Ellis County, Texas

Ellis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2019, its population was estimated to be 184,826.[1] The county seat is Waxahachie.[2] The county was founded in 1849 and organized the next year.[3] It is named for Richard Ellis,[4] president of the convention that produced the Texas Declaration of Independence.

Ellis County
The Ellis County Courthouse in Waxahachie
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 32°21′N 96°47′W
Country United States
State Texas
Founded1850
Named forRichard Ellis
SeatWaxahachie
Largest cityWaxahachie
Area
  Total952 sq mi (2,470 km2)
  Land936 sq mi (2,420 km2)
  Water16 sq mi (40 km2)  1.7%%
Population
 (2010)
  Total149,610
  Density191/sq mi (74/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
  Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district6th
Websitewww.co.ellis.tx.us
Across from the courthouse is the Ellis County Museum.

Ellis County is included in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan statistical area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 952 square miles (2,470 km2), of which 935 square miles (2,420 km2) are land and 16 square miles (41 km2) (1.7%) are covered by water.[5]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.
1850989
18605,246430.4%
18707,51443.2%
188021,294183.4%
189031,77449.2%
190050,05957.5%
191053,6297.1%
192055,7003.9%
193053,936−3.2%
194047,733−11.5%
195045,645−4.4%
196043,395−4.9%
197046,6387.5%
198059,74328.1%
199085,16742.6%
2000111,36030.8%
2010149,61034.3%
2019 (est.)184,826[6]23.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]
1850–2010[8] 2010–2019[1]

As of the census[9] of 2000, 111,360 people, 37,020 households, and 29,653 families resided in the county. The population density was 118 people per square mile (46/km2). The 39,071 housing units averaged 42 per square mile (16/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 80.63% White, 8.64% African American, 0.59% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 7.92% from other races, and 1.86% from two or more races. About 18.42% of the population was Hispanic or Latinos of any race.

Of the 37,020 households, 42.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.80% were married couples living together, 11.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.90% were not families. About 16.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.96 and the average family size was 3.31.

A Williams Institute analysis of 2010 census data found about 3.2 same-sex couples per 1,000 households were in the county.[10]

In the county, the age distribution was 30.20% under the age of 18, 9.30% from 18 to 24, 29.80% from 25 to 44, 21.50% from 45 to 64, and 9.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $50,350, and for a family was $55,358. Males had a median income of $37,613 versus $26,612 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,212. About 6.80% of families and 8.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.10% of those under age 18 and 10.40% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Ellis is a staunchly Republican county in presidential elections. The last Democratic presidential candidate to carry the county was Jimmy Carter in 1976, and since 2000, Republican presidential candidates have won with more than two-thirds of the vote.

Presidential elections results
Presidential elections results[11]
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2020 66.3% 56,717 32.2% 27,565 1.4% 1,211
2016 70.1% 44,941 25.4% 16,253 4.6% 2,916
2012 72.9% 39,574 25.6% 13,881 1.5% 799
2008 70.7% 38,078 28.5% 15,333 0.8% 442
2004 74.5% 34,602 25.1% 11,640 0.4% 202
2000 69.9% 26,091 28.5% 10,629 1.6% 587
1996 53.9% 16,046 36.4% 10,832 9.7% 2,888
1992 40.5% 13,564 28.5% 9,537 31.0% 10,394
1988 59.2% 16,422 40.3% 11,169 0.6% 158
1984 67.6% 16,873 32.2% 8,029 0.3% 72
1980 51.3% 10,046 47.1% 9,219 1.6% 315
1976 41.0% 6,996 58.6% 9,991 0.4% 68
1972 69.5% 8,779 30.4% 3,839 0.1% 8
1968 31.4% 3,794 45.0% 5,431 23.6% 2,842
1964 27.6% 2,779 72.3% 7,278 0.1% 5
1960 38.4% 3,666 61.2% 5,841 0.4% 36
1956 40.7% 3,585 59.1% 5,211 0.3% 24
1952 39.9% 4,183 59.9% 6,275 0.2% 24
1948 13.8% 1,055 75.6% 5,792 10.7% 818
1944 8.0% 666 85.1% 7,065 6.9% 573
1940 8.1% 692 91.9% 7,881 0.1% 5
1936 5.3% 319 94.5% 5,644 0.2% 12
1932 6.9% 527 92.5% 7,033 0.6% 44
1928 44.7% 3,569 55.1% 4,399 0.2% 13
1924 13.5% 1,220 84.9% 7,678 1.6% 142
1920 14.0% 819 69.7% 4,081 16.3% 957
1916 6.3% 324 92.0% 4,718 1.7% 85
1912 7.4% 293 88.2% 3,483 4.3% 171

Media

Ellis County is part of the Dallas/Fort Worth television media market in North Texas. Stations in the market are KDFW-TV, KXAS-TV, WFAA-TV, KTVT-TV, KERA-TV, KTXA-TV, KDFI-TV, KDAF-TV, KFWD-TV, and KDTX-TV.

A weekly newspaper, the Ellis County Press, is based in Ferris and published Thursdays. The Waxahachie Daily Light and Waxahachie Sun are published biweekly; other weekly newspapers are The Ennis News and Midlothian Mirror.

Communities

Bardwell Dam and Lake in Ellis County near the town of Ennis
Ellis County Courts building

Cities (multiple counties)

Cities

Towns

Census-designated place

Unincorporated communities

Notable people

  • Clyde Barrow of Bonnie and Clyde
  • J. D. Grey, clergyman, pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Ennis, 1931–1934; later president of the Southern Baptist Convention
  • Ernest Tubb, country singer and songwriter
  • Donnie Fleeman professional light-heavyweight boxer, only Ellis County native to fight 3 world champion heavyweights; Sonny Liston, Ezzard Charles, and Muhammad Ali (formerly Cassius Clay). 47 national/international fights in his professional career. 37 wins, 22 KOs. Won State Heavyweight Title (Golden Gloves) in 1953 - contender for National Heavyweight Title, but lost to Sonny Liston. Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) was Fleeman's last professional fight, and took place in Miami, FL in 1961. This was Clay's 5th professional fight.
  • Lecil Travis Martin, known more commonly as Boxcar Willie, country singer and songwriter

See also

References

  1. "State & County QuickFacts". U.S. Census. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved Jan 29, 2021.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2011-05-31. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  3. "Texas: Individual County Chronologies". Texas Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2008. Retrieved May 23, 2015.
  4. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 117.
  5. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
  6. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  7. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
  8. "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
  9. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
  10. Where Same-Sex Couples Live, June 26, 2015, retrieved July 6, 2015
  11. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved 2018-07-22.

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