Brazos County, Texas

Not to be confused with Brazos Country, Texas.

Brazos County (/ˈbræzəs/ ^ⓘ BRAZ-əs) is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 233,849.^[1][2] The county seat is Bryan.^[3] Along with Brazoria County, the county is named for the Brazos River, which forms its western border. The county was formed in 1841 and organized in 1843.^[4][5]

Brazos County
County
The Brazos County Courthouse in Bryan
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 30°40′N 96°18′W
Country	United States
State	Texas
Founded	1843
Named after	Brazos River
Seat	Bryan
Largest city	College Station
Area
• Total	591 sq mi (1,530 km2)
• Land	585 sq mi (1,520 km2)
• Water	5.8 sq mi (15 km2)  1.0%
Population  (2020)
• Total	233,849
• Density	400/sq mi (150/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	10th
Website	www.brazoscountytx.gov

Brazos County is part of the Bryan-College Station Metropolitan Statistical Area, which consists of Bryan, College Station, and smaller cities and towns in Brazos, Burleson, and Robertson counties.

History

In 1837, most of the area of present-day Brazos County was included in Washington County. The Brazos River, which bisected the latter, proved a serious obstacle to county government, and a new county, Navasota, was formed in January 1841. The first court, with Judge R. E. B. Baylor presiding, was held later that year in the home of Joseph Ferguson, fourteen miles west of the site of present Bryan. The county seat, named Boonville for Mordecai Boon, was located on John Austin's league and was surveyed by Hiram Hanover in 1841. In January of the following year Navasota County was renamed Brazos County.^[6]

Originally one of the state's poorer counties, the county donated 2,416 acres of land in the 1870s to create Texas A&M University, which has enabled the county to be among the state's most financially successful.

After the Civil War tens of thousands of new residents moved to Brazos County, attracted by its good lands, with plenty of timber and a patchwork of prairies and fertile floodplains. As newcomers poured in by the thousands the county suffered from arson, feuding, shooting and racial violence, including mob lynchings.^[7]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 591 square miles (1,530 km²), of which 585 square miles (1,520 km²) is land and 5.8 square miles (15 km²) (1.0%) is water.^[8]

Adjacent counties

• Robertson County (northwest)
• Leon County (north)
• Madison County (northeast)
• Grimes County (east)
• Washington County (south)
• Burleson County (southwest)

The northwestern boundary follows the Old Spanish Trail.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1850	614		—
1860	3,096		404.2%
1870	9,205		197.3%
1880	13,576		47.5%
1890	16,650		22.6%
1900	18,859		13.3%
1910	18,919		0.3%
1920	21,975		16.2%
1930	21,835		−0.6%
1940	26,997		23.6%
1950	38,390		42.2%
1960	44,895		16.9%
1970	57,978		29.1%
1980	94,492		63.0%
1990	121,862		29.0%
2000	152,415		25.1%
2010	194,851		27.8%
2020	233,849		20.0%
2024 (est.)	249,624	[9]	6.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[10] 1850–2010[11] 2010[12] 2020[13]

2020 census

Brazos 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[14]	Pop 2010[12]	Pop 2020[13]	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	100,647	115,252	123,035	66.03%	59.15%	52.61%
Black or African American alone (NH)	16,146	20,827	23,569	10.59%	10.69%	10.08%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	360	484	502	0.24%	0.25%	0.21%
Asian alone (NH)	6,066	9,982	14,621	3.98%	5.12%	6.25%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	69	82	210	0.05%	0.04%	0.09%
Other Race alone (NH)	170	246	1,009	0.11%	0.13%	0.43%
Mixed Race or Multiracial (NH)	1,704	2,573	7,836	1.12%	1.32%	3.35%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	27,253	45,405	63,067	17.88%	23.30%	26.97%
Total	152,415	194,851	233,849	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

2000 census

As of the census^[15] of 2000, there were 152,415 people, 55,202 households, and 30,416 families residing in the county. The population density was 260 people per square mile (100 people/km²). There were 59,023 housing units at an average density of 101 units per square mile (39/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 74.45% White, 10.72% Black or African American, 0.36% Native American, 4.01% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 8.42% from other races, and 1.97% from two or more races. 17.88% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 15.3% were of German, 8.4% English, 7.3% Irish and 7.2% American ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 55,202 households, out of which 27.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.30% were married couples living together, 10.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.90% were non-families. 25.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.16.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.50% under the age of 18, 32.00% from 18 to 24, 26.00% from 25 to 44, 13.80% from 45 to 64, and 6.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,104, and the median income for a family was $46,530. Males had a median income of $32,864 versus $24,179 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,212. About 14.00% of families and 26.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.60% of those under age 18 and 10.30% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Public Transportation

