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Cameron County, Texas

Not to be confused with Cameron, Texas.

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]

Cameron County
County
The Cameron County Courthouse in Brownsville Administration Building
The Cameron County Courthouse in Brownsville Administration Building
Official seal of Cameron County
Seal
Official logo of Cameron County
Logo
Map of Texas highlighting Cameron County
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Map of the United States highlighting Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 26°09′N 97°27′W / 26.15°N 97.45°W / 26.15; -97.45
Country United States
State Texas
Founded1848
Named forEwen Cameron
SeatBrownsville
Largest cityBrownsville
Area
 • Total
1,276 sq mi (3,300 km2)
 • Land891 sq mi (2,310 km2)
 • Water386 sq mi (1,000 km2)  30%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
421,017
 • Density330/sq mi (130/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district34th
Websitewww.co.cameron.tx.us

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]

Geography

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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.

Major highways

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Adjacent counties and municipalities

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National protected areas

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Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18508,541—
18606,028−29.4%
187010,99982.5%
188014,95936.0%
189014,424−3.6%
190016,09511.6%
191027,15868.7%
192036,66235.0%
193077,540111.5%
194083,2027.3%
1950125,17050.4%
1960151,09820.7%
1970140,368−7.1%
1980209,68049.4%
1990260,12024.1%
2000335,22728.9%
2010406,22021.2%
2020421,0173.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]
1850–2010[8] 2010[9] 2020[10]
Cameron 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[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.

Government and infrastructure

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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]

Politics

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Cameron County historically leaned toward the Democratic Party in presidential elections. George W. Bush received the highest votes in the county in the 2004 United States presidential election. The first Republican to win the county in a presidential election in the following 20 years was Donald Trump, in the 2024 United States presidential election. Multiple voters supported Trump while voting for lower-level down-ballot Democratic Party politicians. Trump outperformed Ted Cruz in the area in the 2024 election.[18] 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 in 2024, Trump won the county with a majority of 52.51% as part of the continued Republican trend of the Rio Grande Valley.[citation needed] In the 2020 United States presidential election, the Democratic Party had little organizing presence in the Rio Grande Valley. Still, the party put more campaign operatives in place to attempt to arrest the party's decline there. Jazmin Ulloa of The New York Times stated that Elon Musk placed significant economic development in the county, opposed illegal immigration, and did considerable campaigning for Trump in Cameron County, so "Mr. Trump didn’t have to campaign very hard in Cameron County."[18]

In the Texas House of Representatives, Cameron County is covered by Districts 35, 37, and 38.

As of 2006, officeholders tended to be Democrats, and Democrats were guaranteed to win elections, partly due to straight-ticket voting. It was common for voters to be influenced by members of their own extended families and by prominent families in their towns, so politicians often tried to make friends with family groups to increase their chances of getting elected. As of 2006, about 20,000 to 30,000 people habitually voted in primary elections, and presidential elections had higher turnouts. Politiqueras, women hired to help the elderly vote, were crucial in South Texas elections. Cecilia Ballí of Texas Monthly wrote that voters expected to get favors from politicians they vote for, and if they do not get these favors, they become resentful of politicians.[19]

United States presidential election results for Cameron County, Texas[20]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 60,991 52.44% 54,258 46.65% 1,060 0.91%
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%

Education

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Cameron County is served by several school districts. They include:[21]

In addition, residents are eligible to apply to South Texas Independent School District's magnet schools.[22]

All of the county is in the service area of Texas Southmost College.[23]

Economy

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Cameron County has been considered one of the poorest urban counties in the US.[24][25]

The FAA approved a SpaceX private spaceport east of Brownsville on the Gulf Coast.[26]

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.[27] 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.[28]

  • View of SpaceX's launch pad at Boca Chica Village near Brownsville 
    View of SpaceX's launch pad at Boca Chica Village near Brownsville
  • SN15 and SN16 
    SN15 and SN16
  • Starship and SuperHeavy production site 
    Starship and SuperHeavy production site

The southern cattle tick (Rhipicephalus microplus) is invasive here.[29] Populations here have also become highly permethrin resistant.[29] 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.[29] All quarantine efforts have been somewhat unsuccessful, due at least in part to the ticks' infestation of wildlife including whitetail (Odocoileus virginianus).[29]

Media

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Radio stations

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Newspapers

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  • The Brownsville Herald (A Freedom Communications, Inc. newspaper based in Brownsville, TX)[35]
  • Valley Morning Star (A Freedom Communications, Inc. newspaper based in Harlingen, TX)[36]
  • El Nuevo Heraldo (AIM Media Texas newspaper based in Brownsville, TX)[37]

Communities

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Cities

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Towns

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A picture of the Cameron County Courthouse (1912), the Dancy Building, in Brownsville, Texas, which served as the County Courthouse until the construction of a replacement: It was restored in 2006 and houses County Court at Law No 1, as well as some county offices.

