Van Zandt County, Texas
Van Zandt County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 48,140. Its county seat is Canton[1]. The county is named for Isaac Van Zandt, a member of the Congress of the Republic of Texas.[2]
Until May 2009, Van Zandt County was a completely dry county. On May 9, 2009, the citizens of Wills Point voted to allow beer and wine sales within its limits.
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Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 859 square miles (2,226 km²), of which, 849 square miles (2,198 km²) of it is land and 10 square miles (28 km²) of it (1.26%) is water.
Major highways
Adjacent counties
- Rains County (north)
- Wood County (northeast)
- Smith County (east)
- Henderson County (south)
- Kaufman County (west)
- Hunt County (northwest)
Demographics
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 48,140 people, 18,195 households, and 13,664 families residing in the county. The population density was 57 people per square mile (22/km²). There were 20,896 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile (10/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 91.96% White, 2.94% Black or African American, 0.62% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 2.71% from other races, and 1.56% from two or more races. 6.65% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 18,195 households out of which 31.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.60% were married couples living together, 8.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.90% were non-families. 22.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the county, the population was spread out with 25.50% under the age of 18, 7.30% from 18 to 24, 25.20% from 25 to 44, 24.90% from 45 to 64, and 17.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $35,029, and the median income for a family was $41,175. Males had a median income of $31,887 versus $21,344 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,930. About 10.30% of families and 13.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.90% of those under age 18 and 12.10% of those age 65 or over.
Local media
Van Zandt County is part of the Tyler/Longview/Jacksonville Television media market in Eastern Texas. Local News media outlets are: KLTV, KYTX, KLPN-LP, KFXK, and KETK-TV. Although they are provided satellite television services, residents of Van Zandt County are only allowed to view the Dallas/Fort Worth market stations, forcing some area residents to use television antennas to get local news and information. In the cities of Van Zandt County Cable Television continues to offer most of the Tyler/Longview/Jacksonville DMA channels.
Political Officers
Pat Burnett is the Sheriff (as of December 2007) of Van Zandt County.[4]
Cities and towns
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Newspapers and publications
- Canton Herald
- Van Banner
- Wills Point Chronicle
- Canton Guide
- Van Zandt County News
- East Texas Homes & Farms
References
- ^ . National Association of Counties. . Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ History of Van Zandt County (Van Zandt County History Book Committee. Dallas, Texas: 1984)
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Arnsdorff, Janice (December 6, 2007), "Murder Arrest Made", Cedar Creek Pilot: 1,12A
Additional sources
- Clausen, C. A. ed., The Lady with the Pen: Elise Wærenskjold in Texas (Northfield, Minnesota: Norwegian-American Historical Association, 1961)
- Hall, Margaret Elizabeth A History of Van Zandt County (Austin,, Texas: Jenkins, 1976)
External links
- Van Zandt County government's website
- Van Zandt County News
- Van Zandt County from the Handbook of Texas Online
| Hunt County | Rains County | Wood County | ||
| Kaufman County | Smith County | |||
| Van Zandt County, Texas | ||||
| Henderson County |
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Coordinates: 32°34′N 95°50′W / 32.56°N 95.84°W
Categories: Texas counties | Van Zandt County, Texas