Rockwall County, Texas

Rockwall County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. At 149 square miles, Rockwall County has the smallest area of any Texas county. As of the 2010 census, its population was 78,337.[1] Its county seat is Rockwall.[2] The county and city are named for a wall-like subterranean rock formation that runs throughout the county.

Rockwall County
U.S. county
The Rockwall County Courthouse in Rockwall
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 32°53′N 96°25′W
Country United States
State Texas
Founded1873
Named forRockwall, Texas, named in turn for its clastic dikes
SeatRockwall
Largest cityDallas
Area
 • Total149 sq mi (390 km2)
 • Land127 sq mi (330 km2)
 • Water22 sq mi (60 km2)  15%%
Population
 • Estimate 
(2019)
104,915
Demonym(s)Rockwallian
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district4th
Websitewww.rockwallcountytexas.com

Rockwall County is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan statistical area. It was one of the top 25 fastest-growing counties in the U.S. in 2010.[3] Rockwall County is listed as the sixth-wealthiest county in Texas.

Cities in Rockwall county include Rockwall, Heath, Royse City, Fate, McClendon-Chisholm, Mobile City, and part of Rowlett.

History

Rockwall County was formed in 1873 from portions of Kaufman County. It split off because access to the county seat of Kaufman was inconvenient. It was named for its county seat, Rockwall. Rockwall County also is home to the great rock wall, which is no longer in public view today. [4]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 149 square miles (390 km2), of which 127 square miles (330 km2) are land and 22 square miles (57 km2) (15%) are covered by water.[5] It is the smallest county by area in Texas.

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
18802,984—
18905,972100.1%
19008,53142.8%
19108,072−5.4%
19208,5916.4%
19307,658−10.9%
19407,051−7.9%
19506,156−12.7%
19605,878−4.5%
19707,04619.9%
198014,528106.2%
199025,60476.2%
200043,08068.3%
201078,33781.8%
2019 (est.)104,915[6]33.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]
1850–2010[8] 2010–2014[1]

As of the census[9] of 2000, there were 43,080 people, 14,530 households, and 11,972 families residing in the county. The population density was 334 people per square mile (129/km2). There were 15,351 housing units at an average density of 119 per square mile (46/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 89.17% White, 3.24% Black or African American, 0.40% Native American, 1.32% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 4.45% from other races, and 1.37% from two or more races. 11.07% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 14,530 households, out of which 44.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.00% were married couples living together, 8.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.60% were non-families. 14.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.92 and the average family size was 3.23.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 30.10% under the age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 31.10% from 25 to 44, 23.30% from 45 to 64, and 8.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $65,164, and the median income for a family was $71,448 (these figures had risen to $75,915 and $82,150 respectively as of a 2007 estimate[10]). Males had a median income of $49,636 versus $32,410 for females. The per capita income for the county was $28,573. About 3.80% of families and 4.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.60% of those under age 18 and 4.10% of those age 65 or over.

Rockwall County was ranked the sixth fastest-growing county in the nation by the US Census Bureau from 2000 to 2010, adding 35,257 people (an 81.8% change).

Education

The following school districts serve Rockwall County:

From 1997 to 2015 the number of non-Hispanic white children in K-12 schools in the county increased by 6,000 as part of a trend of white flight and suburbanization by non-Hispanic white families.[11][12]

Communities

Cities[13]

Politics

Prior to 1972, Rockwall County was a Democratic Party stronghold. The 1968 election was highly transitional for the county with Hubert Humphrey only winning with 39% of the vote thanks to the strong third-party candidacy of George Wallace. From 1972 on, the county has become a Republican stronghold. George H.W. Bush in 1992 has been the only Republican to fail to win a majority in the county since then, as the strong third-party candidacy of Ross Perot that year led him to a second-place finish in the county over national winner Bill Clinton. However, the county was represented in Congress by a Democrat as late as January 2004, when Representative & Rockwall resident Ralph Hall, a conservative Democrat, switched parties and became a Republican.

Local Government

Rockwall County is divided into four precincts, each represented by a County Commissioner.

As of the most recent elections in 2020, all four Commissioners are Republicans.

Presidential election results
Presidential election results[14]
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2020 68.2% 36,726 30.5% 16,412 1.4% 753
2016 70.8% 28,451 24.0% 9,655 5.2% 2,074
2012 75.8% 27,113 22.7% 8,120 1.5% 531
2008 72.5% 23,300 26.4% 8,492 1.2% 370
2004 78.7% 20,120 20.8% 5,320 0.6% 141
2000 77.4% 13,666 20.6% 3,642 2.0% 344
1996 65.0% 8,319 25.7% 3,289 9.3% 1,188
1992 48.4% 6,427 18.1% 2,397 33.5% 4,445
1988 72.6% 7,214 26.8% 2,659 0.7% 66
1984 80.1% 6,688 19.6% 1,639 0.3% 22
1980 65.3% 4,036 32.1% 1,985 2.6% 163
1976 53.0% 2,087 46.4% 1,828 0.5% 21
1972 75.1% 1,890 24.2% 610 0.7% 18
1968 31.1% 614 39.4% 778 29.5% 583
1964 25.4% 445 74.4% 1,305 0.3% 5
1960 41.2% 652 57.9% 917 0.9% 14
1956 41.5% 657 58.1% 920 0.4% 6
1952 33.7% 602 65.8% 1,175 0.5% 8
1948 9.4% 117 75.6% 947 15.0% 188
1944 7.2% 98 84.9% 1,153 7.9% 107
1940 5.9% 95 94.1% 1,510
1936 2.2% 26 97.7% 1,168 0.1% 1
1932 4.8% 62 95.2% 1,237
1928 25.4% 289 74.6% 850
1924 6.3% 93 93.2% 1,371 0.5% 7
1920 10.5% 104 87.8% 873 1.7% 17
1916 3.1% 27 95.0% 828 2.0% 17
1912 0.0% 0 95.8% 642 4.2% 28

See also

References
  1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  3. El Naser, Haya (2010-03-23). "Texas big Census winner this decade". USA Today. Retrieved 2020-01-21.
  4. "The Mysterious Rock Walls of Rockwall, Texas". February 28, 2017.
  5. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved May 9, 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 May 9, 2015.
  8. "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  9. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
  10. U.S. Census Bureau Fact Finder
  11. "Texas Education Agency - Student Enrollment Reports, by Grade, Gender and Ethnicity". Texas Education Agency. 2020-02-10. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
  12. Nicholson, Eric (2016-05-03). "In Dallas, White Flight Never Ends". Dallas Observer. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
  13. "Population of Texas Cities and Towns Sorted by County". The County Information Project Texas Association of Counties. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  14. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved 2018-07-29.

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