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Zapata County, Texas

Coordinates: 27°00′N 99°11′W / 27.00°N 99.18°W / 27.00; -99.18
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Zapata County
County
The front of the Zapata County Courthouse
The front of the Zapata County Courthouse
Map of Texas highlighting Zapata County
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Map of the United States highlighting Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 27°00′N 99°11′W / 27°N 99.18°W / 27; -99.18
Country United States
State Texas
FoundedJanuary 22, 1858
Named forColonel José Antonio de Zapata
SeatZapata
Largest communityZapata
Area
 • Total
1,058 sq mi (2,740 km2)
 • Land998 sq mi (2,580 km2)
 • Water60 sq mi (200 km2)  5.6%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
13,889
 • Density13/sq mi (5.1/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district28th
Websitewww.co.zapata.tx.us

Zapata County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 13,889.[1] Its county seat is Zapata.[2] The county is east of the Mexico–United States border and is named for Colonel José Antonio de Zapata, a rancher in the area who rebelled against Mexico.

Zapata County comprises the Zapata, TX Micropolitan Statistical Area.

The South Texas Oil Boom included wells drilled in Zapata County in the early 1920s through the work of Laredo industrialist Oliver Winfield Killam, a Missouri native who once served as an Oklahoma state legislator.

Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,058 square miles (2,740 km2), of which 998 square miles (2,580 km2) is land and 60 square miles (160 km2) (5.6%) is water.[3] It is located in the Rio Grande Valley, on the shore of Falcon International Reservoir. It was previously linked to Mexico by an international bridge, but this was flooded when the Falcon Dam and reservoir was built. It is now linked to Mexico by the Falcon Dam Port of Entry.

Major highways

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Adjacent counties and municipalities

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National protected area

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Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18601,248—
18701,48819.2%
18803,636144.4%
18903,562−2.0%
19004,76033.6%
19103,809−20.0%
19202,929−23.1%
19302,867−2.1%
19403,91636.6%
19504,40512.5%
19604,393−0.3%
19704,352−0.9%
19806,62852.3%
19909,27940.0%
200012,18231.3%
201014,01815.1%
202013,889−0.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[4]
1850–2010[5] 2010–2020[6] 2020[1]
Zapata 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[7] Pop 2010[8] Pop 2020[9] % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 1,771 861 796 14.54% 6.14% 5.73%
Black or African American alone (NH) 22 11 9 0.18% 0.08% 0.06%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 8 16 7 0.07% 0.11% 0.05%
Asian alone (NH) 17 28 16 0.14% 0.20% 0.12%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 1 0 0 0.01% 0.00% 0.00%
Other race alone (NH) 0 6 16 0.00% 0.04% 0.12%
Mixed race or Multiracial alone (NH) 35 12 46 0.29% 0.09% 0.33%
Hispanic or Latino 10,328 13,084 12,999 84.78% 93.34% 93.59%
Total 12,182 14,018 13,889 100% 100% 100%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 13,889 people, 4,689 households, and 3,254 families residing in the county.

As of the census[10] of 2000, there were 12,182 people, 3,921 households, and 3,164 families residing in the county. Zapata County is estimated to be the eleventh fastest growing county (+15.8%) in the state of Texas since the year 2000 (based on % of population change). The population density was 12 people per square mile (4.6 people/km2). There were 6,167 housing units at an average density of 6 units per square mile (2.3 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 84.07% White, 0.41% Black or African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 12.64% from other races, and 2.33% from two or more races. 84.78% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,921 households, out of which 43.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.20% were married couples living together, 13.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.30% were non-families. 17.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.10 and the average family size was 3.52.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 33.00% under the age of 18, 10.00% from 18 to 24, 24.10% from 25 to 44, 18.60% from 45 to 64, and 14.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 96.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $24,635, and the median income for a family was $26,722. Males had a median income of $26,294 versus $14,579 for females. The per capita income for the county was $10,486. About 29.30% of families and 35.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 46.10% of those under age 18 and 21.30% of those age 65 or over. According to the 2020 US Census Zapata County is 55% Catholic, 5.8% Evangelical Protestant, 2.4% Mormon, 1.5% Jehovah's Witnesses, 0.4% Mainline Protestant, and 35% other or None.[11]

Government and politics

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In the majority of U.S. presidential elections, Zapata County supported Democratic Party candidates. However, on three occasions, it gave record-setting margins to Republican presidential nominees, when it delivered the highest percentage of the vote of any county in the nation to them. First in 1896, when it gave 96.3% of the vote to William McKinley, though he lost Texas as a whole (with 30.8% of the statewide popular vote), but won the national election (with 51.0% of the nationwide popular vote). The second time in 1908, when William Howard Taft won 99.1% of the vote in the county, despite losing the state to Democrat William Jennings Bryan (and receiving just 22.4% of the statewide vote), but winning the national election (with 51.6% of the nationwide popular vote). The third and final time was in 1912, when it again gave then-incumbent President Taft 80.9% with it being his best county in the nation, but against the state and nation's preference for the Democratic victor, Woodrow Wilson (in the popular vote, Taft only received 9.5% statewide and 23.2% nationwide).

