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County in Texas, United States From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cameron County, officially the County of Cameron, is the southernmost county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 421,017.[1][2] Its county seat is Brownsville.[3]
 | Parts of this article (those related to politics, government, and the economy) need to be updated. (March 2019) |
Cameron County | |
|---|---|
The Cameron County Courthouse in Brownsville
Administration Building | |
 Seal  Logo | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Texas | |
 Texas's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 26°09′N 97°27′W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Texas |
| Founded | 1848 |
| Named for | Ewen Cameron |
| Seat | Brownsville |
| Largest city | Brownsville |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,276 sq mi (3,300 km2) |
| • Land | 891 sq mi (2,310 km2) |
| • Water | 386 sq mi (1,000 km2) 30% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 421,017 |
| • Density | 330/sq mi (130/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 34th |
| Website | www |
The county was founded in 1848 and is named for Captain Ewen Cameron,[4] a soldier during the Texas Revolution and in the ill-fated Mier Expedition. During the later 19th century and through World War II, Fort Brown was a US Army outpost here, stimulating the development of the city of Brownsville.
Cameron County comprises the Brownsville–Harlingen, TX metropolitan statistical area, as well as the Brownsville–Harlingen–Raymondville combined statistical area, which itself is part of the larger Rio Grande Valley region.
The second-largest city in the county is Harlingen.
The county is home to the SpaceX Starbase spaceport, situated in Boca Chica; it is also the residence of Elon Musk, the richest person in the world.[5]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,276 square miles (3,300 km2), of which 891 square miles (2,310 km2) are land and 386 square miles (1,000 km2) (30%) are covered by water.[6] To the east, the county borders the Gulf of Mexico.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 8,541 | — | |
| 1860 | 6,028 | −29.4% | |
| 1870 | 10,999 | 82.5% | |
| 1880 | 14,959 | 36.0% | |
| 1890 | 14,424 | −3.6% | |
| 1900 | 16,095 | 11.6% | |
| 1910 | 27,158 | 68.7% | |
| 1920 | 36,662 | 35.0% | |
| 1930 | 77,540 | 111.5% | |
| 1940 | 83,202 | 7.3% | |
| 1950 | 125,170 | 50.4% | |
| 1960 | 151,098 | 20.7% | |
| 1970 | 140,368 | −7.1% | |
| 1980 | 209,680 | 49.4% | |
| 1990 | 260,120 | 24.1% | |
| 2000 | 335,227 | 28.9% | |
| 2010 | 406,220 | 21.2% | |
| 2020 | 421,017 | 3.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1850–2010[8] 2010[9] 2020[10] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[11] | Pop 2010[9] | Pop 2020[10] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 48,679 | 43,427 | 37,107 | 14.52% | 10.69% | 8.81% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 909 | 1,192 | 1,405 | 0.27% | 0.29% | 0.33% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 334 | 385 | 365 | 0.10% | 0.09% | 0.09% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 1,522 | 2,486 | 2,596 | 0.45% | 0.61% | 0.62% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 41 | 76 | 80 | 0.01% | 0.02% | 0.02% |
| Other Race alone (NH) | 118 | 191 | 846 | 0.04% | 0.05% | 0.20% |
| Mixed Race or Multiracial (NH) | 888 | 716 | 1,938 | 0.26% | 0.18% | 0.46% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 282,736 | 357,747 | 376,680 | 84.34% | 88.07% | 89.47% |
| Total | 335,227 | 406,220 | 421,017 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the census[12] of 2010, 406,220 people, 119,631 households, and 96,579 families were residing in the county. The population density was 370 people per square mile (140 people/km2). The 141,924 housing units averaged 132 per square mile (51/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 87.0% White, 0.5% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 9.8% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. About 88.1% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Of the 119,631 households, 50.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.80% were married couples living together, 20.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.3% were not families. About 16.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.36, and the average family size was 3.80.
In the county, the age distribution was 33.0% under the age of18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.10% who were 65 or older. The median age was 30.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.90 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 86.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,264, and for a family was $33,770. Males had a median income of $21,410 versus $15,597 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,695. About 30.0% of families and 34.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 46.8% of those under age 18 and 24.8% of those age 65 or over.
A 2000 Texas A&M study stated that of the residents of Cameron County, 43% do not have basic literacy skills.[13]
Within the 2010s decade, a noticeable trend in the county population showed that growth among the county's northern cities (defined as major towns whose city limits lie entirely north or east of U.S. Highway 83 in the county) on average has been greater than those cities on U.S. Highway 83 in the county, suggesting a possible desire among both locals and new residents from outside the Rio Grande Valley to move away from the population centers of the county. This trend has also been shared by nearby Hidalgo County. Los Fresnos, for example, grew by 42.2% from 2010 to 2018. Other major cities, such as Indian Lake, Primera, and Rio Hondo, all grew by more than 15% in the same period. In contrast, the cities of Harlingen, La Feria, and San Benito, all cities along U.S. Highway 83, have seen growths less than 1% in the same period. The city that grew the most among the Highway 83 cities in the county was Brownsville, which grew by 4.4% from 2010 to 2019.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operates the Port Isabel Service Processing Center, located in an unincorporated area adjacent to the Port Isabel-Cameron County Airport,[14] which is itself owned and operated by the county.[15] The airport has four runways and offers fuel and other general aviation services.[16]
U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen stated in 2013 that the corruption in the county judiciary and legal system was so pervasive that most people would not believe it "unless they heard it themselves."[17]
Cameron County leans toward the Democratic Party in presidential elections. The last Republican to win the county was Donald Trump in 2024. Donald Trump's 2016 showing of 32.0% was the lowest received by a Republican candidate in the county since Alf Landon in 1936. However, in 2020, Trump's performance of 43% was the best for a Republican in the county since 2004, while 2024 found Trump outright winning the county with a majority of 52.54% as part of the continued Republican trend of the Rio Grande Valley.
