Liberty County, Texas


Liberty County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 91,628. The county seat is Liberty. It was founded in 1831, as a municipality in Mexico as Villa de la Santísima Trinidad de la Libertad by commissioner José Francisco Madero and organized as a county of the Republic of Texas in 1836. Its name was anglicized as Liberty based on the ideal of American liberty.
Liberty County is part of the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan statistical area.
WWW co.liberty.tx.us

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which are covered by water.
The Trinity River flows through this county, dividing the county roughly in half. The river begins on the northern border of Liberty County, forming the San Jacinto - Polk County line through the Liberty County line. The east fork of the San Jacinto River flows through far northeast parts of the county, flowing through Cleveland. Tarkington Bayou begins in the Sam Houston National Forest in San Jacinto County, working its way south through northeast and east Liberty County and joining other feeders, before traveling into Harris County and emptying into Galveston Bay. The highest point in Liberty County is "Davis Hill", the roof of a salt dome in the northern part of the county.

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

Communities

Cities

Town

Census-designated place

Unincorporated communities

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 91,628. The median age was 35.8 years. 26.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 13.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.8 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 61.0% White, 7.8% Black or African American, 1.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 18.2% from some other race, and 11.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 33.6% of the population.
22.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 77.4% lived in rural areas.
There were 29,469 households in the county, of which 38.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 53.5% were married-couple households, 17.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 22.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 33,182 housing units, of which 11.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 77.7% were owner-occupied and 22.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.7%.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, 70,154 people, 23,242 households, and 17,756 families resided in the county. The population density was. The 26,359 housing units averaged.
The racial makeup of the county was 78.90% White, 12.82% African American, 0.47% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 6.06% from other races, and 1.43% from two or more races. About 10.92% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Of the 23,242 households, 38.10% had children under 18 living with them, 60.50% were married couples living together, 11.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.60% were not families. About 20.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.90% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.23.
In the county, the population was distributed as 27.60% under18, 9.20% from 18 to 24, 31.60% from 25 to 44, 21.40% from 45 to 64, and 10.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $38,361, and for a family was $43,744. Males had a median income of $37,957 versus $22,703 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,539. About 11.10% of families and 14.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.30% of those under age 18 and 15.00% of those age 65 or over.
Of Liberty County's residents, 8.8% have a college degree, the lowest percentage of any U.S. county with a population exceeding 50,000.

Government and politics

Liberty County, formerly strongly Democratic like much of the rest of Texas before the mid-20th century, has trended sharply Republican in recent years. As is the case with most rural Texas counties, the Republican margin of victory has largely increased since Bill Clinton won the county in the 1990s.
In the 2020 United States presidential election, a little over 80% of the votes in this county were for Donald Trump. In 2023 the Associated Press described the county as "a Republican stronghold".

Texas Legislature

Texas Senate

District 3: Robert Nichols - first elected in 2006

Texas House of Representatives

District 18: Ernest Bailes - first elected in 2016

County officials

PositionOfficialParty
Constable Precinct 1Tammy BishopRepublican
Constable Precinct 2Leslie HulseyDemocrat
Constable Precinct 3Mark "Mad Dog" DavisonRepublican
Constable Precinct 4Robbie ThorntonRepublican
Constable Precinct 5David HunterRepublican
Constable Precinct 6Zack HarknessRepublican
Justice Of The Peace Precinct 1Stephen HebertRepublican
Justice Of The Peace Precinct 2Ronnie E. DavisDemocrat
Justice Of The Peace Precinct 3Cody ParrishDemocrat
Justice Of The Peace Precinct 4Larry WilburnRepublican
Justice Of The Peace Precinct 5Wade BrownRepublican
Justice Of The Peace Precinct 6Ralph FullerRepublican

Economy

Around 1995, the economy of Liberty County was mainly focused on agriculture and oil. As of that year, the economy of Liberty County was struggling. At that time, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice had established four correctional facilities in the county within a six-year span. As of 1995, the facilities employed 1,045 employees and contributed $22 million in the county's annual payroll. Since Cleveland is a privately operated facility, the county receives tax revenue from the prison's operation.

Education

School districts include:
Sections in Dayton, Devers, Hardin, Hull-Daisetta, and Liberty school districts are assigned to Lee College. Sections in the Cleveland and Tarkington school districts are assigned to Lone Star College.
The Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center, operated by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, is located north of Liberty in an unincorporated area. Judge and Mrs. Price Daniel donated of land for the purpose of establishing a library on September 27, 1973. Construction began in the fall of 1975; by then, $700,000 had been raised through private donations. The library opened on May 14, 1977.

Infrastructure

Outside of the city limits, ambulance services are provided by contract through Allegiance EMS. Fire protection is provided mostly through volunteer fire departments, four of which in Liberty County are funded by emergency services districts.

Police services

The headquarters of the Liberty County Sheriff's Office, which serves unincorporated areas and supplements police forces of incorporated areas, is within the city of Liberty.
Most incorporated areas operate their own police departments, including Cleveland, Daisetta, Dayton, Kenefick, and Liberty.
Liberty County also has a constable for each of its six precincts and deputies assigned to each.

Fire services

Incorporated cities of Cleveland and Liberty operate their own fire departments staffed by a combination of paid and volunteer members. Both departments cover territory outside their respective city limits.
Fire departments serving unincorporated areas:
  • Ames VFD 1 station
  • Cleveland VFD 2 stations
  • Cypress Lakes VFD 1 station
  • Dayton VFD 2 stations
  • Devers VFD 1 station
  • Hardin VFD 1 station
  • Highway 321 VFD 1 station
  • Hull-Daisetta VFD 1 station
  • Kenefick VFD 1 station
  • Liberty VFD 1 station
  • Moss Bluff VFD 1 station
  • North Liberty County VFD 1 station
  • Plum Grove VFD 1 station
  • Raywood VFD 1 Station
  • Tarkington VFD 2 stations
  • Westlake VFD 1 station
  • Woodpecker VFD 1 station

Emergency medical services

Emergency medical services are provided by Allegiance EMS, with the only exception being inside the City of Liberty, for which service is provided by the City of Liberty Fire and EMS Department.

Corrections

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice operates one women's prison and two women's state jails, all co-located in an unincorporated area. The Hightower Unit prison and the Henley Unit and Plane Unit jails are north of Dayton. The Cleveland Unit, a prison for men privately operated by the GEO Group, Inc. on behalf of the TDCJ, is in Cleveland.
Cleveland opened in September 1989. Hightower opened in March 1990. Henley and Plane opened in May 1995. Also, in 1992 Community Education Centers opened a private detention center under federal contract with the United States Marshals Service for 372 beds, co-located at the old decommissioned Liberty County Jail.
As of 1995, of all Texas counties, Liberty County had the fourth-largest number of state prisons and jails, after Walker, Brazoria, and Coryell Counties.

Transportation

Major highways

Aviation

Two general aviation airports are located in unincorporated sections of the county.
The Houston Airport System stated that Liberty County is within the primary service area of George Bush Intercontinental Airport, an international airport in Houston in Harris County.

Toll roads

The Liberty County Toll Road Authority does not operate any toll roads at present. In July 2007, Liberty County created the Liberty County Toll Road Authority to have a say in any and all future toll-road projects located within the county.

Crime

In 2023 Zack Harkness, a constable of Liberty County, stated that the Aryan Brotherhood is the most significant gang in Liberty County, more so than any of Hispanic and Latino origin.

Notable people