Lavaca County, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lavaca County
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The Lavaca County Courthouse in Hallettsville
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Location within the U.S. state of Texas
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 Texas's location within the U.S. |
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| 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)
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| • 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 is a county in the state of Texas, USA. It was created in 1846. The county is named after the Lavaca River. This river flows southeast through towns like Moulton and Hallettsville. It eventually reaches the coast at Matagorda Bay.
In 2020, about 20,337 people lived in Lavaca County. The main town and county seat is Hallettsville.
Contents
Geography of Lavaca County
Lavaca County covers a total area of about 970 square miles. Most of this area is land. Only a very small part, about 0.7 square miles, is covered by water.
Main Roads in Lavaca County
Several important roads help people travel through Lavaca County:
U.S. Highway 77
U.S. Highway 77 Alternate
U.S. Highway 90 Alternate
State Highway 95
State Highway 111
Neighboring Counties
Lavaca County shares borders with several other counties:
- Fayette County (to the north)
- Colorado County (to the northeast)
- Jackson County (to the southeast)
- Victoria County (to the south)
- DeWitt County (to the southwest)
- Gonzales County (to the northwest)
People and Population
The number of people living in Lavaca County has changed over the years.
| 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 |
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In 2020, the county's population was 20,337. Most people in Lavaca County are White. There are also groups of African American, Native American, and Asian people. A growing number of people are of Hispanic or Latino background.
Many people in Lavaca County have Czech and German family roots. Other common backgrounds include Irish and English. Most people in the county speak English. Some also speak Spanish or Czech.
In 2000, there were about 7,669 households in the county. About 30% of these households had children under 18 living there. The average age of people in the county was 42 years old.
Education in Lavaca County
Students in Lavaca County attend several public school districts. These districts provide education from kindergarten through 12th grade.
School Districts
- Ezzell Independent School District
- Hallettsville Independent School District
- Moulton Independent School District
- Shiner Independent School District
- Sweet Home Independent School District
- Weimar Independent School District
- Yoakum Independent School District
There is also Vysehrad Independent School District, which is an elementary-only school district. After elementary school, students from Vysehrad ISD attend Hallettsville ISD for middle and high school.
For higher education, all of Lavaca County is served by Victoria College.
Towns and Communities
Lavaca County has several towns and smaller communities where people live.
Cities
- Hallettsville (This is the county seat, where the main county government offices are located.)
- Shiner
- Yoakum (Part of this city is also in DeWitt County.)
Town
Unincorporated Communities
These are smaller communities that are not officially organized as cities or towns:
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Lavaca para niños
