The county was organized in 1913[4] and was named forRobert J. Kleberg, an early settler.
In 1997, the county commissioners designated "HeavenO" as the county's official greeting because of ataboo stemming from "Hello"'s perceived connotations ofHell.[5][6]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,090 square miles (2,800 km2), of which 881 square miles (2,280 km2) is land and 209 square miles (540 km2) (19%) is water.[7] It borders theGulf of Mexico.Baffin Bay makes up a large part of the border with Kenedy County.
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 31,040 and a median age of 32.2 years; 23.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 14.5% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 101.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 99.9 males.[13]
80.4% of residents lived in urban areas, while 19.6% lived in rural areas.[15]
There were 11,530 households in the county, of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 40.1% were married-couple households, 24.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[13]
There were 13,948 housing units, of which 17.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 53.5% were owner-occupied and 46.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 17.2%.[13]
Kleberg 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 thecensus[17] of 2000, there were 31,549 people, 10,896 households, and 7,681 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 36 people per square mile (14 people/km2). There were 12,743 housing units at an average density of 15 units per square mile (5.8/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 71.87%White, 3.70%Black orAfrican American, 0.61%Native American, 1.47%Asian, 0.10%Pacific Islander, 19.00% fromother races, and 3.25% from two or more races. 65.41% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 10,896 households, out of which 34.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.10% weremarried couples living together, 13.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.50% were non-families. 22.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.30.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.30% under the age of 18, 15.70% from 18 to 24, 27.40% from 25 to 44, 19.00% from 45 to 64, and 10.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $29,313, and the median income for a family was $33,055. Males had a median income of $31,179 versus $19,494 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $13,542. About 21.20% of families and 26.70% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 35.50% of those under age 18 and 15.60% of those age 65 or over.
Kleberg County is represented in theTexas House of Representatives byJosé Manuel Lozano, aRepublican party politician.[21]Kleberg County has leaned Democratic most of its history but has become more competitive in the 21st century. An indicator of that trend is Lozano, who was originally a Democrat but switched to the Republican party in 2012. Kleberg County Attorney Kira Talip Sanchez was originally elected as a Democrat in 2014 but switched parties in August 2023 and is now a Republican.[22] No candidate from either party has managed to reach 60% of the vote share in a presidential election since Jimmy Carter in 1976.
Compared to the rest of the ancestral Democratic stronghold of South Texas, Kleberg County has seen a relatively mild swing towards the Democrats - for example, in 2024, the county voted to the left of nearbyStarr County for the first time in its history. Some of this may be attributed to Kleberg County's lower Hispanic population, especially in rural areas.
.svg)
