Polk County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofTexas. As of the2020 census, its population was 50,123.[1] Itscounty seat isLivingston.[2] The county is named after PresidentJames K. Polk. TheAlabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation of the federally recognized tribe is in Polk County, where the people have been since the early 19th century. They were forcibly evicted by the federal government from their traditional territory in the Southeast.[3] The2000 census reported a resident population of 480 persons on the reservation. The tribe reports 1,100 enrolled members. The Tribe also has a casino named Naskila.
Ike Turner Camp Confederate Monument, Livingston, Texas
Polk County, named for James Knox Polk ofTennessee,President of the United States, was created by an act of the firstLegislature of the State of Texas, approved on March 30, 1846, out ofLiberty County, and embraced that portion from the part designated as the "Northern Division" of said county. It was one of the first of a series of 23 counties, formulated, constituted, and established by the State of Texas, after annexation to the United States.[4]
Polk 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 50,123. The median age was 47.7 years. 18.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 24.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 111.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 113.0 males age 18 and over.[11][12]
11.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 88.8% lived in rural areas.[13]
There were 18,969 households in the county, of which 24.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 51.0% were married-couple households, 18.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[11]
There were 24,622 housing units, of which 23.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 77.0% were owner-occupied and 23.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.8%.[11]
As of thecensus[14] of 2000, 41,133 people, 15,119 households, and 10,915 families were residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 39 inhabitants per square mile (15/km2). The 21,177 housing units averaged 20 per square mile (7.7/km2). Theracial makeup of the county was 79.64% White, 13.17% African American, 1.74% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 3.75% from other races, and 1.32% from two or more races. About 9.39% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Of the 15,119 households, 28.8% had children under 18 living with them, 57.9% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% were not families. About 24.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.50, and the average family size was 2.95.
In the county, the age distribution was 22.9% under 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 26.80% from 25 to 44, 24.20% from 45 to 64, and 18.00% who were 65 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 108.70 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 109.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,495, and for a family was $35,957. Males had a median income of $30,823 versus $21,065 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $15,834. About 13.3% of families and 17.40% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 23.1% of those under age 18 and 12.3% of those 65 or over.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,110 sq mi (2,900 km2), of which 53 sq mi (140 km2) (4.7%) are covered by water.[15]
The county is in the district forAngelina College.[17] Polk County College / Commerce Center was completed in 2013 and is located on the U.S. Highway 59 Bypass. Angelina College offers advanced curriculum study and technical training at this location. The facility provides public auditorium space and may be used as a mass shelter in a disaster event.[18]
Sam Houston, general of the revolution to achieve independence and President of the Republic of Texas, spent much time in Polk County, including making peace treaties with the Alabama-Coushata Indians.[24]
Moon Mullican - musician, "King of the Hillbilly Piano Players"
Captain (Ike) Isaac Newton Moreland Turner was a Confederate captain who joined the Civil War from Polk County, with units called theTexas Brigade; his remains were returned here from Georgia and were reinterred in his family cemetery on April 15, 1995.[27]
Annette Gordon-Reed (born November 19, 1958, in Livingston, Texas) is an American historian, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, and law professor noted for changing scholarship on Thomas Jefferson regarding his relationship withSally Hemings and her children.
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