Hardin County, Texas

Hardin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 56,231. The county seat is Kountze. The county is named for the family of William Hardin from Liberty County, Texas.

Hardin County is part of the Beaumont-Port Arthur metropolitan statistical area.

History The county is named for the family of William Hardin, a settler, judge, and postmaster. The Hardin family cemetery is located north of Liberty.

The current Hardin County Courthouse was built in 1959. It is at least the third courthouse to serve Hardin County.

Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which (0.8%) are covered by water.

Hardin County is located on the flat coastal plains of Southeast Texas, roughly north of the Gulf of Mexico. The county is largely covered by the dense forest of the Big Thicket. It is crossed by numerous small streams and creeks that drain the county into the Neches River, which forms the eastern boundary of the county.

Major highways U.S. Highway 69/U.S. Highway 287 U.S. Highway 96 State Highway 105 State Highway 326 State Highway 327

Adjacent counties Tyler County (northern) Jasper County (east) Orange County (southeast) Jefferson County (south) Liberty County (southwest) Polk County (northwest)

Its eastern boundaries with Jasper County and Orange County are formed by the Neches River. The southern boundary with Jefferson County is formed by Pine Island Bayou

National protected area Big Thicket National Preserve (part)

Communities Cities Kountze (county seat) Lumberton Rose Hill Acres Silsbee Sour Lake

Census-designated places Pinewood Estates Wildwood (partly in Tyler County)

Unincorporated communities Batson Honey Island Saratoga Thicket Village Mills Votaw

Ghost town Bragg

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition +Hardin County, Texas – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980 Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)35,95337,00642,94148,08846,93488.29%89.56%89.32%88.02%83.47%Black or African American alone (NH)4,0973,4593,3103,1813,03710.06%8.37%6.89%5.82%5.40%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)401171331821900.10%0.28%0.28%0.33%0.34%Asian alone (NH)36541082693990.09%0.13%0.22%0.49%0.71%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census4634xx0.01%0.01%0.06%Other race alone (NH)23520191490.06%0.01%0.04%0.03%0.26%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census3345062,071xx0.69%0.93%3.68%Hispanic or Latino (any race)5726791,2232,3843,4171.40%1.64%2.54%4.36%6.08%Total40,72141,32048,07354,63556,231 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 56,231. The median age was 39.9 years. About 24.2% of residents were under 18 and 18.1% were 65 or older. For every 100 females, there were 96.4 males, and for every 100 females 18 and over, there were 94.0 males 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 85.4% White, 5.5% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.8% from some other race, and 6.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 6.1% of the population.

About 49.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 50.7% lived in rural areas.

Of the 21,616 households in the county, 33.6% had children under 18 living in them, 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 or older.

The county had 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%.

2010 census

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.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, 48,073 people, 17,805 households, and 13,638 families resided in the county. The population density was . The 19,836 housing units averaged . The racial 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 were Hispanic or Latino 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 18 and over, there were 92.4 males.

The median income in the county for a household was $37,612 and for a family was $42,890. Males had a median income of $35,881 versus $22,823 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,962. About 8.8% of families and 11.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.3% of those under 18 and 10.6% of those 65 or over.

Politics United States Congress Senators Name Party First Elected Level Senate Class 1 John Cornyn Republican 2002 Senior Senator Senate Class 2 Ted Cruz Republican 2012 Junior Senator Representatives Name Party First Elected Area(s) of Hardin County Represented District 36 Brian Babin Republican New district created with 2010 census. First elected 2014. Entire county

Education School districts include: - Text list

Hardin-Jefferson Independent School District Kountze Independent School District Lumberton Independent School District Silsbee Independent School District Warren Independent School District West Hardin County Consolidated Independent School District

The Texas Legislature specifies community college districts for most places in Texas; as of 2026 it has not directly assigned any areas in Hardin County to a specific community college district.Texas Education Code TITLE 3. HIGHER EDUCATION SUBTITLE G. NON-BACCALAUREATE SYSTEM CHAPTER 130. JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICTS. Retrieved on August 20, 2026.

Hardin County, Texas

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