Rockwall County, Texas
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Rockwall County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 107,819,<ref name="2020 Census (City)">Template:Cite web</ref> and was estimated to be 131,307 in 2023, and 137,044 in 2024.<ref name="QF"/> Its county seat is Rockwall<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and both the county and city are named for a wall-like subterranean rock formation that runs throughout the county. Rockwall County is part of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan statistical area. It was one of the top 25 fastest-growing counties in the U.S. in 2009.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Rockwall County is listed as the wealthiest county in Texas and the 17th-wealthiest in the United States by median household income. Cities in Rockwall County include Rockwall, Heath, Royse City, Fate, McClendon-Chisholm, Mobile City, and part of Rowlett.
History
Rockwall County was formed in 1873 from portions of Kaufman County. It split off because access to the county seat of Kaufman was inconvenient. It was named for its county seat, Rockwall. Rockwall County also is home to the great rock wall, which is no longer in public view today.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (14.59%) is water.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is the smallest county by area in Texas.
Major highways
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Lake
Adjacent counties
- Collin County (north)
- Hunt County (east)
- Kaufman County (south)
- Dallas County (west)
Demographics
As of the third quarter of 2024, the median home value in Rockwall County was $438,970.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
As of the 2023 American Community Survey, there are 39,513 estimated households in Rockwall County with an average of 2.94 persons per household. The county has a median household income of $124,917. Approximately 5.1% of the county's population lives at or below the poverty line. Rockwall County has an estimated 70.1% employment rate, with 44.0% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 94.2% holding a high school diploma.<ref name="QF">Template:Cite web</ref>
The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (81.5%), Spanish (12.1%), Indo-European (2.7%), Asian and Pacific Islander (1.9%), and Other (1.8%).
The median age in the county was 37.6 years.
Rockwall County, Texas – racial and ethnic composition
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| Race / ethnicity (NH = non-Hispanic) | Pop. 1980<ref name="1990CensusScope">Template:Cite web</ref> | Pop. 1990<ref name=1990CensusScope/> | 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> |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 13,241 (91.14%) |
22,981 (89.76%) |
35,817 (83.14%) |
58,046 (74.10%) |
70,198 (65.11%) |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 712 (4.90%) |
851 (3.32%) |
1,374 (3.19%) |
4,397 (5.61%) |
8,179 (7.59%) |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 21 (0.14%) |
99 (0.39%) |
143 (0.33%) |
345 (0.44%) |
479 (0.44%) |
| Asian alone (NH) | 47 (0.32%) |
159 (0.62%) |
555 (1.29%) |
1,850 (2.36%) |
3,306 (3.07%) |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | — | — | 14 (0.03%) |
47 (0.06%) |
75 (0.07%) |
| Other race alone (NH) | 19 (0.13%) |
14 (0.05%) |
31 (0.07%) |
116 (0.15%) |
344 (0.32%) |
| Mixed race or multiracial (NH) | — | — | 375 (0.87%) |
1,066 (1.36%) |
4,678 (4.34%) |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 488 (3.36%) |
1,500 (5.86%) |
4,771 (11.07%) |
12,470 (15.92%) |
20,560 (19.07%) |
| Total | 14,528 (100.00%) |
25,604 (100.00%) |
43,080 (100.00%) |
78,337 (100.00%) |
107,819 (100.00%) |
2023 estimate
As of the 2023 estimate, there were 131,307 people and 39,513 households residing in the county. There were 46,258 housing units. The racial makeup of the county was 81.9% White (81,542 or 62.1% NH White), 10.5% African American (12,999 or 9.9% NH Black), 0.9% Native American (657 or 0.5% NH Native), 4.0% Asian (4,990 or 3.8% NH Asian), 0.1% Pacific Islander (131 or 0.1% NH Pacific Islander), _% from some other races and 2.5% from two or more races (2,757 or 2.1% NH Multiracial). Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 28,231 or 21.5% of the population.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, there were 107,819 people, 36,326 households, and 29,255 families residing in the county.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The population density was Template:Convert. There were 38,219 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 69.48% White, 7.79% African American, 0.83% Native American, 3.13% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 6.21% from some other races and 12.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 19.07% of the population.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 78,337 people, 26,466 households, and _ families residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 27,957 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 83.68% White, 5.79% African American, 0.60% Native American, 2.42% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 5.43% from some other races and 2.08% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 15.92% of the population.
2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 43,080 people, 14,530 households, and 11,972 families residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 15,351 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 89.17% White, 3.24% African American, 0.40% Native American, 1.32% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 4.45% from some other races and 1.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 11.07% of the population.
Communities
Source:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Div col
- Dallas (mostly in Dallas County with small parts in Collin, Denton, Kaufman and Rockwall counties)
- Fate
- Garland (mostly in Dallas County with a small part in Collin County)
- Heath (small part in Kaufman County)
- McLendon-Chisholm
- Mobile City
- Rockwall (county seat)
- Rowlett (mostly in Dallas County)
- Royse City (partly in Collin and Hunt counties)
- Wylie (mostly in Collin County and a small part in Dallas County)
Education
These school districts serve Rockwall County:<ref>Template:Cite web - Text list</ref>
- Rockwall Independent School District (small portion in Kaufman County)
- Royse City Independent School District (small portion in Collin and Hunt Counties)
From 1997 to 2015, the number of non-Hispanic white children in K-12 schools in the county increased by 6,000 as part of a trend of white flight and suburbanization by non-Hispanic white families.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Collin College's official service area includes all of Rockwall County.<ref>Texas Education Code, Sec. 130.175. COLLIN COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.</ref>
Politics
Prior to 1972, Rockwall County was a Democratic stronghold. The 1968 election was highly transitional for the county, with Hubert Humphrey only winning with 39% of the vote due to the strong third-party candidacy of George Wallace. From 1972 on, the county has become a Republican stronghold. George H. W. Bush in 1992 has been the only Republican to fail to win a majority in the county since then, as the strong third-party candidacy of Ross Perot that year led him to a second-place finish in the county over national winner Bill Clinton. However, the county was represented in Congress by a Democrat as late as January 2004, when Representative and Rockwall resident Ralph Hall, a conservative Democrat, switched parties and became a Republican.
In recent years, though, especially as the Dallas-Fort Worth Metro area continues to grow and spill over into neighboring counties, the county's Republican bent has lessened a bit. Native son George W. Bush received almost 79% of the vote in 2004.
Local government
Rockwall County is divided into four precincts, each represented by a county commissioner.
As of the most recent elections in 2020, all four commissioners are Republicans. Template:PresHead Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresFoot Template:U.S. SenHead Template:U.S. SenRow Template:U.S. SenFoot
See also
- List of museums in North Texas
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Rockwall County, Texas
- Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Rockwall County
- Texas locations by per capita income
References
External links
Template:Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex Template:Rockwall County, Texas Template:Texas counties Template:Texas