Burnet County, Texas

Burnet County, Texas
County
The Burnet County Courthouse in Burnet
The Burnet County Courthouse in Burnet
Map of Texas highlighting Burnet County
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Coordinates: 30°47′N 98°11′W / 30.78°N 98.18°W / 30.78; -98.18
Country United States
State Texas
Founded1854
Named forDavid Gouverneur Burnet
SeatBurnet
Largest cityMarble Falls
Area
 • Total
1,021 sq mi (2,640 km2)
 • Land994 sq mi (2,570 km2)
 • Water27 sq mi (70 km2)  2.6%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
49,130
 • Estimate 
(2025)
57,015 Increase
 • Density49.4/sq mi (19.1/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district31st
Websitewww.burnetcountytexas.org Edit this at Wikidata
Veterans Memorial at Burnet County courthouse
Rolling highway in Burnet County in Texas Hill Country toward Longhorn Cavern State Park

Burnet County (/ˈbɜːrnɪt/ BUR-nit) is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 49,130. Its county seat is Burnet. The 2025 county population estimate was 57,015. The county was founded in 1852 and later organized in 1854. It is named for David Gouverneur Burnet, the first (provisional) president of the Republic of Texas. The name of the county is pronounced with the emphasis or accent on the first syllable, just as is the case with its namesake.

History

Indigenous peoples inhabited the area as early as 4500 BC. Later known tribes in the area include Tonkawa, Lipan Apache, and Comanche.

During the 1820s-1830s, Stephen F. Austin and Green DeWitt conducted surveying and Indian-fighting explorations. In 1849, the United States established Fort Croghan, and in 1848, the first settlers arrived in the county, Samuel Eli Holland, Logan Vandeveer, Peter Kerr, William Harrison Magill, Noah Smithwick, Captain Jesse B. Burnham, R. H. Hall, Adam Rankin "Stovepipe" Johnson, and Captain Christian Dorbandt. In 1851, 20 Mormon families under the leadership of Lyman Wight establish a colony at Hamilton Creek, later to be known as Morman Mill.[citation needed]

In 1852, the Fourth Texas Legislature created Burnet County from Bell, Travis, and Williamson Counties. The first post office was established at Hamilton in 1853.

In 1860, 235 slaves were in Burnet County. After the war, some former slaves left the county, but many stayed. A group of them settled on land in the eastern part of Oatmeal. In 1870, the black population of the county had increased to 358, keeping pace with the growth of the total number of residents; the number of blacks had fallen to 248 by 1880, however, and the number of new white residents was such that after 1890, blacks represented less than 3% of the total population. Some found work on farms and ranches, but by the turn of the century, many had moved into the Marble Falls area to work in town.

During 1882–1903, railroad tracks connected Burnet, Granite Mountain, Marble Falls, and Lampasas. Lake Victor and Bertram became shipping-point communities. Other communities lost population as the railroad offered employment. During the Great Depression, county farmers suffered financially, but found work with government-sponsored public-works projects. The Lower Colorado River Authority employed hundreds of people for the construction of the Hamilton (Buchanan) Dam and Roy B. Inks Dam.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,021 sq mi (2,640 km2), of which 27 sq mi (70 km2) (2.6%) are covered by water.

Major highways

Adjacent counties

National protected area

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18602,487—
18703,68848.3%
18806,85585.9%
189010,74756.8%
190010,528−2.0%
191010,7552.2%
19209,499−11.7%
193010,3559.0%
194010,7714.0%
195010,356−3.9%
19609,265−10.5%
197011,42023.3%
198017,80355.9%
199022,67727.4%
200034,14750.6%
201042,75025.2%
202049,13014.9%
2025 (est.)57,015 Increase16.0%
U.S. Decennial Census
1850–2010 2010 2020

Racial and ethnic composition

Burnet 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 1980 Pop 1990 Pop 2000 Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 1980 % 1990 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 16,178 19,814 28,017 32,530 34,810 90.87% 87.37% 82.05% 76.09% 70.85%
Black or African American alone (NH) 269 255 500 700 579 1.51% 1.12% 1.46% 1.64% 1.18%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 38 98 155 169 183 0.21% 0.43% 0.45% 0.40% 0.37%
Asian alone (NH) 42 50 89 198 424 0.24% 0.22% 0.26% 0.46% 0.86%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) x x 13 13 14 x x 0.04% 0.03% 0.03%
Other race alone (NH) 18 20 15 44 147 0.10% 0.09% 0.04% 0.10% 0.30%
Multiracial (NH) x x 314 444 1,774 x x 0.92% 1.04% 3.61%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 1,258 2,440 5,044 8,652 11,199 7.07% 10.76% 14.77% 20.24% 22.79%
Total 17,803 22,677 34,147 42,750 49,130 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 49,130 and a median age of 45.9 years. About 20.7% of residents were under 18 and 24.1% were 65 or older. For every 100 females, there were 96.6 males, and for every 100 females 18 and over, there were 93.9 males 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 77.0% White, 1.3% Black or African American, 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 8.7% from some other race, and 11.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 22.8% of the population.