In the Texas House of Representatives, Cameron County is covered by Districts 35, 37, and 38.
As of 2006, officeholders tend to be Democrats, about 20,000 to 30,000 people in Cameron County vote in primary elections, and presidential elections have higher turnouts.[citation needed] Politiqueras, women hired to help the elderly vote, are crucial in South Texas elections.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 60,925 | 52.54% | 54,156 | 46.71% | 870 | 0.75% |
| 2020 | 49,032 | 42.89% | 64,063 | 56.04% | 1,231 | 1.08% |
| 2016 | 29,472 | 31.80% | 59,402 | 64.10% | 3,791 | 4.09% |
| 2012 | 26,099 | 33.94% | 49,975 | 64.99% | 821 | 1.07% |
| 2008 | 26,671 | 35.06% | 48,480 | 63.72% | 926 | 1.22% |
| 2004 | 34,801 | 50.32% | 33,998 | 49.16% | 357 | 0.52% |
| 2000 | 27,800 | 44.80% | 33,214 | 53.52% | 1,043 | 1.68% |
| 1996 | 18,434 | 32.63% | 34,891 | 61.76% | 3,168 | 5.61% |
| 1992 | 20,123 | 34.07% | 29,435 | 49.84% | 9,499 | 16.08% |
| 1988 | 24,263 | 43.68% | 30,972 | 55.75% | 317 | 0.57% |
| 1984 | 29,545 | 52.64% | 26,394 | 47.03% | 187 | 0.33% |
| 1980 | 22,041 | 47.62% | 23,200 | 50.12% | 1,044 | 2.26% |
| 1976 | 16,448 | 39.06% | 25,310 | 60.10% | 353 | 0.84% |
| 1972 | 20,816 | 60.69% | 13,340 | 38.89% | 144 | 0.42% |
| 1968 | 11,759 | 39.82% | 15,726 | 53.26% | 2,042 | 6.92% |
| 1964 | 9,531 | 37.14% | 16,056 | 62.57% | 72 | 0.28% |
| 1960 | 10,190 | 45.01% | 12,416 | 54.84% | 34 | 0.15% |
| 1956 | 11,952 | 56.85% | 8,829 | 42.00% | 241 | 1.15% |
| 1952 | 14,018 | 64.89% | 7,559 | 34.99% | 25 | 0.12% |
| 1948 | 4,689 | 39.54% | 6,778 | 57.15% | 392 | 3.31% |
| 1944 | 5,309 | 44.82% | 5,998 | 50.63% | 539 | 4.55% |
| 1940 | 3,370 | 35.73% | 6,035 | 63.98% | 28 | 0.30% |
| 1936 | 2,160 | 26.32% | 5,887 | 71.74% | 159 | 1.94% |
| 1932 | 1,785 | 19.87% | 7,146 | 79.53% | 54 | 0.60% |
| 1928 | 3,544 | 52.45% | 3,202 | 47.39% | 11 | 0.16% |
| 1924 | 1,266 | 34.52% | 2,225 | 60.68% | 176 | 4.80% |
| 1920 | 909 | 49.24% | 920 | 49.84% | 17 | 0.92% |
| 1916 | 420 | 24.48% | 1,260 | 73.43% | 36 | 2.10% |
| 1912 | 149 | 6.13% | 2,146 | 88.35% | 134 | 5.52% |
Cameron County is served by several school districts. They include:[19]
In addition, residents are eligible to apply to South Texas Independent School District's magnet schools.[20]
All of the county is in the service area of Texas Southmost College.[21]
Cameron County has been considered one of the poorest urban counties in the US.[22][23]
The FAA approved a SpaceX private spaceport east of Brownsville on the Gulf Coast.[24]
The SpaceX South Texas Launch Site is projected to employ 75–100 full-time workers in the early years with up to 150 full-time employees/contractors by 2019.[25] In 2014, SpaceX acquired additional land near Boca Chica, which they consolidated into a subdivision called "Mars Crossing", possibly named after the novel by science-fiction writer Geoffrey A. Landis.[26]
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The southern cattle tick (Rhipicephalus microplus) is invasive here.[27] Populations here have also become highly permethrin resistant.[27] In 2014 the problem had become so severe that spread to neighboring counties was feared, and a Temporary Preventative Quarantine Area was established to preserve efficacy in those counties.[27] All quarantine efforts have been somewhat unsuccessful, due at least in part to the ticks' infestation of wildlife including whitetail (Odocoileus virginianus).[27]
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