Medina County, Texas

Medina County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 50,748. Its county seat is Hondo. The county is named for the Medina River. The extreme northern part of the county lies within the Edwards Plateau, which elevates into the Texas Hill Country. The Medina Dam, the fourth largest in the nation when completed in 1913, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The irrigation project, creating Medina Lake, was built by 1500 skilled workers who worked in shifts operating 24 hours a day to complete the dam in two years. Medina County is part of the San Antonio, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
The county is named after the Medina River, which was named in 1689 after the Spanish cartographer Pedro de Medina by the Spanish explorer Alonso de Leon, the first European to encounter the river. Because Pedro de Medina derived his surname from the Andalusian city of Medina-Sidonia, the name Medina comes from the Arabic for city.

The Texas Legislature formed Medina county on February 12, 1848, and enlarged it on February 1, 1850, using land taken from Bexar County. Castroville was the county seat, and the county erected the first permanent courthouse there in 1854. The county seat moved to Hondo in 1892, and a new courthouse was completed there in 1893.

Native Americans that lived in Medina County include the Comanche, Apache and also the Coahuiltecan. The last Indian raid of the county happened on April 22, 1877, when 19 year old Joe Wilton was killed by Indians near Devine, Texas.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1335 sqmi, of which 1325 sqmi is land and 9.2 sqmi (0.7%) is water.

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-35 (TX).svg|20px]] Interstate 35
 * [[Image:US 90.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 90
 * [[Image:Texas 16.svg|20px]] State Highway 16
 * [[Image:Texas 132.svg|20px]] State Highway 132
 * [[Image:Texas 173.svg|20px]] State Highway 173

Adjacent counties

 * Bandera County (north)
 * Bexar County (east)
 * Atascosa County (southeast)
 * Frio County (south)
 * Uvalde County (west)

Demographics
''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 can be of any race.''

As of the census of 2000, there were 39,304 people, 12,880 households, and 10,136 families residing in the county. The population density was 30 /mi2. There were 14,826 housing units at an average density of 11 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 79.38% White, 2.20% Black or African American, 0.68% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 14.48% from other races, and 2.88% from two or more races. 45.47% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 12,880 households, out of which 39.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.20% were married couples living together, 11.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.30% were non-families. 18.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.30.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 29.00% under the age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 28.70% from 25 to 44, 21.50% from 45 to 64, and 12.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $36,063, and the median income for a family was $40,288. Males had a median income of $27,045 versus $21,734 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,210. About 12.00% of families and 15.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.80% of those under age 18 and 15.60% of those age 65 or over.

Cities

 * Castroville
 * Devine
 * Hondo (county seat)
 * LaCoste
 * Lytle (mostly in Atascosa County and a small part in Bexar County)
 * Natalia
 * San Antonio (mostly in Bexar County and a small part in Comal County)

Census-designated places

 * D'Hanis
 * Lake Medina Shores (partly in Bandera County)

Unincorporated communities

 * Dunlay
 * Mico
 * Pearson
 * Rio Medina
 * Yancey

Ghost towns

 * New Fountain
 * Quihi

Education
Most of Medina County is served by the Hondo Independent School District.
 * D'Hanis Independent School District
 * Devine Independent School District
 * Hondo Independent School District
 * Lytle Independent School District
 * Medina Valley Independent School District
 * Natalia Independent School District
 * Northside Independent School District
 * Utopia Independent School District

The designated community college is Southwest Texas Junior College.