Aransas County, Texas

This article is about the county. For other uses, see Aransas.

Aransas County, Texas
Location in the state of Texas
Texas's location in the U.S.
Founded	1871
Named for	The Rio Nuestra Senora de Aranzazu, a Spanish outpost in early Texas
Seat	Rockport
Largest city	Rockport
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	528 sq mi (1,367 km²) 252 sq mi (652 km²) 276 sq mi (715 km²), 52.29%
Population  - (2010)  - Density	23,158 89/sq mi (34/km²)
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5
Website	www.aransascounty.org

Aransas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. It is part of the Corpus Christi Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 23,158. Its county seat is Rockport. (See List of Texas county name etymologies.) Aransas County was formed in 1871 from Refugio County.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 528 square miles (1,367.5 km²), of which 252 square miles (652.7 km²) is land and 276 square miles (714.8 km²) (52.29%) is water.

Major highways

• State Highway 35
• State Highway 188

Adjacent counties

• Calhoun County (northeast)
• Gulf of Mexico (southeast)
• Nueces County (south)
• San Patricio County (west)
• Refugio County (northwest)

National protected area

• Aransas National Wildlife Refuge (part)

History

Aransas County was formed in 1871 from portions of Refugio County. It was named after Rio Nuestra Senora de Aranzazu, a Spanish outpost in early Texas.

The first European to see this land was probably Alonso Álvarez de Pineda, who sailed along the coast of Texas in the summer of 1519 and who also discovered the Aransas Bay.

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1880	966		—
1890	1,824		88.8%
1900	1,716		−5.9%
1910	2,106		22.7%
1920	2,064		−2.0%
1930	2,219		7.5%
1940	3,469		56.3%
1950	4,252		22.6%
1960	7,006		64.8%
1970	8,902		27.1%
1980	14,260		60.2%
1990	17,892		25.5%
2000	22,497		25.7%
2010	23,158		2.9%
U.S. Decennial Census Texas Almanac: 1850-2010

As of the census of 2000, there were 22,497 people, 9,132 households, and 6,401 families residing in the county. The population density was 89 people per square mile (34/km²). There were 12,848 housing units at an average density of 51 per square mile (20/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 87.44% White, 1.43% Black or African American, 0.58% Native American, 2.77% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 5.33% from other races, and 2.39% from two or more races. 20.32% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 9,132 households out of which 27.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.00% were married couples living together, 9.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.90% were non-families. 25.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the county, the population was spread out with 23.80% under the age of 18, 6.20% from 18 to 24, 23.20% from 25 to 44, 27.10% from 45 to 64, and 19.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 98.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,702, and the median income for a family was $34,915. Males had a median income of $31,597 versus $20,289 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,560. About 15.50% of families and 19.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.00% of those under age 18 and 10.20% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

• Aransas Pass
• Rockport

Towns

• Fulton

Unincorporated places

• Holiday Beach
• Lamar

Education

Most county residents (including the cities of Rockport and Fulton) are served by the Aransas County Independent School District.

Some residents (including the city of Aransas Pass, which is actually outside of the county) are served by the Aransas Pass Independent School District.

Transportation

Aransas County Airport is located in Fulton, north of Rockport.

See also

• List of museums in the Texas Gulf Coast
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Aransas County, Texas

External links

• Aransas County Government
• Aransas County from the Handbook of Texas Online
• Aransas County Texas Almanac Page
• Historic Photographs of Aransas County
• ShopRockportOnline.com