Rains County

Rains County, Texas

Rains County, Texas

The Rains County Courthouse is located in Emory, Texas, the county seat. Photograph by Michael Barera.

Rains County is in northeast Texas on the upper reaches of the Sabine River. It is bordered by Hunt, Hopkins, Wood, and Van Zandt counties. The county seat and largest town, Emory, is centrally located in the county at 32°50' north latitude and 95°50' west longitude and is sixty-four miles east of Dallas. The altitude of Rains County varies from 406 to 491 feet above sea level. The average maximum temperature is 95° F in July, and the average minimum is 31° in January. The county receives an average of 42.2 inches of rain per year and has a growing season of 242 days. With a total area of only 258.8 square miles, Rains County is one of the smallest counties in the state, and more than 10 percent of it has been under water since the construction of Lake Tawakoni and Lake Fork Reservoir. The soils are primarily a mixture of sand and clay. The Sabine River forms the southern border of the county, but most of the creeks drain northeast into the Lake Fork of the Sabine. Other watercourses in Rains County are Elm, Cedar, Garrett, Woodbury, Brushy, Sandy, Turkey, Bull, and Bear creeks. There are also numerous springs. The largest group, Springville Springs, are the source of a stream that flows through the city park in Emory. The rate of flow from these and other springs has slackened in recent years because the water table has been lowered by well pumping.

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

Rains County

Highlighted:
  • Rains County

Currently Exists

Yes

Place type

Rains County is classified as a County

Altitude Range

340 ft – 570 ft

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Rains County by the Numbers

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Population Counts

Rains County
Pop. Year Source
12,514 2019 United States Census Bureau

Civilian Labor Counts

Rains County
People Year Source
5,863 2019 Texas Workforce Commission

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Per Capita Income (USD) Year Source
$33,602 2019 U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis

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Property Values

Rains County
USD ($) Year Source
1,149,547,003 2019 State Property Tax Board

Retail Sales

Rains County
USD ($) Year Source
98,507,382 2019 State Comptroller of Public Accounts

Wages

Rains County
USD ($) Year Source
17,996,818 2019 Texas Workforce Commission

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Unemployment Percentage Year Source
5.2 2019 Texas Workforce Commission

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Rainfall (inches) Year Source
44.5 2019 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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Min. (January Average, °F) Max. (July Average, °F) Year Source
31.4 91.4 2019 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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Land Area

Rains County
Area (square miles) Year Source
229.5 2019 United States Census Bureau

Total Area

Rains County
Area (square miles) Year Source
258.8 2019 United States Census Bureau