Village

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Census-designated places

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Former census-designated places

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Other unincorporated communities

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Ghost towns

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Cameron County, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 4, 2023. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  2. ^ "Cameron County, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 25, 2022. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. ^ "DeWitt Colony Militia Captains". Tamu.edu. Archived from the original on January 10, 2011. Retrieved May 14, 2012.
  5. ^ "Rare Photo of the Elon Musk's $50,000 Tiny Home Shared by Biographer". The New York Observer. August 7, 2023.
  6. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  7. ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decade". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on April 16, 2022.
  8. ^ "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  9. ^ a b "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Cameron County, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  10. ^ a b "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Cameron County, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  11. ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Cameron County, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  12. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on December 27, 1996. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  13. ^ Clark, Steve. "Borders liquidation to bring down local Waldenbooks." The Brownsville Herald. July 20, 2011. Retrieved on July 21, 2011.
  14. ^ "Port Isabel Service Processing Center Archived May 27, 2010, at the Wayback Machine." U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Retrieved on 21.July 2010.
  15. ^ "Texas Airport Directory – Port Isabel, Port Isabel-Cameron County (PIL)" (PDF). Texas Department of Transportation. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
  16. ^ FAA Airport Form 5010 for PIL PDF. Federal Aviation Administration, Effective April 26, 2018.
  17. ^ Perez-Treviño, Emma. "Judge: Hard to believe depths of Cameron County corruption Archived 2014-09-14 at the Wayback Machine." Valley Morning Star at The Monitor. Wednesday, January 1, 2014. Retrieved on January 5, 2014.
  18. ^ a b Ulloa, Jazmin (December 1, 2024). "How the Border County Where Elon Musk Is a Local Flipped for Trump". The New York Times. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
  19. ^ Ballí, Cecilia. "The Bad Guy With the Badge" (Archive). Texas Monthly. August 2006. Retrieved on May 25, 2016.
  20. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Archived from the original on March 23, 2018. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  21. ^ "2020 CENSUS – SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Cameron County, TX" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022. – list Archived June 30, 2022, at the Wayback Machine
  22. ^ "About". South Texas Independent School District. Archived from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022. The district stretches over three counties, Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy,[...]
  23. ^ Texas Education Code, Sec. 130.204. TEXAS SOUTHMOST COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA. Archived September 22, 2021, at the Wayback Machine.
  24. ^ "Poverty in Texas". The Texas Politics Project. September 16, 2008. Archived from the original on July 22, 2023. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
  25. ^ Kaswan, Mark J. (July 3, 2014). "Developing democracy: cooperatives and democratic theory". International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development. 6 (2): 190–205. Bibcode:2014IJUSD...6..190K. doi:10.1080/19463138.2014.951048. ISSN 1946-3138.
  26. ^ Martinez, Laura (April 10, 2012). "Brownsville area candidate for spaceport". The Monitor. Archived from the original on April 14, 2012. Retrieved May 12, 2012.
  27. ^ a b Nield, George C. (April 2014). Draft Environmental Impact Statement: SpaceX Texas Launch Site (PDF) (Report). Vol. 1. Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Commercial Space Transportation. Archived from the original on December 7, 2013.
  28. ^ Perez-Treviño, Emma (February 19, 2014). "SpaceX continues local land purchases". Valley Morning Star. Retrieved February 19, 2014.[permanent dead link‍]
  29. ^ a b c d
  30. ^ "Q945rocks.com". Archived from the original on November 8, 2006. Retrieved October 20, 2006.
  31. ^ "99.5 La Nueva FM KKPS musica regional Mexicana". Archived from the original on May 20, 2013. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  32. ^ "Inicio – RADIO JOSE McAllen". July 19, 2012. Archived from the original on November 5, 2006. Retrieved October 20, 2006.
  33. ^ Staff, 107.9 Mix FM. "107.9 Mix FM – KVLY". Archived from the original on November 2, 2006. Retrieved October 20, 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  34. ^ "Faith, Hope, and Love: KVMV 96.9FM". KVMV 96.9FM. Archived from the original on February 16, 2017. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
  35. ^ "Brownsville Herald". Archived from the original on May 10, 2011. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
  36. ^ "Valley Morning Star". Archived from the original on February 16, 2007. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
  37. ^ "El Nuevo Heraldo". Archived from the original on November 30, 2016. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
  38. ^ @nextspaceflight (March 2, 2021). "The Boca Chica Village area (part of..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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  Media related to Cameron County, Texas at Wikimedia Commons

26°09′N 97°27′W / 26.15°N 97.45°W / 26.15; -97.45

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