| Rusk County, Texas | |
Location in the state of Texas |
|
Texas's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | 1843 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Henderson |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
939 sq mi (2,432 km²) 924 sq mi (2,393 km²) 15 sq mi (39 km²), 1.61% |
| Population - (2010) - Density |
53,330 52/sq mi (20/km²) |
| Website | www.co.rusk.tx.us |
Rusk County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. Originally a part of Nacogdoches County, Rusk was established as its own county by the Congress of the Republic of Texas on January 16, 1843. By 1850, it was the second most populous county in Texas out of the 78 counties that had been organized at that time, according to the 1850 census. Rusk County's population was 8,148 at this time; it was surpassed only by Harrison County with 11,822 people.
In 2000, its population was 47,372. Its seat is Henderson[1] and it is part of the Longview Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Longview–Marshall Combined Statistical Area. Rusk County is named for Thomas Jefferson Rusk, a secretary of war of the Republic of Texas.
Rusk County is one of twenty-five entirely dry counties in the State of Texas.[2]
Chuck Hopson, a pharmacist from Jacksonville, is the Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives whose District 11 includes Rusk County.
Contents |
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 939 square miles (2,430 km2), of which 924 square miles (2,390 km2) is land and 15 square miles (39 km2) (1.61%) is water.
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 8,148 |
|
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| 1860 | 15,803 | 93.9% | |
| 1870 | 16,916 | 7.0% | |
| 1880 | 18,986 | 12.2% | |
| 1890 | 18,559 | −2.2% | |
| 1900 | 26,099 | 40.6% | |
| 1910 | 26,946 | 3.2% | |
| 1920 | 31,689 | 17.6% | |
| 1930 | 32,484 | 2.5% | |
| 1940 | 51,023 | 57.1% | |
| 1950 | 42,348 | −17.0% | |
| 1960 | 36,421 | −14.0% | |
| 1970 | 34,102 | −6.4% | |
| 1980 | 41,382 | 21.3% | |
| 1990 | 43,735 | 5.7% | |
| 2000 | 47,372 | 8.3% | |
| 2010 | 53,330 | 12.6% | |
| U.S. Census Bureau[3] Texas Almanac[4] | |||
As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 47,372 people, 17,364 households, and 12,727 families residing in the county. The population density was 51 people per square mile (20/km²). There were 19,867 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile (8/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 74.89% White, 19.21% Black or African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 4.22% from other races, and 1.09% from two or more races. 8.44% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 17,364 households out of which 32.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.20% were married couples living together, 11.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.70% were non-families. 24.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the county, the population was spread out with 24.90% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 27.80% from 25 to 44, 23.30% from 45 to 64, and 15.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 104.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,898, and the median income for a family was $39,185. Males had a median income of $30,956 versus $19,749 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,674. About 10.90% of families and 14.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.80% of those under age 18 and 13.00% of those age 65 or over.
The following school districts serve Rusk County:
Rusk County's first officially authorized school was the Rusk County Academy.[6]
| Smith County | Gregg County | Harrison County | ||
| Panola County | ||||
| Rusk County, Texas | ||||
| Cherokee County | Nacogdoches County | Shelby County |
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