The Brazos Transit District operates a fixed route bus service and paratransit throughout Bryan and College Station.^[16][17]

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 190
• State Highway 6
• State Highway 21
• State Highway 30
• State Highway 40
• State Highway 47
• State Highway 249 a.k.a. Aggie Expressway (Under Construction)
• State Highway OSR
• Farm to Market Road 60
• Farm to Market Road 2154
• Farm to Market Road 2347
• Farm to Market Road 2818

Airport

Easterwood Airport, owned by Texas A&M, is the local commercial airport, with flights to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

Coulter Field is in Bryan.

Politics

Unlike most counties that are home to a large university, Brazos County is a Republican stronghold. The county votes to the right of Texas as a whole, which is also a Republican stronghold.

No Democratic presidential nominee has carried it since Texas native Lyndon Johnson in his 1964 landslide. Only in 1968 and 2020 have Democrats received even 40% of the vote. Even Jimmy Carter failed to win 40% of the vote in 1976, despite being the last Democrat to win Texas.

In 2020, Joe Biden was the first Democrat to win over 40% of its vote since 1968, winning 41.43% of the vote. This was still well to the right of the state as a whole, as Biden lost the state 46.48-52.06%.

United States presidential election results for Brazos County, Texas^[18]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	56,671	61.63%	33,844	36.80%	1,446	1.57%
2020	47,530	55.71%	35,349	41.43%	2,434	2.85%
2016	38,738	57.64%	23,121	34.40%	5,352	7.96%
2012	37,209	66.49%	17,477	31.23%	1,276	2.28%
2008	37,465	63.85%	20,502	34.94%	706	1.20%
2004	37,594	69.22%	16,128	29.70%	587	1.08%
2000	32,864	70.01%	12,359	26.33%	1,718	3.66%
1996	22,082	57.14%	13,968	36.15%	2,594	6.71%
1992	23,943	48.53%	14,819	30.03%	10,578	21.44%
1988	29,369	65.72%	14,885	33.31%	436	0.98%
1984	34,733	73.55%	12,348	26.15%	140	0.30%
1980	17,798	60.25%	9,856	33.37%	1,885	6.38%
1976	15,685	58.75%	10,628	39.81%	387	1.45%
1972	14,243	71.03%	5,692	28.39%	116	0.58%
1968	6,839	43.90%	6,299	40.43%	2,441	15.67%
1964	4,003	33.31%	7,998	66.54%	18	0.15%
1960	4,553	43.46%	5,907	56.38%	17	0.16%
1956	4,942	58.58%	3,463	41.05%	31	0.37%
1952	4,681	52.62%	4,213	47.36%	2	0.02%
1948	1,533	27.72%	3,459	62.55%	538	9.73%
1944	464	10.61%	3,358	76.75%	553	12.64%
1940	617	12.92%	4,151	86.90%	9	0.19%
1936	45	1.69%	2,610	98.16%	4	0.15%
1932	195	6.96%	2,588	92.40%	18	0.64%
1928	738	33.23%	1,480	66.64%	3	0.14%
1924	255	10.43%	2,128	87.07%	61	2.50%
1920	277	12.75%	1,281	58.98%	614	28.27%
1916	273	20.87%	1,027	78.52%	8	0.61%
1912	142	14.90%	762	79.96%	49	5.14%

United States Senate election results for Brazos County, Texas1^[19]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	54,153	59.03%	34,849	37.98%	2,743	2.99%

Communities

Cities

• Bryan (county seat)
• College Station
• Navasota (partial)
• Wixon Valley

Towns

• Kurten

Census-designated place

• Lake Bryan

Unincorporated communities

• Allenfarm
• Cawthon
• Edge
• Fairview
• Harvey
• Millican - Former municipality^[20]
• Mooring
• Mudville
• Nelleva
• Peach Creek
• Smetana
• Tabor
• Wellborn

Ghost Towns

• Boonville
• Cottonwood
• Dallam
• Dinkins
• Enright
• Macey
• Moore
• Reliance
• Sims
• Stone City
• Union
• Varisco
• Wicker
• Zack

Education

School districts:^[21]

• Bryan Independent School District
• College Station Independent School District
• Navasota Independent School District

Blinn College is the designated community college for all of the county.^[22]

Texas A&M University, the largest university by enrollment in Texas, is located in College Station.^[23]

See also

• Texas portal

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Brazos County, Texas
• Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Brazos County