The county is named for the family of William Hardin (1801-1839), a settler, judge, and postmaster. The Hardin family cemetery is located north of Liberty.[4]
The currentHardin County Courthouse was built in 1959. It is at least the third courthouse to serve Hardin County.[5]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 898 square miles (2,330 km2), of which 7.0 square miles (18 km2) (0.8%) are covered by water.[6]
Hardin County is located on the flat coastal plains ofSoutheast Texas, roughly 30 mi (48 km) north of theGulf of Mexico. The county is largely covered by the dense forest of theBig Thicket. It is crossed by numerous small streams and creeks that drain the county into theNeches River, which forms the eastern boundary of the county.
Hardin 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 56,231. The median age was 39.9 years. 24.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.0 males age 18 and over.[13][14]
49.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 50.7% lived in rural areas.[15]
There were 21,616 households in the county, of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 54.9% were married-couple households, 16.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[13]
There were 24,003 housing units, of which 9.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 79.0% were owner-occupied and 21.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 12.8%.[13]
As of the 2010 census, Hardin County had a population of 54,635. The ethnic and racial composition of the population was 88.0% non-Hispanic white, 5.8% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 1.3% from some other race, and 1.3% from two or more races.[16]
As of the 2000 census, 48,073 people, 17,805 households, and 13,638 families resided in the county.[17] Thepopulation density was 54 people/mi2 (21 people/km2). The 19,836 housing units averaged 22 per square mile (8.5/km2). Theracial makeup of the county was 90.86% White, 6.91% Black or African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.74% from other races, and 0.93% from two or more races. About 2.54% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
Of the 17,805 households, 37.2% had children under 18 living with them, 62.6% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.4% were not families; 20.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the county, the age distribution was 27.8% under 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.4 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $37,612, and for a family was $42,890. Males had a median income of $35,881 versus $22,823 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $17,962. About 8.8% of families and 11.20% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 13.3% of those under age 18 and 10.6% of those age 65 or over.
