# Polk County, Texas

Polk County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 50,123. Its county seat is Livingston. The county is named after President James K. Polk. The Alabama-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. The 2000 census reported a resident population of 480 persons on the reservation. The tribe reports 1100 enrolled members.

## History

Polk County, named for James Knox Polk of Tennessee, President of the United States, was created by an act of the first Legislature of the State of Texas, approved on March 30, 1846, out of Liberty 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.

## Demographics

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. :
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000 | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
| White alone (NH) | 30,723 | 32,830 | 34,808 | 74.69% | 72.29% | 69.45% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 5,357 | 5,153 | 4,869 | 13.02% | 11.35% | 9.71% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 649 | 778 | 914 | 1.58% | 1.71% | 1.82% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 156 | 180 | 340 | 0.38% | 0.40% | 0.68% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0.01% | 0.02% | 0.00% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 5 | 14 | 135 | 0.01% | 0.03% | 0.27% |
| Mixed or multiracial (NH) | 379 | 492 | 1,712 | 0.92% | 1.08% | 3.42% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3,861 | 5,959 | 7,345 | 9.39% | 13.12% | 14.65% |
| Total | 41,133 | 45,413 | 50,123 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the census of 2000, 41,133 people, 15,119 households, and 10,915 families were residing in the county. The population density was 39 inhabitants per square mile (15/km$^2$). The 21,177 housing units averaged 20 per square mile (7.7/km$^2$). The racial 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. The per capita income for the county was $15,834. About 13.3% of families and 17.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.1% of those under age 18 and 12.3% of those 65 or over.

## Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,110 sq mi (2,900 km$^2$), of which 53 sq mi (140 km$^2$) (4.7%) are covered by water.

### Adjacent counties

* Angelina County (north)
* Tyler County (east)
* Hardin County (southeast)
* Liberty County (south)
* San Jacinto County (southwest)
* Trinity County (northwest)

### National protected area

* Big Thicket National Preserve (part)

## Education

School districts:
* Big Sandy Independent School District
* Chester Independent School District
* Corrigan-Camden Independent School District
* Goodrich Independent School District
* Leggett Independent School District
* Livingston Independent School District
* Onalaska Independent School District
* Woodville Independent School District
The county is in the district for Angelina College. 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.

## Government

| Position | Name | Party |
| County Judge | Sydney Murphy | Republican |
| Commissioner, Precinct 1 | Guylene Robertson | Republican |
| Commissioner, Precinct 2 | Mark Dubose | Republican |
| Commissioner, Precinct 3 | Milton Purvis | Republican |
| Commissioner, Precinct 4 | Jerry Cassity | Republican |

## Infrastructure

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice Allan B. Polunsky Unit is located in West Livingston. This has been the location of the Texas men's death row since 1999.

## Transportation
### Major highways

* U.S. Highway 59
** Interstate 69 is currently under construction and will eventually follow the current route of U.S. 59 throughout most of Polk County.
* U.S. Highway 190
* U.S. Highway 287
* State Highway 146
* Farm to Market Road 350
* Farm to Market Road 356
* Farm to Market Road 357
* Farm to Market Road 942
* Farm to Market Road 943
* Farm to Market Road 1745

### Mass transportation

Greyhound Lines operates the Livingston Station at the Super Stop Food Mart in Livingston.

### Airport

West Livingston has the Livingston Municipal Airport, operated by the City of Livingston.

## Communities
### Cities

* Goodrich
* Onalaska
* Seven Oaks

### Towns

* Corrigan
* Livingston (county seat)

### Census-designated places

* Big Thicket Lake Estates (partly in Liberty County)
* Cedar Point
* Indian Springs
* Pleasant Hill
* West Livingston

### Unincorporated communities

* Ace
* Asia
* Barnum
* Blanchard
* Camden
* Dallardsville
* East Tempe
* Leggett
* Moscow

### Ghost town

* Laurelia

## Notable people

* Percy Foreman - notable criminal defense attorney
* John Wesley Hardin - Old West gunslinger
* William P. Hobby - Governor of Texas, publisher of Houston Post
* 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.
* Margo Jones - stage director who launched the careers of Tennessee Williams and Ray Walston and directed Williams' The Glass Menagerie on Broadway
* René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, noted French explorer of the 17th century, was likely killed in Polk County.
* Sally Mayes was a Broadway actress and singer. Livingston named a street in her honor.
* Mark Moseley, professional football player, won Super Bowl XVII and was awarded 1982 MVP as a placekicker.
* 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 the Texas Brigade; his remains were returned here from Georgia and were reinterred in his family cemetery on April 15, 1995.
* 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 with Sally Hemings and her children.

