Willacy County, Texas

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Willacy County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 20,164.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Its county seat is Raymondville.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> The county was created in 1911 and organized the next year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Willacy County comprises the Raymondville micropolitan statistical area, which is included in the Brownsville-Harlingen-Raymondville combined statistical area, which itself is part of the larger Rio Grande Valley region.

History

Willacy County was formed in 1911 from parts of Cameron and Hidalgo Counties, and originally included what is now Kenedy County; it was named for state senator John G. Willacy. Kenedy was split from Willacy in 1921, when the long-settled ranchers of the northern (Kenedy) part of the county sought to separate from the newly arrived farmers of the southern part.

The Bermuda onion was introduced to Willacy County in 1912. It grew well and slowly displaced ranchland in the southern part of the county, becoming the most important crop. For many years, the town of Raymondville held an annual Onion Festival, using the tag line, "The Breath of a Nation". In 1940, the first oil wells were sunk in the county's Willamar Oil Field; today, oil production is a major part of the local economy, although increasingly eclipsed by natural gas. Also in the 1940s, sorghum was introduced to the county, gradually displacing cotton and other crops. Cattle ranching remains a substantial economic activity, as well.

In the early 2010s, wind turbines began to be built in the rural part of the county east of U.S. Highway 77, a number expanded later in 2020. The turbines became an icon to the county's identity, with their being visible from northern Cameron County and eastern Hidalgo County. Power-line infrastructure was also improved in this period.

In recent years, the county has come under scrutiny for police deaths with two in custody deaths in two years.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2023, the county paid $1,000,000.00 to the family of John Ray Zamora after Zamora died in custody according to attorney Israel G. Perez III.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert (25%) are covered by water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref> The county borders the Gulf of Mexico.

Major highways

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge (part)
Padre Island National Seashore (part)

Demographics

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**Willacy County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition**
Template:Nobold
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Partial<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	% 2000	% 2010	Template:Partial
White alone (NH)	2,350	2,235	1,805	11.70%	10.10%	8.95%
Black or African American alone (NH)	401	389	445	2.00%	1.76%	2.21%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	24	22	47	0.12%	0.10%	0.23%
Asian alone (NH)	21	134	160	0.10%	0.61%	0.79%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	0	1	2	0.00%	0.00%	0.01%
Other Race alone (NH)	14	9	34	0.07%	0.04%	0.17%
Mixed Race or Multiracial (NH)	63	47	60	0.31%	0.21%	0.30%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	17,209	19,297	17,611	85.69%	87.18%	87.34%
Total	20,082	22,134	20,164	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of the 2010 United States Census, 22,134 people, 5,764 households, and 4,607 families were living in the county. Of all households, 46.0% had children under 18 living with them, 54.5% were married couples living together, 19.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.1% had a male householder no wife, and 20.1% were not families. About 32.9% of all households contained an individual who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.28, and the average family size was 3.73.

Of the population, 85.8% of residents were White (10.1% non-Hispanic white), 2.1% Black or African American, 0.6% Asian, 0.3% Native American, 9.3% of some other race and 1.8% of two or more races. 87.2% of residents were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

In the county, the age distribution was 26.8% under 18, 12.3% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 or older. The median age was 32 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $22,881, and for a family was $25,399. The per capita income for the county was $10,800. 39.4% of families and 43.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 50.5% of those under age 18 and 38.3% of those age 65 or over. The county's per-capita income makes it among the poorest counties in the United States.<ref>United States counties by per capita income</ref>

Education

School districts that serve Willacy County include:<ref>Template:Cite web - list</ref>

In addition, residents are allowed to apply for magnet schools operated by the South Texas Independent School District.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

All of the county is in the service area of Texas Southmost College.<ref>Texas Education Code, Sec. 130.204. TEXAS SOUTHMOST COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA..</ref>

Media

Raymondville Chronicle & Willacy County News – Official Site
KFRQ 94.5FM – Official Site
KKPS 99.5FM – Official Site Template:Webarchive
KNVO 101.1FM – Official Site
KVLY 107.9FM – Official Site

Prisons

Raymondville is the location of three private prisons, all adjacent to each other:<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

the Willacy County Correctional Center (closed 2015)
the Willacy County Regional Detention Center
and Willacy County State Jail

Politics

Communities

Cities

Census-designated places

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Unincorporated community

Lyford South

References

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External links

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