# 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 Spanish cartographer Pedro de Medina by 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.

### Texas-Indian Wars

The county was home to tribes such as the Lipan Apache, Coahuiltecan, and Tonkawa.
The county was subject to frequent Comanche and Kiowa raids during the 1860s and 1870s. On a June 11, 1873 raid, Comanches attacked four settlers near Hondo. These raids were feared by the local residents, but by 1875, the raiding had stopped. Although the Comanche were gone, other tribes still were raiding the county frequently. 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 1,335 square miles (3,460 km$^2$), of which 9.2 square miles (24 km$^2$) (0.7%) are covered by water.

### Major highways

* Interstate 35
* U.S. Highway 90
* State Highway 16
* State Highway 132
* State Highway 173

### Adjacent counties

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

## Demographics

Medina 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) | 19,919 | 21,408 | 22,324 | 50.68% | 46.53% | 43.99% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 801 | 913 | 1,252 | 2.04% | 1.98% | 2.47% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 144 | 146 | 158 | 0.37% | 0.32% | 0.31% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 117 | 272 | 215 | 0.30% | 0.59% | 0.42% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 17 | 24 | 38 | 0.04% | 0.05% | 0.07% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 50 | 28 | 188 | 0.13% | 0.06% | 0.37% |
| Mixed race or multiracial (NH) | 383 | 344 | 1,118 | 0.97% | 0.75% | 2.20% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 17,873 | 22,871 | 25,455 | 45.47% | 49.71% | 50.16% |
| Total | 39,304 | 46,006 | 50,748 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the census of 2000, 39,304 people, 12,880 households, and 10,136 families were residing in the county. The population density was 30 people per square mile (12 people/km$^2$). The 14,826 housing units had an average density of 11 units per square mile (4.2/km$^2$). 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. About 45.47% of the population were |Hispanics or Latinos of any race.
Of the 12,880 households, 39.1% had children under 18 living with them, 63.2% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.30% were not families. About 18.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.30.
In the county, the age distribution was 29.0% under 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.60 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 104.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $36,063, and 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.

## Communities
### 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)
* Yancey

### Unincorporated communities

* Dunlay
* Mico
* Pearson
* Rio Medina

### Ghost towns

* New Fountain
* Quihi

## Education

School districts include:
* 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.

## Gallery

* Hondo Creek is located south of Hondo.
* Entrance to Hondo Creek Ranch
* The Medina County Museum is located off U.S. Route 90 in Hondo.
* The Medina County Jail
* Medina Electric Cooperative in Hondo
* Scorched cornfield in Castroville
* Medina Valley United Methodist Church in Castroville

## Politics

United States presidential election results for Medina County, Texas :
| Year | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Third party(ies) | Third party(ies) |
| Year | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
| 2024 | 17,464 | 70.94% | 6,950 | 28.23% | 203 | 0.82% |
| 2020 | 15,642 | 69.04% | 6,773 | 29.89% | 242 | 1.07% |
| 2016 | 12,085 | 70.07% | 4,634 | 26.87% | 527 | 3.06% |
| 2012 | 11,079 | 69.03% | 4,784 | 29.81% | 186 | 1.16% |
| 2008 | 10,480 | 66.59% | 5,147 | 32.71% | 110 | 0.70% |
| 2004 | 10,389 | 70.07% | 4,322 | 29.15% | 115 | 0.78% |
| 2000 | 8,590 | 66.73% | 4,025 | 31.27% | 258 | 2.00% |
| 1996 | 5,710 | 55.03% | 3,880 | 37.39% | 787 | 7.58% |
| 1992 | 4,912 | 45.54% | 3,650 | 33.84% | 2,223 | 20.61% |
| 1988 | 5,722 | 57.05% | 4,227 | 42.15% | 80 | 0.80% |
| 1984 | 5,737 | 65.17% | 3,053 | 34.68% | 13 | 0.15% |
| 1980 | 4,742 | 60.12% | 3,034 | 38.46% | 112 | 1.42% |
| 1976 | 3,252 | 46.54% | 3,681 | 52.68% | 55 | 0.79% |
| 1972 | 4,059 | 71.85% | 1,507 | 26.68% | 83 | 1.47% |
| 1968 | 2,058 | 39.19% | 2,471 | 47.06% | 722 | 13.75% |
| 1964 | 1,583 | 31.71% | 3,408 | 68.27% | 1 | 0.02% |
| 1960 | 2,028 | 46.43% | 2,325 | 53.23% | 15 | 0.34% |
| 1956 | 2,668 | 63.51% | 1,516 | 36.09% | 17 | 0.40% |
| 1952 | 3,204 | 63.52% | 1,840 | 36.48% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 1,492 | 42.39% | 1,875 | 53.27% | 153 | 4.35% |
| 1944 | 1,607 | 47.42% | 1,469 | 43.35% | 313 | 9.24% |
| 1940 | 1,480 | 45.83% | 1,749 | 54.17% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 969 | 31.97% | 2,050 | 67.63% | 12 | 0.40% |
| 1932 | 515 | 16.96% | 2,516 | 82.87% | 5 | 0.16% |
| 1928 | 1,243 | 46.94% | 1,400 | 52.87% | 5 | 0.19% |
| 1924 | 816 | 35.81% | 986 | 43.26% | 477 | 20.93% |
| 1920 | 772 | 45.71% | 519 | 30.73% | 398 | 23.56% |
| 1916 | 650 | 45.11% | 758 | 52.60% | 33 | 2.29% |
| 1912 | 219 | 18.85% | 648 | 55.77% | 295 | 25.39% |