Matagorda County, Texas Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Matagorda County
U.S. county
The Matagorda County Courthouse and Confederate Soldier Statue in Bay City
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Texas
Founded	1836
Seat	Bay City
Largest city	Bay City
Area
• Total	1,613 sq mi (4,180 km²)
• Land	1,100 sq mi (3,000 km²)
• Water	512 sq mi (1,330 km²) 32%
Population (2020)
• Total	36,255
• Density	22.477/sq mi (8.6783/km²)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	22nd

Matagorda County Office Building

Matagorda County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 36,255. Its county seat is Bay City, not to be confused with the larger Baytown in Harris and Chambers Counties. Matagorda County is named for the canebrakes that once grew along the coast (matagorda is a Spanish word meaning "thick bush").

Matagorda County comprises the Bay City, TX micropolitan statistical area, which is also included in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX combined statistical area.

Geography
Demographics
Economy
Education
Communities
Notable people
Gallery
See also

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,613 square miles (4,180 km²), of which 512 square miles (1,330 km²) (32%) are covered by water. The water area includes Matagorda Bay. It borders the Gulf of Mexico.

Major highways

State Highway 35
State Highway 60
State Highway 71
State Highway 111

Adjacent counties

Brazoria County (northeast)
Calhoun County (southwest)
Jackson County (west)
Wharton County (northwest)

National protected areas

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1850	2,124	—
1860	3,454	62.6%
1870	3,377	−2.2%
1880	3,940	16.7%
1890	3,985	1.1%
1900	6,097	53.0%
1910	13,597	123.0%
1920	16,589	22.0%
1930	17,678	6.6%
1940	20,066	13.5%
1950	21,559	7.4%
1960	25,744	19.4%
1970	27,913	8.4%
1980	37,828	35.5%
1990	36,928	−2.4%
2000	37,957	2.8%
2010	36,702	−3.3%
2020	36,255	−1.2%
U.S. Decennial Census 1850–2010 2010 2020

**Matagorda County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition**
*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 may be of any race.*
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	19,900	17,400	15,355	52.43%	47.41%	42.35%
Black or African American alone (NH)	4,778	4,060	3,734	12.59%	11.06%	10.30%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	125	104	99	0.33%	0.28%	0.27%
Asian alone (NH)	891	693	700	2.35%	1.89%	1.93%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	6	7	7	0.02%	0.02%	0.02%
Other race alone (NH)	23	33	103	0.06%	0.09%	0.28%
Mixed race or multiracial (NH)	336	331	802	0.89%	0.90%	2.21%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	11,898	14,074	15,455	31.35%	38.35%	42.63%
Total	37,957	36,702	36,255	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of the census of 2000, 37,957 people, 13,901 households, and 9,925 families were residing in the county. The population density was 34 people per square mile (13 people/km²). The 18,611 housing units averaged 17 units per square mile (6.6/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 67.83% White, 12.72% African American, 0.67% Native American, 2.38% Asian, 14.02% from other races, and 2.38% from two or more races. About 31.35% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. By ancestry, 10.3% were of German, 8.2% American, 5.4% English, and 5.2% Irish according to Census 2000, and 73.9% spoke English, 24.0% Spanish, and 1.6% Vietnamese as their first language.

Of the 13,901 households, 36.70% had children under 18 living with them, 53.80% were married couples living together, 12.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.60% were not families. About 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.70, and the average family size was 3.25.

In the county, the age distribution was 30.0% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 26.90% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.60 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 95.5 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,174, and for a family was $40,586. Males had a median income of $37,733 versus $21,871 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,709. About 14.90% of families and 18.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.00% of those under age 18 and 13.60% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

The Matagorda County Museum in Bay City is located across from the Courthouse.

Rice is grown extensively in Matagorda County, as are St. Augustine and other turf grasses. In addition to a wealth of offshore oil rigs and natural gas extraction facilities all over the county, two petrochemical processing plants (Celanese and Equistar) and the South Texas Project nuclear power plant operate within the county. Matagorda County has secluded, extensive forests, wetlands, prairie, and coastal regions. The Gulf Coast floodplain has several conditions conducive to a variety of ecosystems and recreational activities evident by the highest count of migrating birds in the United States. Fishing (on- and offshore), hunting, and scuba diving are large parts of the recreation industry due to the Colorado River, the forests, and Matagorda Bay. The Rio Colorado Golf Course and a birdwatching park are on the Colorado River near the State Highway 35 bridge, and several wildlife preserves are located around the county, a portion of which is land bought for that purpose by the two major petrochemical refineries and nuclear plant in the county.

Education

School districts serving Matagorda County include:

Bay City Independent School District
Boling Independent School District (partial)
Matagorda Independent School District
Palacios Independent School District (partial)
Tidehaven Independent School District
Van Vleck Independent School District

Residents in Bay City, Boling, Matagorda, Palacios, Tidehaven, and Van Vleck ISDs (in other words, the entire county) are in the service area of Wharton County Junior College.

Communities

Cities

Bay City (county seat)
Palacios

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Ghost towns

Hawley

Notable people

James Boyd Hawkins, a planter and rancher, was the founder of Hawkins Plantation.
Charlie Siringo
Hortense Sparks Ward
Priscilla Richman, chief judge of the Fifth Circuit
William Abrams (W.A.) Price was the first black attorney, the first black judge, and the first black man elected county attorney in Texas.

Gallery

Monument erected by the Daughters of the Confederacy on the Matagorda County Courthouse Square in Bay City in 1913
Episcopal Church, Palacios

Matagorda County, Texas facts for kids

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