Jackson County

Jackson County, Texas.

Jackson County, Texas.

The Jackson County Courthouse in located in Edna, Texas. Photograph by Billy Hathorn.

Jackson County, on U.S. Highway 59 in the Coastal Prairies region southwest of Houston, borders both Lavaca Bay and Carancahua Bay and is bounded by Calhoun, Victoria, Lavaca, Colorado, Wharton, and Matagorda counties. Edna, the county's largest town, is the county seat. The county's center lies at 28°57' north latitude and 96°35' west longitude. Elevation ranges from sea level to 150 feet. Jackson County, one of the original counties of Texas, was formed in 1836 from the old Mexican municipality of Jackson. Both the municipality and the county were named after President Andrew Jackson and were settled predominantly by American colonists. Jackson County comprises 844 square miles. Most of the county has loamy surfaces with clayey subsoils or gray to black, cracking, clayey soils. In the northwestern third, the prairie is surfaced by light-colored and loamy soils with deep reddish subsoils. Marsh millet, salt grass, and cordgrass thrive in the marsh areas; mesquite covers much of the prairie. Between 41 and 50 percent of Jackson County land is deemed prime farmland. With an average annual temperature of 70°, the county has a subtropical, humid climate. Tropical storms and hurricanes are possible from June through October. Temperatures in January vary from an average low of 43° F to an average high of 63° and in July range from 75° to 94°. The average annual rainfall is forty inches. The growing season averages 285 days; the first freeze normally occurs in early December and the last in late February.

Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.

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County Map of Texas

Jackson County

Highlighted:
  • Jackson County

Currently Exists

Yes

Place type

Jackson County is classified as a County

Altitude Range

0 ft – 155 ft

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Jackson County by the Numbers

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Population Counts

Jackson County
Pop. Year Source
14,760 2019 United States Census Bureau

Civilian Labor Counts

Jackson County
People Year Source
7,243 2019 Texas Workforce Commission

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Per Capita Income (USD) Year Source
$41,770 2019 U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis

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Property Values

Jackson County
USD ($) Year Source
3,244,963,595 2019 State Property Tax Board

Retail Sales

Jackson County
USD ($) Year Source
157,678,996 2019 State Comptroller of Public Accounts

Wages

Jackson County
USD ($) Year Source
75,679,275 2019 Texas Workforce Commission

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Unemployment Percentage Year Source
6.4 2019 Texas Workforce Commission

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Rainfall (inches) Year Source
43.3 2019 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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Min. (January Average, °F) Max. (July Average, °F) Year Source
42.0 94.0 2019 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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Land Area

Jackson County
Area (square miles) Year Source
829.4 2019 United States Census Bureau

Total Area

Jackson County
Area (square miles) Year Source
856.9 2019 United States Census Bureau