## Politics
### United States Congress

| Senators | Senators | Name | Party | First Elected | Level |
| | Senate Class 1 | John Cornyn | Republican | 1993 | Senior Senator |
| | Senate Class 2 | Ted Cruz | Republican | 2012 | Junior Senator |
| Representatives | Representatives | Name | Party | First Elected | Area(s) of Polk County Represented |
| | District 8 | Morgan Luttrell | Republican | 2022 | Entire county |
United States presidential election results for Polk County, Texas :
| Year | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Third party(ies) | Third party(ies) |
| Year | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
| 2024 | 19,216 | 79.11% | 4,910 | 20.21% | 165 | 0.68% |
| 2020 | 18,573 | 76.79% | 5,387 | 22.27% | 226 | 0.93% |
| 2016 | 15,176 | 76.45% | 4,187 | 21.09% | 489 | 2.46% |
| 2012 | 14,071 | 73.54% | 4,859 | 25.39% | 204 | 1.07% |
| 2008 | 13,731 | 68.15% | 6,230 | 30.92% | 188 | 0.93% |
| 2004 | 13,778 | 66.09% | 6,964 | 33.41% | 104 | 0.50% |
| 2000 | 11,746 | 61.84% | 6,877 | 36.21% | 371 | 1.95% |
| 1996 | 6,473 | 45.44% | 6,360 | 44.65% | 1,411 | 9.91% |
| 1992 | 5,390 | 37.81% | 5,942 | 41.69% | 2,922 | 20.50% |
| 1988 | 5,831 | 48.88% | 5,943 | 49.82% | 155 | 1.30% |
| 1984 | 5,987 | 60.36% | 3,898 | 39.30% | 33 | 0.33% |
| 1980 | 3,771 | 46.51% | 4,213 | 51.96% | 124 | 1.53% |
| 1976 | 2,529 | 36.30% | 4,384 | 62.93% | 54 | 0.78% |
| 1972 | 3,048 | 63.13% | 1,760 | 36.45% | 20 | 0.41% |
| 1968 | 1,013 | 22.18% | 1,841 | 40.31% | 1,713 | 37.51% |
| 1964 | 1,199 | 32.41% | 2,492 | 67.35% | 9 | 0.24% |
| 1960 | 1,268 | 37.74% | 2,037 | 60.63% | 55 | 1.64% |
| 1956 | 1,663 | 52.89% | 1,465 | 46.60% | 16 | 0.51% |
| 1952 | 1,454 | 39.36% | 2,238 | 60.58% | 2 | 0.05% |
| 1948 | 317 | 13.96% | 1,422 | 62.64% | 531 | 23.39% |
| 1944 | 154 | 6.83% | 1,817 | 80.61% | 283 | 12.56% |
| 1940 | 280 | 9.58% | 2,642 | 90.42% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 141 | 8.01% | 1,618 | 91.93% | 1 | 0.06% |
| 1932 | 110 | 4.93% | 2,117 | 94.98% | 2 | 0.09% |
| 1928 | 508 | 33.73% | 994 | 66.00% | 4 | 0.27% |
| 1924 | 272 | 12.70% | 1,839 | 85.85% | 31 | 1.45% |
| 1920 | 255 | 19.84% | 810 | 63.04% | 220 | 17.12% |
| 1916 | 107 | 9.39% | 918 | 80.60% | 114 | 10.01% |
| 1912 | 41 | 5.26% | 615 | 78.85% | 124 | 15.90% |