Walker County, Texas

Not to be confused with Waller County, Texas.

Walker County is a county located in the east-central section of the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 76,400.^[1] Its county seat is Huntsville.^[2] Initially, Walker County was named for Robert J. Walker, a legislator from Mississippi, who introduced into the United States Congress the resolution to annex Texas. Walker later supported the U.S. during its Civil War and earned some enmity for it. To keep the county's name, the state renamed it for Samuel H. Walker (no relation), a Texas Ranger and soldier in the United States Army.

Walker County
County
The Walker County Courthouse in 2022
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 30°44′N 95°34′W
Country	United States
State	Texas
Founded	1846
Named after	Robert J. Walker, renamed for Samuel H. Walker
Seat	Huntsville
Largest city	Huntsville
Area
• Total	802 sq mi (2,080 km2)
• Land	784 sq mi (2,030 km2)
• Water	17 sq mi (40 km2)  2.2%
Population  (2020)
• Total	76,400
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districts	8th, 17th
Website	www.co.walker.tx.us

Walker County comprises the Huntsville micropolitan statistical area that is part of the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land combined statistical area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 802 square miles (2,080 km²), of which 17 sq mi (44 km²) (2.2%) are covered by water.^[3]

Major highways

• Interstate 45
• U.S. Highway 190
• State Highway 19
• State Highway 30
• State Highway 75
• State Highway 150

Adjacent counties

• Houston County (north)
• Trinity County (northeast)
• San Jacinto County (east)
• Montgomery County (south)
• Grimes County (west)
• Madison County (northwest)

National protected area

• Sam Houston National Forest (part)

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1850	3,964		—
1860	8,191		106.6%
1870	9,766		19.2%
1880	12,024		23.1%
1890	12,874		7.1%
1900	15,813		22.8%
1910	16,061		1.6%
1920	18,556		15.5%
1930	18,528		−0.2%
1940	19,868		7.2%
1950	20,163		1.5%
1960	21,475		6.5%
1970	27,680		28.9%
1980	41,789		51.0%
1990	50,917		21.8%
2000	61,758		21.3%
2010	67,861		9.9%
2020	76,400		12.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[4] 1850–2010[5] 2010–2020[6]

Walker 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[6]	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	37,090	39,671	39,823	60.06%	58.46%	52.12%
Black or African American alone (NH)	14,672	15,098	16,382	23.76%	22.25%	21.44%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	169	186	251	0.27%	0.27%	0.33%
Asian alone (NH)	464	617	1,126	0.75%	0.91%	1.47%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	25	19	39	0.04%	0.03%	0.05%
Other race alone (NH)	70	72	318	0.11%	0.11%	0.42%
Multiracial (NH)	556	809	1,883	0.90%	1.19%	2.46%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	8,712	11,389	16,578	14.11%	16.78%	21.70%
Total	61,758	67,861	76,400	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of the 2000 census,^[9] 61,758 people, 18,303 households, and 11,384 families resided in the county. The population density was 78 people per square mile (30 people/km²). The 21,099 housing units had an average density of 27 units per square mile (10 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 69.12% White, 23.88% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.77% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 4.42% from other races, and 1.41% from two or more races. About 14.11% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

Of the 18,303 households, 28.7% had children under 18 living with them, 46.8% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.8% were not families. Around 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the county, the age distribution was 18.0% under 18, 23.0% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 8.9% who were 65 or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 151.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 161.9 males (numbers are skewed from normal due to men's prison population).

The median income for a household in the county was $31,468, and for a family was $42,589. Males had a median income of $27,634 versus $22,579 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,508. About 10.6% of families and 18.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.1% of those under 18 and 13.4% of those 65 or over.

Education

Sam Houston State University is located in Huntsville.

