Jim Wells County, Texas

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 868 sqmi, of which 3.4 sqmi (0.4%) are covered by water.

Major highways

• [[Image:US 281.svg|25px]] U.S. Highway 281
  • [[Image:I-69C (TX).svg|25px]] Interstate 69C is currently under construction and will follow the current route of U.S. 281 in most places.
• [[Image:Texas 44.svg|20px]] State Highway 44
• [[Image:Texas 141.svg|20px]] State Highway 141
• [[Image:Texas 359.svg|20px]] State Highway 359
• [[Image:Texas FM 624.svg|20px]] Farm to Market Road 624
• [[Image:Texas FM 665.svg|20px]] Farm to Market Road 665
• [[Image:Texas FM 716.svg|20px]] Farm to Market Road 716
• [[Image:Texas FM 2295.svg|20px]] Farm to Market Road 2295

Adjacent counties

• Live Oak County (north)
• San Patricio County (northeast)
• Nueces County (east)
• Kleberg County (east)
• Brooks County (south)
• Duval County (west)

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1850–2010 2010 2020

Racial and ethnic composition

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 38,891. The median age was 37.9 years, 26.4% of residents were under the age of 18, and 17.2% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.2 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 57.0% White, 0.7% Black or African American, 0.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian,

49.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 50.1% lived in rural areas.

There were 13,764 households in the county, of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 46.5% were married-couple households, 18.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 23.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 16,156 housing units, of which 14.8% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 71.8% were owner-occupied and 28.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 12.2%.

2000 census

At the 2000 census, 39,326 people, 12,961 households and 10,096 families were residing in the county. The population density was 46 /mi2. The 14,819 housing units had an average density of 17 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 77.90% White, 0.60% African American, 0.62% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 118.83% from other races, and 2.43% from two or more races. About 75.71% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

Of the 12,961 households, 40.2% had children under 18 living with them, 58.0% were married couples living together, 15.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.1% were not families. About 19.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.50% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.99, and the average family size was 3.45.

Age distribution was 31.4% under 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.20 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 91.40 males.

The median household income was $28,843, and the median family income was $32,616. Males had a median income of $30,266 versus $17,190 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,252. About 20.1% of families and 24.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.8% of those under age 18 and 21.3% of those aged 65 or over.

Government and politics

Located in South Texas, Jim Wells County is part of the oldest Democratic stronghold in the entire United States, a region that has consistently voted for Democrats since the days of Woodrow Wilson. The Jim Wells County Democratic Party has maintained its influence in the county despite massive demographic changes due to civil rights, the collapse of Jim Crow and poll taxes, and mass immigration from Mexico. The only Republicans to win the county in presidential elections since its creation are Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956, Richard Nixon in his 1972 landslide and Donald Trump in 2020 and 2024. Since 2004, Jim Wells County has become slightly less Democratic than it was during the late twentieth century. Despite this shift, the Democratic nominee won at least 53.77 percent of the county's vote in every presidential election from 1976 through 2016. In 2020, the county ended its streak of Democratic victories when it was won by Donald Trump by a 10% margin.

In the 2018 gubernatorial election, Republican Greg Abbott won 52.04% of the vote in Jim Wells County, becoming the first member of his party to win the county in a race for a state office. In the same election, Democrat Beto O'Rourke won the county in the Senate contest with 53.85% of the vote.

1948 U.S. Senate election

Main article: 1948 United States Senate election in Texas

Jim Wells County is known as the home of the "Box 13 scandal", the infamous ballot box that gave Lyndon Baines Johnson an 87-vote edge out of 988,295 cast over popular former governor Coke Stevenson in the Democratic primary election. It was later demonstrated that 200 votes, for Johnson, were "stuffed" into the ballot box after the polls closed. Johnson went on to win the election.

Communities

Cities

• Alice (county seat)
• Orange Grove
• Premont
• San Diego (mostly in Duval County)

Village

• Pernitas Point (mostly in Live Oak County)

Census-designated places

• Alfred
• Alice Acres
• Amargosa
• Ben Bolt
• Coyote Acres
• K-Bar Ranch
• Loma Linda East
• Owl Ranch
• Rancho Alegre
• Sandia
• South La Paloma
• Westdale

Former census-designated places

• Alfred-South La Paloma
• Owl Ranch-Amargosa

Unincorporated communities

• Bentonville
• Casa Blanca
• La Gloria
• Palito Blanco
• Rancho de la Parita
• Springfield

Education

School districts in the county include:

• Agua Dulce Independent School District
• Alice Independent School District
• Ben Bolt-Palito Blanco Independent School District
• La Gloria Independent School District
• Orange Grove Independent School District
• Premont Independent School District
• San Diego Independent School District

Coastal Bend College (formerly Bee County College) is the designated community college for the county.

References

References

1. (2008). "Texas: Individual County Chronologies". [[Newberry Library.
2. (August 22, 2012). "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
3. "Decennial Census by Decade". [[US Census Bureau]].
4. "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010". Texas Almanac.
5. "Jim Wells County, Texas".
6. "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Jim Wells County, Texas".
7. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Jim Wells County, Texas".
8. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Jim Wells County, Texas".
9. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
10. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
11. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
12. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
13. Sullivan, Robert David; [http://www.americamagazine.org/content/unconventional-wisdom/how-red-and-blue-map-evolved-over-past-century ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’]; ''America Magazine'' in ''The National Catholic Review''; June 29, 2016
14. Leip, David. "2020 Presidential General Election Results – Texas: Jim Wells County".
15. Leip, David. "2018 Gubernatorial General Election Results - Jim Wells County, TX".
16. Leip, David. "2018 Senatorial General Election Results - Jim Wells County, TX".
17. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
18. (November 5, 2024). "2024 Senate Election (Official Returns)".
19. Caro, Robert. (1991). "[[The Years of Lyndon Johnson: Means of Ascent]]".
20. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Jim Wells County, TX". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].
21. [https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.130.htm Texas Education Code Sec. 130.167. BEE COUNTY COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.] The legislation calls it "Bee County College".