About 32.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 67.3% lived in rural areas.

Of the 19,245 households in the county, 27.6% had children under 18 living in them, 55.0% were married-couple households, 16.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 or older.

The county had 23,436 housing units, of which 17.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 75.2% were owner-occupied and 24.8% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.7%.

Communities

Cities

Census-designated place

Unincorporated communities

Notable people

Politics

United States presidential election results for Burnet County, Texas
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No. %No. %No. %
1912 85 10.87% 623 79.67% 74 9.46%
1916 115 10.87% 913 86.29% 30 2.84%
1920 241 18.98% 795 62.60% 234 18.43%
1924 277 13.45% 1,725 83.74% 58 2.82%
1928 936 66.67% 467 33.26% 1 0.07%
1932 144 7.02% 1,904 92.88% 2 0.10%
1936 111 6.54% 1,583 93.34% 2 0.12%
1940 233 9.66% 2,177 90.26% 2 0.08%
1944 228 10.80% 1,697 80.35% 187 8.85%
1948 287 12.35% 1,955 84.12% 82 3.53%
1952 1,270 46.98% 1,431 52.94% 2 0.07%
1956 1,163 44.90% 1,422 54.90% 5 0.19%
1960 1,189 39.95% 1,770 59.48% 17 0.57%
1964 821 24.08% 2,585 75.81% 4 0.12%
1968 1,459 36.68% 1,876 47.16% 643 16.16%
1972 3,438 73.34% 1,227 26.17% 23 0.49%
1976 2,777 41.85% 3,818 57.53% 41 0.62%
1980 4,033 50.84% 3,711 46.78% 189 2.38%
1984 5,895 66.18% 2,983 33.49% 29 0.33%
1988 5,120 53.85% 4,343 45.68% 45 0.47%
1992 4,272 39.53% 3,638 33.66% 2,897 26.81%
1996 5,744 51.99% 4,123 37.32% 1,182 10.70%
2000 9,286 70.18% 3,557 26.88% 389 2.94%
2004 11,456 72.77% 4,147 26.34% 139 0.88%
2008 12,059 71.38% 4,608 27.28% 226 1.34%
2012 12,843 76.46% 3,674 21.87% 279 1.66%
2016 14,638 76.22% 3,797 19.77% 769 4.00%
2020 18,767 75.93% 5,639 22.81% 311 1.26%
2024 21,795 77.42% 6,114 21.72% 244 0.87%
United States Senate election results for Burnet County, Texas1
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No. %No. %No. %
2024 21,056 74.97% 6,401 22.79% 629 2.24%
United States Senate election results for Burnet County, Texas2
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No. %No. %No. %
2020 18,687 76.15% 5,323 21.69% 530 2.16%
Texas Gubernatorial election results for Burnet County
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No. %No. %No. %
2022 16,505 78.18% 4,337 20.54% 269 1.27%

See also

References

  1. ↑ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2025". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  2. ↑ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Burnet County, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Burnet County, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  4. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  5. ↑ "Texas: Individual County Chronologies". Texas Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2008. Archived from the original on May 13, 2015. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Smyrl, Vivian Elizabeth (June 12, 2010). "Burnet County, Texas". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved November 29, 2010.
  7. ↑ "Fort Croghan". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. June 12, 2010. Retrieved November 29, 2010.
  8. ↑ Goble, Carole A (2009). "Fort Croghan and the First Settlers". Burnet (Images of America). Arcadia Publishing. pp. 9–30. ISBN 978-0-7385-7121-8.
  9. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  10. ↑ "QuickFacts: Burnet County, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 11, 2025.
  11. ↑ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decade". US Census Bureau.
  12. ↑ "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  13. 1 2 "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Burnet County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
  14. 1 2 "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Burnet County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
  15. ↑ "1980 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics- Texas - Table 15. Persons by Race and Table 16. Total Persons and Spanish Origin Persons by Type of Spanish Origin and Race" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. p. 21-46. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 7, 2022.
  16. ↑ "1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics- Texas - Table 3. Race and Hispanic Origin: 1990" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. p. 29-138. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 3, 2026.
  17. ↑ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Burnet County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
  18. ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
  19. ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
  20. ↑ not an option in the 1980 Census
  21. ↑ not an option in the 1990 Census
  22. 1 2 3 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
  23. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
  24. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
  25. ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  26. ↑ "2024 Senate Election (Official Returns)". Commonwealth of Texas by county. November 5, 2024. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  27. ↑ "Texas Senate Election Results 2020". NBCNews.com. November 3, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2026.

30°47′N 98°11′W / 30.78°N 98.18°W / 30.78; -98.18