Kleberg County, Texas

History

The county was organized in 1913 and was named for Robert J. Kleberg, an early settler.

In 1997, the county commissioners designated "HeavenO" as the county's official greeting because of a taboo stemming from "Hello"'s perceived connotations of Hell.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1090 sqmi, of which 881 sqmi is land and 209 sqmi (19%) is water. It borders the Gulf of Mexico. Baffin Bay makes up a large part of the border with Kenedy County.

Major highways

• [[Image:I-69E (TX).svg|25px]] Interstate 69E (Under Construction)
• [[Image:US 77.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 77
• [[Image:Texas 141.svg|20px]] State Highway 141
• [[Image:Texas 285.svg|20px]] State Highway 285
• [[Image:Texas FM 771.svg|20px]] Farm to Market Road 771
• [[Image:Texas Park Road 22.svg|20px]] Park Road 22

Adjacent counties

• Nueces County (north)
• Kenedy County (south)
• Brooks County (southwest)
• Jim Wells County (west)

National protected area

• Padre Island National Seashore (part)

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1850–2010 2010 2020

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 31,040 and a median age of 32.2 years; 23.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 14.5% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 101.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 99.9 males.

The racial makeup of the county was 55.6% White, 3.6% Black or African American, 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.6% Asian,

80.4% of residents lived in urban areas, while 19.6% lived in rural areas.

There were 11,530 households in the county, of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 40.1% were married-couple households, 24.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 13,948 housing units, of which 17.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 53.5% were owner-occupied and 46.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 17.2%.

Racial and ethnic composition

2000 Census

As of the census of 2000, there were 31,549 people, 10,896 households, and 7,681 families residing in the county. The population density was 36 /mi2. There were 12,743 housing units at an average density of 15 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 71.87% White, 3.70% Black or African American, 0.61% Native American, 1.47% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 19.00% from other races, and 3.25% from two or more races. 65.41% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 10,896 households, out of which 34.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.10% were married couples living together, 13.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.50% were non-families. 22.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.30.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.30% under the age of 18, 15.70% from 18 to 24, 27.40% from 25 to 44, 19.00% from 45 to 64, and 10.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,313, and the median income for a family was $33,055. Males had a median income of $31,179 versus $19,494 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,542. About 21.20% of families and 26.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.50% of those under age 18 and 15.60% of those age 65 or over.

Religion

68.1% of the people in Kleberg County are religious: 37.3% are Catholics, 9.8% are Baptists, 8% are Muslims, 3.3% are Methodists, 2.7% are Pentecostals, 2.0% are Mormons, 0.9% are Lutherans, 0.7% are Presbyterians, 0.6% are Episcopalians and 2.8% are from another Christian faith.

Communities

Cities and towns

• Corpus Christi (also in Aransas, Nueces, and San Patricio counties)
• Kingsville (county seat)

Census-designated places

• Ricardo
• Riviera

Unincorporated community

• Loyola Beach

Politics

Kleberg County is represented in the Texas House of Representatives by José Manuel Lozano, a Republican party politician. Kleberg County has leaned Democratic most of its history but has become more competitive in the 21st century. An indicator of that trend is Lozano, who was originally a Democrat but switched to the Republican party in 2012. Kleberg County Attorney Kira Talip Sanchez was originally elected as a Democrat in 2014 but switched parties in August 2023 and is now a Republican. No candidate from either party has managed to reach 60% of the vote share in a presidential election since Jimmy Carter in 1976.

Compared to the rest of the ancestral Democratic stronghold of South Texas, Kleberg County has seen a relatively mild swing towards the Democrats - for example, in 2024, the county voted to the left of nearby Starr County for the first time in its history. Some of this may be attributed to Kleberg County's lower Hispanic population, especially in rural areas.

Education

School districts in the county include:

• Kingsville Independent School District
• Ricardo Independent School District
• Riviera Independent School District
• Santa Gertrudis Independent School District

Coastal Bend College (formerly Bee County College) is the designated community college for the Kingsville, Ricardo, and Santa Gertrudis school district areas. The Riviera ISD portion is in the Del Mar College-Corpus Christi Junior College District.

References

References

1. "Kleberg County, Texas".
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
3. ''Columbia-Lippincott Gazetteer'', p. 959
4. ''Columbia-Lippincott Gazetteer'', p. 959.
5. Kelley Shannon, "[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-01-19-me-20119-story.html Say Goodbye to ‘Hello’ and Hello to ‘Heaven-o’]", ''The Los Angeles Times'', January 19, 1997.
6. "[https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1997-01-21-9701210272-story.html Heaven-o]", ''The Chicago Tribune'', January 21, 1997.
7. (August 22, 2012). "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
8. "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". [[US Census Bureau]].
9. "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010". Texas Almanac.
10. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
11. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
12. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
13. "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Kleberg County, Texas".
14. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Kleberg County, Texas".
15. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Kleberg County, Texas".
16. "U.S. Census". [[United States Census Bureau]].
17. https://www.bestplaces.net/religion/county/texas/kleberg
18. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
19. (November 5, 2024). "2024 Senate Election (Official Returns)".
20. "J. M. Lozano". Texas Legislative Reference Library.
21. (August 20, 2023). "Texas county attorney leaves Democratic Party for GOP over border crisis".
22. "Texas Education Code, Title 3. Higher Education, Subtitle G. Non-baccalaureate System, Chapter 130. Junior College Districts". Texas Constitution and Statutes.