Cameron County, Texas

Cameron County, officially the County of Cameron, is the southernmost county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, its population was 406,220.[1] Its county seat is Brownsville.[2]

Not to be confused with Cameron, Texas.
Cameron County
County
County of Cameron
The current Cameron County Courthouse in Brownsville
Seal
Logo
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 26°09′N 97°27′W
Country United States
State Texas
Founded1848
Named forEwen Cameron
SeatBrownsville
Largest cityBrownsville
Area
 • Total1,276 sq mi (3,300 km2)
 • Land891 sq mi (2,310 km2)
 • Water386 sq mi (1,000 km2)  30%
Population
 • Estimate 
(2019)
423,163
 • Density476/sq mi (184/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district34th
Websitewww.co.cameron.tx.us

The county was founded in 1848 and is named for Captain Ewen Cameron,[3] a soldier during the Texas Revolution and in the ill-fated Mier Expedition. During the later 19th century and through World War II, Fort Brown was a US Army outpost here, stimulating the development of the city of Brownsville.

Cameron County is part of the Brownsville–Harlingen, TX metropolitan statistical area, as well as the Brownsville–Harlingen–Raymondville combined statistical area, which itself is part of the larger Rio Grande Valley region.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,276 square miles (3,300 km2), of which 891 square miles (2,310 km2) are land and 386 square miles (1,000 km2) (30%) are covered by water.[4] To the east, the county borders the Gulf of Mexico.

Major highways

Adjacent counties and municipalities

National protected areas

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
18508,541—
18606,028−29.4%
187010,99982.5%
188014,95936.0%
189014,424−3.6%
190016,09511.6%
191027,15868.7%
192036,66235.0%
193077,540111.5%
194083,2027.3%
1950125,17050.4%
1960151,09820.7%
1970140,368−7.1%
1980209,68049.4%
1990260,12024.1%
2000335,22728.9%
2010406,22021.2%
2019 (est.)423,163[5]4.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]
1850–2010[7] 2010–2019[1]

As of the census[8] of 2010, 406,220 people, 119,631 households, and 96,579 families were residing in the county. The population density was 370 people per square mile (143/km2). The 141,924 housing units averaged 132 per square mile (51/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 87.0% White, 0.5% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 9.8% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. About 88.1% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 119,631 households, 50.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.80% were married couples living together, 20.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.3% were not families. About 16.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.36, and the average family size was 3.80.

In the county, the age distribution was 33.0% under the age of18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.10% who were 65 or older. The median age was 30.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,264, and for a family was $33,770. Males had a median income of $21,410 versus $15,597 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,695. About 30.0% of families and 34.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 46.8% of those under age 18 and 24.8% of those age 65 or over.

A 2000 Texas A&M study stated that of the residents of Cameron County, 43% do not have basic literacy skills.[9]

Within the 2010s decade, a noticeable trend in the county population showed that growth among the county's northern cities (defined as major towns whose city limits lie entirely north or east of U.S. Highway 83 in the county) on average has been greater than those cities on U.S. Highway 83 in the county, suggesting a possible desire among both locals and new residents from outside the Rio Grande Valley to move away from the population centers of the county. This trend has also been shared by nearby Hidalgo County. Los Fresnos, for example, grew by 42.2% from 2010 to 2018. Other major cities, such as Indian Lake, Primera, and Rio Hondo, all grew by more than 15% in the same period. In contrast, the cities of Harlingen, La Feria , and San Benito, all cities along U.S. Highway 83, have seen growths less than 1% in the same period. The city that grew the most among the Highway 83 cities in the county was Brownsville, which grew by 4.4% from 2010 to 2019.

Government and infrastructure

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operates the Port Isabel Service Processing Center, located in an unincorporated area adjacent to the Port Isabel-Cameron County Airport,[10] which is itself owned and operated by the county.[11] The airport has four runways and offers fuel and other general aviation services.[12]

U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen stated in 2013 that the corruption in the county judiciary and legal system was so pervasive that most people would not believe it "unless they heard it themselves."[13]

County Judge Carlos Cascos was to step down after eight years in the position in January 2015 to become Secretary of State of Texas in the new administration of Governor Greg Abbott. Cascos had just won a third term as county judge in the same November 4, 2014 general election in which Abbott defeated the Democrat Wendy R. Davis. In 2006, Cascos had unseated County Judge Gilberto Hinojosa, who in 2012 became the state chairman of the Texas Democratic Party.[14]

Politics

Cameron County leans toward the Democratic Party in presidential elections. The last Republican to win the county was George W. Bush in 2004. Donald Trump's 2016 showing of 32.0% was the lowest received by a Republican candidate in the county since Alf Landon in 1936. However in 2020, Trump's performance of 43% was the best for a Republican in the county since 2004.

As of 2006, officeholders tend to be Democrats. As of 2006, about 20,000 to 30,000 people in Cameron County vote in primary elections, and presidential elections have higher turnouts. Politiqueras, women hired to help elderly people vote, are crucial in South Texas elections.

