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Lavaca County, Texas facts for kids

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Lavaca County
The Lavaca County Courthouse in Hallettsville
The Lavaca County Courthouse in Hallettsville
Map of Texas highlighting Lavaca County
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Map of the United States highlighting Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Texas
Founded 1846
Named for Lavaca River
Seat Hallettsville
Largest city Yoakum
Area
 • Total 970 sq mi (2,500 km2)
 • Land 970 sq mi (2,500 km2)
 • Water 0.7 sq mi (2 km2)  0.08%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 20,337
 • Density 20.97/sq mi (8.10/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 27th

Lavaca County (Listeni/ləˈvɑːkə/ lə-VAH-kə) is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 20,337. Its county seat is Hallettsville. The county was created in 1846. It is named for the Lavaca River, which curves its way southeast through Moulton and Hallettsville before reaching the coast at Matagorda Bay.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 970 square miles (2,500 km2), of which 0.7 square miles (1.8 km2) (0.08%) is covered by water.

Major highways

  • US 77.svg U.S. Highway 77
  • Alternate plate.svg
    US 77.svg U.S. Highway 77 Alternate
  • Alternate plate.svg
    US 90.svg U.S. Highway 90 Alternate
  • Texas 95.svg State Highway 95
  • Texas 111.svg State Highway 111

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1850 1,571
1860 5,945 278.4%
1870 9,168 54.2%
1880 13,641 48.8%
1890 21,887 60.5%
1900 28,121 28.5%
1910 26,418 −6.1%
1920 28,964 9.6%
1930 27,550 −4.9%
1940 25,485 −7.5%
1950 22,159 −13.1%
1960 20,174 −9.0%
1970 17,903 −11.3%
1980 19,004 6.1%
1990 18,690 −1.7%
2000 19,210 2.8%
2010 19,263 0.3%
2020 20,337 5.6%
2021 (est.) 20,544 6.7%
U.S. Decennial Census
1850–2010 2010 2020
Lavaca County, Texas - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 14,674 14,564 76.18% 71.61%
Black or African American alone (NH) 1,255 1,173 6.52% 5.77%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 30 30 0.16% 0.15%
Asian alone (NH) 56 74 0.29% 0.36%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 17 5 0.09% 0.02%
Some other race alone (NH) 18 31 0.09% 0.15%
Mixed/multiracial (NH) 136 524 0.71% 2.58%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 3,077 3,936 15.97% 19.35%
Total 19,263 20,337 100.00% 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 of 2000, 19,210 people, 7,669 households, and 5,391 families were residing in the county. The population density was 20 people per square mile (7.7 people/km2). The 9,657 housing units had an average density of 10 units per square mile (3.9 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 86.86% White, 6.79% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 4.86% from other races, and 1.14% from two or more races. About 11.36% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race. Of descent, 27.0% were of Czech, 24.1% German, 9.1% American, and 5.1% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000; 86.3% spoke English, 7.7% Spanish, 4.6% Czech and 1.2% German as their first language. In terms of ancestry in 2016, 32.8% were of German, 30.7% were of Czech, 10.8% were of Irish, 5.4% were of English, 3.4% were of American, and 2.2% were French.

Of the 7,669 households, 30.0% had children under 18 living with them, 57.7% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were not families. About 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.44, and the average family size was 2.98.

In the county, the age distribution was 24.2% under 18, 6.90% from 18 to 24, 23.50% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 21.80% who were 65 or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.10 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 88.50 males.

The median income for a household was $29,132, and for a family was $36,760. Males had a median income of $26,988 versus $17,537 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,398. About 10.20% of families and 13.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.20% of those under age 18 and 18.40% of those age 65 or over.

Education

These school public school districts are located in Lavaca County:

  • Hallettsville Independent School District
  • Moulton Independent School District
  • Shiner Independent School District
  • Sweet Home Independent School District
  • Vysehrad Independent School District
  • Yoakum Independent School District
  • Ezzell Independent School District

Communities

Cities

Town

Unincorporated communities

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Lavaca para niños

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