School districts serving portions of the county include:^[10]

• Huntsville Independent School District
• New Waverly Independent School District
• Richards Independent School District (portion)
• Trinity Independent School District (portion)

The Gulf Coast Trades Center, a charter school, is in an unincorporated area of the county.^[10][11]

The Huntsville and New Waverly ISDs are assigned to Lone Star College. Areas of Walker County in Trinity ISD are assigned to Angelina College. The portion of Richards ISD in Walker County is zoned to Blinn College.^[12]

Government and infrastructure

Ellis Unit, a prison in unincorporated Walker County

The headquarters of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), the Texas agency that operates adult state correctional facilities, are in Huntsville.^[13][14]

Walker County has the highest number of state prisons and jails of all of the counties in Texas.^[15] Several TDCJ prisons for men, including the Byrd Unit,^[16] the Goree Unit,^[17] the Huntsville Unit,^[18] and the Wynne Unit, are in the Huntsville city limits.^[19] The Holliday Unit, a transfer unit, is in Huntsville.^[20] In addition the Ellis Unit and the Estelle Unit are in unincorporated areas of Walker County.^[21][22] The Huntsville Unit houses the State of Texas execution chamber.^[23]

Politics

Like most of Texas, Walker County was solidly Democratic for the first half of the 20th century. Before 1972, the only time a Republican carried the county was in 1956, and it became a Republican stronghold afterwards, with only one candidate carrying the county from that point forward.

United States presidential election results for Walker County, Texas^[24]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	17,515	69.47%	7,461	29.59%	238	0.94%
2020	15,375	64.99%	7,884	33.32%	399	1.69%
2016	12,884	65.08%	6,091	30.77%	821	4.15%
2012	12,140	64.97%	6,252	33.46%	293	1.57%
2008	11,623	60.71%	7,334	38.31%	189	0.99%
2004	11,710	65.71%	5,977	33.54%	135	0.76%
2000	9,076	63.14%	4,943	34.39%	355	2.47%
1996	7,177	49.27%	6,088	41.79%	1,302	8.94%
1992	6,662	41.84%	5,619	35.29%	3,643	22.88%
1988	8,473	58.88%	5,826	40.48%	92	0.64%
1984	8,809	67.24%	4,263	32.54%	28	0.21%
1980	5,657	51.87%	4,869	44.65%	380	3.48%
1976	4,974	48.90%	5,105	50.19%	92	0.90%
1972	5,082	63.20%	2,940	36.56%	19	0.24%
1968	1,946	33.62%	2,391	41.30%	1,452	25.08%
1964	1,557	35.10%	2,877	64.86%	2	0.05%
1960	1,750	48.57%	1,832	50.85%	21	0.58%
1956	1,991	59.86%	1,287	38.70%	48	1.44%
1952	1,897	47.71%	2,078	52.26%	1	0.03%
1948	570	22.23%	1,439	56.12%	555	21.65%
1944	145	7.12%	1,638	80.41%	254	12.47%
1940	218	9.18%	2,158	90.82%	0	0.00%
1936	69	3.86%	1,715	96.02%	2	0.11%
1932	83	4.36%	1,811	95.17%	9	0.47%
1928	488	39.51%	747	60.49%	0	0.00%
1924	201	10.07%	1,792	89.78%	3	0.15%
1920	404	23.45%	788	45.73%	531	30.82%
1916	315	28.56%	763	69.17%	25	2.27%
1912	323	30.88%	631	60.33%	92	8.80%

United States Senate election results for Walker County, Texas1^[25]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	16,775	67.16%	7,728	30.94%	475	1.90%

Communities

Cities

• Huntsville (county seat)
• New Waverly
• Riverside

Unincorporated community

• Dodge

Notable people

• Eugene C. Barker
• Marilyn McAdams Sibley^[26]
• Sherri Ann Jarvis, previously unidentified teenager found murdered on November 1, 1980
• Slater Martin, basketball Player

See also

• Texas portal

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Walker County, Texas
• Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Walker County
• John N. Raney
• Kate Borcherding