.18% 0 0.00%
1928 751 33.54% 1,487 66.41% 1 0.04%
1924 226 10.00% 1,971 87.17% 64 2.83%
1920 225 8.95% 1,634 64.97% 656 26.08%
1916 218 13.82% 1,313 83.26% 46 2.92%
1912 153 11.57% 1,051 79.50% 118 8.93%

Education[edit]

School districts:

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.[13]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Robertson County, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ "Texas: Individual County Chronologies". Texas Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2008. Retrieved June 23, 2015.
  4. ^ "Roberston County". Texas Almanac. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved June 23, 2015.
  5. ^ Hailey, James L; Long, Christopher. "Robertson County". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved October 12, 2011.
  6. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  7. ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". US Census Bureau.
  8. ^ "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  9. ^ a b "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.
  10. ^ a b "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.
  11. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  12. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  13. ^ Texas Education Code Sec. 130.168. BLINN JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA. Sec. 130.187. MCLENNAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.

External links[edit]

31°02′N 96°31′W / 31.03°N 96.51°W / 31.03; -96.51