Robertson County | |
|---|---|
 The Robertson County Courthouse in Franklin | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Texas | |
 Texas's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 31°02′N 96°31′W / 31.03°N 96.51°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Texas |
| Founded | 1838 |
| Named for | Sterling C. Robertson |
| Seat | Franklin |
| Largest city | Hearne |
| Area | |
| • Total | 865 sq mi (2,240 km2) |
| • Land | 856 sq mi (2,220 km2) |
| • Water | 9.7 sq mi (25 km2) 1.1% |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 16,757 |
| • Density | 19/sq mi (7.5/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 17th |
| Website | www |
Robertson County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 16,757.[1] Its county seat is Franklin.[2] The county was created in 1837 and organized the following year.[3][4] It is named for Sterling C. Robertson,[5] an early settler who signed the Texas Declaration of Independence.
Robertson County is in east-central Texas and is part of the College Station-Bryan, TX metropolitan statistical area.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 865 sq mi (2,240 km2), of which 856 square miles (2,220 km2) are land and 9.7 sq mi (25 km2) (1.1%) are covered by water.[6]
Additionally, State Highway OSR forms Robertson County's southeastern border, but does not fully enter the county.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 934 | — | |
| 1860 | 4,997 | 435.0% | |
| 1870 | 9,990 | 99.9% | |
| 1880 | 22,383 | 124.1% | |
| 1890 | 26,506 | 18.4% | |
| 1900 | 31,480 | 18.8% | |
| 1910 | 27,454 | −12.8% | |
| 1920 | 27,933 | 1.7% | |
| 1930 | 27,240 | −2.5% | |
| 1940 | 25,710 | −5.6% | |
| 1950 | 19,908 | −22.6% | |
| 1960 | 16,157 | −18.8% | |
| 1970 | 14,389 | −10.9% | |
| 1980 | 14,653 | 1.8% | |
| 1990 | 15,511 | 5.9% | |
| 2000 | 16,000 | 3.2% | |
| 2010 | 16,622 | 3.9% | |
| 2020 | 16,757 | 0.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1850–2010[8] 2010[9] 2020[10] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2010[9] | Pop 2020[10] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 9,821 | 9,505 | 59.08% | 56.72% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 3,509 | 3,095 | 21.11% | 18.47% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 47 | 29 | 0.28% | 0.17% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 96 | 104 | 0.58% | 0.62% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 0 | 21 | 0.00% | 0.13% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 9 | 37 | 0.05% | 0.22% |
| Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 150 | 438 | 0.90% | 2.61% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2,990 | 3,528 | 17.99% | 21.05% |
| Total | 16,622 | 16,757 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
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 can be of any race.
As of the census[11] of 2000, 16,000 people, 6,179 households, and 4,356 families were residing in the county. The population density was 19 people/sq mi (7.3 people/km2). The 7,874 housing units averaged 9 units per square mile (3.5 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 66.20% White, 24.19% African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 7.22% from other races, and 1.79% from two or more races. About 14.74% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.
Of the 6,179 households, 32.00% had children under 18 living with them, 51.10% were married couples living together, 15.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.50% were not families. About 26.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.50% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.55, and the average family size was 3.09.
In the county, the age distribution was 28.20% under 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 24.20% from 25 to 44, 23.10% from 45 to 64, and 17.00% who were 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $28,886, and for a family was $35,590. Males had a median income of $30,795 versus $21,529 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,714. About 17.30% of families and 20.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.70% of those under age 18 and 21.60% of those age 65 or over.
Robertson County was a longtime Democratic stronghold, as were many rural Southern counties during the Jim Crow and immediate post-Jim Crow eras (It had only voted for a Republican in the national Republican landslide of 1972, and even then, only by a single vote). In 2000, the last time the county went to a Democrat (Al Gore), it was one of only three majority-white rural counties (with Newton and Morris) to vote for Bill Clinton's former vice president. None of the three have gone to a Democrat since.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2020 | 5,646 | 69.71% | 2,374 | 29.31% | 79 | 0.98% |
| 2016 | 4,668 | 66.35% | 2,203 | 31.31% | 164 | 2.33% |
| 2012 | 4,419 | 60.64% | 2,798 | 38.40% | 70 | 0.96% |
| 2008 | 3,980 | 59.31% | 2,675 | 39.87% | 55 | 0.82% |
| 2004 | 3,792 | 55.81% | 2,979 | 43.84% | 24 | 0.35% |
| 2000 | 3,007 | 47.21% | 3,283 | 51.55% | 79 | 1.24% |
| 1996 | 1,944 | 37.57% | 2,912 | 56.27% | 319 | 6.16% |
| 1992 | 1,707 | 30.46% | 2,927 | 52.23% | 970 | 17.31% |
| 1988 | 2,184 | 37.45% | 3,630 | 62.24% | 18 | 0.31% |
| 1984 | 2,663 | 44.27% | 3,339 | 55.50% | 14 | 0.23% |
| 1980 | 1,661 | 31.28% | 3,572 | 67.27% | 77 | 1.45% |
| 1976 | 1,244 | 24.90% | 3,741 | 74.88% | 11 | 0.22% |
| 1972 | 1,977 | 50.01% | 1,976 | 49.99% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 965 | 20.35% | 2,833 | 59.74% | 944 | 19.91% |
| 1964 | 895 | 21.07% | 3,350 | 78.88% | 2 | 0.05% |
| 1960 | 935 | 25.86% | 2,669 | 73.81% | 12 | 0.33% |
| 1956 | 1,285 | 36.63% | 2,212 | 63.06% | 11 | 0.31% |
| 1952 | 1,378 | 34.39% | 2,626 | 65.54% | 3 | 0.07% |
| 1948 | 246 | 8.49% | 2,147 | 74.11% | 504 | 17.40% |
| 1944 | 126 | 4.14% | 2,681 | 88.13% | 235 | 7.73% |
| 1940 | 175 | 5.20% | 3,191 | 94.80% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 86 | 3.16% | 2,633 | 96.77% | 2 | 0.07% |
| 1932 | 148 | 5.82% | 2,396 | 94.18% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1928 | 751 | 33.54% | 1,487 | 66.41% | 1 | 0.04% |
| 1924 | 226 | 10.00% | 1,971 | 87.17% | 64 | 2.83% |
| 1920 | 225 | 8.95% | 1,634 | 64.97% | 656 | 26.08% |
| 1916 | 218 | 13.82% | 1,313 | 83.26% | 46 | 2.92% |
| 1912 | 153 | 11.57% | 1,051 | 79.50% | 118 | 8.93% |
School districts:
Blinn College is the designated community college for portions of the county in Bryan, Franklin, Hearne, and Mumford ISDs. Portions in Bremond ISD and Calvert ISD are zoned to the McLennan Community College District.[13]