Presidential elections results
Presidential elections results[15]
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2020 42.9% 49,032 56.1% 64,063 0.9% 1,079
2016 32.0% 29,472 64.5% 59,402 1.1% 3,205
2012 33.9% 26,099 65.0% 49,975 1.1% 821
2008 35.1% 26,671 63.7% 48,480 1.2% 926
2004 50.3% 34,801 49.2% 33,998 0.5% 357
2000 44.8% 27,800 53.5% 33,214 1.7% 1,043
1996 32.6% 18,434 61.8% 34,891 5.6% 3,168
1992 34.1% 20,123 49.8% 29,435 16.1% 9,499
1988 43.7% 24,263 55.8% 30,972 0.6% 317
1984 52.6% 29,545 47.0% 26,394 0.3% 187
1980 47.6% 22,041 50.1% 23,200 2.3% 1,044
1976 39.1% 16,448 60.1% 25,310 0.8% 353
1972 60.7% 20,816 38.9% 13,340 0.4% 144
1968 39.8% 11,759 53.3% 15,726 6.9% 2,042
1964 37.1% 9,531 62.6% 16,056 0.3% 72
1960 45.0% 10,190 54.8% 12,416 0.2% 34
1956 56.9% 11,952 42.0% 8,829 1.2% 241
1952 64.9% 14,018 35.0% 7,559 0.1% 25
1948 39.5% 4,689 57.2% 6,778 3.3% 392
1944 44.8% 5,309 50.6% 5,998 4.6% 539
1940 35.7% 3,370 64.0% 6,035 0.3% 28
1936 26.3% 2,160 71.7% 5,887 1.9% 159
1932 19.9% 1,785 79.5% 7,146 0.6% 54
1928 52.5% 3,544 47.4% 3,202 0.2% 11
1924 34.5% 1,266 60.7% 2,225 4.8% 176
1920 49.2% 909 49.8% 920 0.9% 17
1916 24.5% 420 73.4% 1,260 2.1% 36
1912 6.1% 149 88.4% 2,146 5.5% 134

Education

Cameron County is served by several school districts. They include:

In addition, residents are eligible to apply to South Texas Independent School District's magnet schools.

Economy

SpaceX has been approved by the FAA to build a private spaceport east of Brownsville on the Gulf Coast.[16] The SpaceX South Texas Launch Site is projected to employ 75–100 full-time workers in the early years with up to 150 full-time employees/contractors by 2019.[17] In 2014, SpaceX acquired additional land near Boca Chica, which they consolidated into a subdivision called "Mars Crossing", possibly named after the novel by science-fiction writer Geoffrey A. Landis.[18]

Media

Radio stations

Newspapers
  • The Brownsville Herald (A Freedom Communications, Inc. newspaper based in Brownsville, TX)[24]
  • Valley Morning Star (A Freedom Communications, Inc. newspaper based in Harlingen, TX)[25]
  • El Nuevo Heraldo (AIM Media Texas newspaper based in Brownsville, TX)[26]

Communities

Cities

Towns
A picture of the Cameron County Courthouse (1912), the Dancy Building, in Brownsville, Texas, which served as the County Courthouse before the construction of the current Courthouse: It was restored in 2006 and now houses County Court at Law No 1, as well as some county offices.

Village

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities

Ghost town

See also

References
  1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2011-05-31. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  3. "DeWitt Colony Militia Captains". Tamu.edu. Archived from the original on 2011-01-10. Retrieved 2012-05-14.
  4. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  5. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  6. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  7. "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  8. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
  9. Clark, Steve. "Borders liquidation to bring down local Waldenbooks." The Brownsville Herald. July 20, 2011. Retrieved on July 21, 2011.
  10. "Port Isabel Service Processing Center." U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Retrieved on 21.July 2010.
  11. "Texas Airport Directory - Port Isabel, Port Isabel-Cameron County (PIL)" (PDF). Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  12. FAA Airport Form 5010 for PIL PDF. Federal Aviation Administration, Effective 26 April 2018.
  13. Perez-Treviño, Emma. "Judge: Hard to believe depths of Cameron County corruption Archived 2014-09-14 at the Wayback Machine." Valley Morning Star at The Monitor. Wednesday, January 1, 2014. Retrieved on January 5, 2014.
  14. John Reynolds and Reeve Hamilton (November 11, 2014). "Abbott Says He Will Name Cascos as Secretary of State". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
  15. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved 2018-07-20.
  16. Martinez, Laura (2012-04-10). "Brownsville area candidate for spaceport". The Monitor. Archived from the original on 2012-04-14. Retrieved 2012-05-12.
  17. Nield, George C. (April 2014). Draft Environmental Impact Statement: SpaceX Texas Launch Site (PDF) (Report). 1. Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Commercial Space Transportation. Archived from the original on 2013-12-07.
  18. Perez-Treviño, Emma (2014-02-19). "SpaceX continues local land purchases". Valley Morning Star. Retrieved 2014-02-19.
  19. "Q945rocks.com".
  20. "99.5 La Nueva FM KKPS musica regional Mexicana". Archived from the original on 2013-05-20. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
  21. "Inicio - RADIO JOSE McAllen". 19 July 2012.
  22. Staff, 107.9 Mix FM. "107.9 Mix FM - KVLY".
  23. "Faith, Hope, and Love: KVMV 96.9FM". KVMV 96.9FM.
  24. "Brownsville Herald".
  25. "Valley Morning Star".
  26. "El Nuevo Heraldo".

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