Around 8000 BC,Paleo-Indianshunter-gatherers inhabited the area, and laterTonkawa,Karankawa andComanche peoples became the first identified inhabitants.[4] Caldwell County, ofGreen DeWitt's petition for a land grant to establish a colony in Texas, was approved by the Mexican government in 1825.
In 1839, Edmund Bellinger became the first settler ofPrairie Lea, the county's oldest town.Sam Houston named the town for his future wifeMargaret Lea Houston.[5][6] The legislature formed Caldwell County fromBastrop andGonzales counties in March 1845. Lockhart was named as the county seat.[4][7]
By 1860, the county population was 2,871, with 1,610 slaves.[4] The community of Fentress was established, originally as Riverside, but later changed to honor the town's first physician, James Fentress.[8] The next year, the county voted 434–188 in favor ofsecession from the Union. Several hundred men from Caldwell County served in theConfederate States Army.[4]
In the 1870s, St. John Colony was established by former slaves.[9] The town ofLuling was established in 1874,[10] close to an earlier farming settlement namedAtlanta . John and James Merriwether and Leonidas Hardeman built a gristmill and a sawmill, later known as Zedler's Mills.[11]
The Missouri, Kansas, and Texas completed its track between Lockhart andSan Marcos in 1887.[4] Two years later, theSan Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway connected Lockhart and Luling toShiner.[4] By 1892, the Missouri, Kansas and Texas had laid track from Lockhart east toSmithville.[4]
On August 9, 1922, Edgar B. Davis discovered the Luling Oilfield.[13] The Luling Foundation was established in 1927 by Davis to teach diversity in agriculture and improve the lives of farm and ranch families.[14]
The Lockhart State Park opened to the public in 1948.[15] In 1953, Luling established its annual Watermelon Thump celebration.[16]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 546.452 square miles (1,415.30 km2), of which 544.541 square miles (1,410.35 km2) is land and 1.911 square miles (4.95 km2) (0.35%) is water.[17] It is the 235th largest county in Texas by total area.
U.S. Decennial Census[19] 1790–1960[20] 1900–1990[21] 1990–2000[22] 2010–2020[2]
As of the third quarter of 2024, the median home value in Caldwell County was $214,150.[23]
According to the 2023American Community Survey, the average household size was 2.78 persons, and the county had a median household income of $68,503. Approximately 13.7% of the county's population lived at or below thepoverty line. Caldwell County had an estimated 58.0% employment rate, with 16.4% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 80.3% holding a high school diploma.[2]
The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (64.1%), Spanish (35.0%), Indo-European (0.5%), Asian and Pacific Islander (0.2%), and Other (0.3%).
Caldwell 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.
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 45,883. The median age was 36.8 years. 25.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 15.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.0 males age 18 and over.[28][29]
45.4% of residents lived in urban areas, while 54.6% lived in rural areas.[30]
There were 15,010 households in the county, of which 37.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 48.4% were married-couple households, 19.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[28]
There were 16,379 housing units, of which 8.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 69.4% were owner-occupied and 30.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.5%.[28]
As of the2010 census, there were 38,066 people, 12,278 households, and _ families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 69.8 inhabitants per square mile (26.9/km2). There were 13,733 housing units at an average density of 25.2 per square mile (9.7/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 75.65%White, 6.78%African American, 0.80%Native American, 0.94%Asian, 0.03%Pacific Islander, 13.03% from some other races and 2.53% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 47.08% of the population.
As of the2000 census, there were 32,194 people, 10,816 households, and 8,079 families residing in the county. The population density was 59.0 inhabitants per square mile (22.8/km2). There were 11,901 housing units at an average density of 22.0 per square mile (8.5/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 70.13%White, 8.50%African American, 0.61%Native American, 0.34%Asian, 0.03%Pacific Islander, 17.66% from some other races and 2.74% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 40.44% of the population.
Of the 10,816 households, 37.0% had children under 18 living with them, 56.0% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.3% were not families. About 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.82, and the average family size was 3.28.
In the county, the age distribution was 28.3% under 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.5 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 92.7 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $36,573, and for a family was $41,300. Males had a median income of $29,295 versus $21,595 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $15,099. About 10.40% of families and 13.10% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 15.10% of those under age 18 and 15.40% of those age 65 or over.
^abcdefghSmyrl, Vivian Elizabeth (June 12, 2010)."Caldwell County, Texas".Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. RetrievedDecember 1, 2010.
^Stock, Barbara (June 15, 2010)."Prairie Lea".Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. RetrievedDecember 1, 2010.
^Smyrl, Vivian Elizabeth (June 15, 2010)."Luling Oilfield".Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. RetrievedDecember 1, 2010.
^Parsons, Chuck; Luling Main Street (2009). "Agriculture and the Foundation Farm".Luling (Images of America). Arcadia Publishing. pp. 101–106.ISBN978-0-7385-7145-4.
^Taylor, Tom; Molloy, Johnny (2003). "Lockhart State Park Trail".60 Hikes within 60 Miles: San Antonio and Austin. Menasha Ridge Press. p. 88.ISBN978-0-89732-533-2.
^Pohlen, Jerome (2006).Oddball Texas: A Guide to Some Really Strange Places. Chicago Review Press. p. 160.ISBN978-1-55652-583-4.
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