It voted Republican for President (Warren G. Harding) in 1920, and then consistently voted Democratic until 2020, when Republican Donald Trump defeated Democrat Joe Biden 52%-47%, about the same as the statewide margin.[12] Zapata was the most Hispanic county to vote for Trump in 2020, as well as the county with the lowest non-Hispanic white population to do so. In 2024, this trend continued, with Trump receiving nearly 61% of the vote in the county.

United States presidential election results for Zapata County, Texas[13]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 2,970 60.97% 1,877 38.53% 24 0.49%
2020 2,033 52.48% 1,826 47.13% 15 0.39%
2016 1,029 32.75% 2,063 65.66% 50 1.59%
2012 997 28.14% 2,527 71.32% 19 0.54%
2008 919 32.07% 1,939 67.66% 8 0.28%
2004 1,228 42.37% 1,662 57.35% 8 0.28%
2000 953 36.43% 1,638 62.61% 25 0.96%
1996 521 21.27% 1,786 72.90% 143 5.84%
1992 866 26.65% 2,052 63.16% 331 10.19%
1988 958 30.56% 2,171 69.25% 6 0.19%
1984 1,214 43.34% 1,577 56.30% 10 0.36%
1980 874 41.01% 1,218 57.16% 39 1.83%
1976 462 27.47% 1,216 72.29% 4 0.24%
1972 695 47.51% 768 52.49% 0 0.00%
1968 251 20.71% 909 75.00% 52 4.29%
1964 135 11.77% 1,009 87.97% 3 0.26%
1960 260 27.81% 675 72.19% 0 0.00%
1956 637 41.80% 886 58.14% 1 0.07%
1952 526 46.02% 616 53.89% 1 0.09%
1948 414 39.54% 632 60.36% 1 0.10%
1944 43 7.86% 501 91.59% 3 0.55%
1940 495 38.70% 784 61.30% 0 0.00%
1936 34 10.76% 282 89.24% 0 0.00%
1932 24 8.14% 271 91.86% 0 0.00%
1928 19 6.03% 296 93.97% 0 0.00%
1924 197 39.56% 300 60.24% 1 0.20%
1920 98 66.22% 50 33.78% 0 0.00%
1916 214 89.17% 26 10.83% 0 0.00%
1912 199 100.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00%

Education

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All of Zapata County is a part of the Zapata County Independent School District.[14] Residents are zoned to Laredo Community College.[15]

Communities

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There are no incorporated areas in Zapata County, hence there are no municipal governments.

Census-designated places

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  • 19th century Los Corralitos Building relocated from Zapata County to the National Ranching Heritage Center in Lubbock in West Texas
    19th century Los Corralitos Building relocated from Zapata County to the National Ranching Heritage Center in Lubbock in West Texas
  • The western side of the Jesus Trevino Rancho building in the San Ygnacio Historic District; note the structural similarity to Los Corralitos Building
    The western side of the Jesus Trevino Rancho building in the San Ygnacio Historic District; note the structural similarity to Los Corralitos Building
  • A two-story historic residence in San Ygnacio on U.S. Highway 83 business route
    A two-story historic residence in San Ygnacio on U.S. Highway 83 business route
  • Entrance to Zapata County Cemetery from Farm-to-Market Road 496
    Entrance to Zapata County Cemetery from Farm-to-Market Road 496

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "2020 Census Data". data.census.gov.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  4. ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decade". US Census Bureau.
  5. ^ "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  6. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
  7. ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Zapata County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
  8. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Zapata County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
  9. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Zapata County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
  10. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  11. ^ "Congregational Membership Reports | US Religion". www.thearda.com. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  12. ^ "President Donald J. Trump narrowly wins Zapata County". KRGV.
  13. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  14. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Zapata County, TX" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022. - list
  15. ^ Texas Education Code Sec. 130.185. LAREDO COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.
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27°00′N 99°11′W / 27.00°N 99.18°W / 27.00; -99.18

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