A Political Atlas of Texas

Texas Politics and Demography

By County

Texas is a Rural State

% of State Population(24,326,974 )

COUNTIES %Harris 16.3Dallas 10.6Tarrant 6.9Bexar 6.7Travis 3.9El Paso 3.3Hidalgo 2.7

Collin 2.4Denton 2.1Fort Bend 1.7Cameron 1.6Nueces 1.5Montgomery 1.4Jefferson 1.2Galveston 1.2Williamson 1.2Lubbock 1.2Brazoria 1.2Bell 1.1McLennan 1.0

75 - 10050 - 7525 - 500 - 25

GOP % 2004Bush (61) v. Kerry (38)

X $1,000

Asian VAP %

Asians cluster in 

• Research centers (Harris, Fort Bend, Travis, Williamson, Dallas, Collin, Denton).

• Barrier islands (Galveston, Brazoria, Matagorda, Aransas).  Vietnamese fishermen.

• Fort Hood (Bell, Coryell)  Military wives and families.

97.7 - 200.0

87.1 - 97.5

78.1 - 86.6

55.9 - 77.7

Registered Voters/VAP %

EscapeesPolk County

Non-escapeesWalker County

Registered Voters/VAP %

• Polk County is highest (132%) because about 12,000 Escapees* roam the country in their RVs but register to vote at Rainbow’s End Park to escape income taxes in other states.

• Walker County is lowest (59%) because about 25% VAP are non‐escapees from the three prisons at Huntsville.

• Registered Voters data is 2008.  VAP data is 2000.

Do the math!• Counties get redder as age and income

increase and population decreases.• GOP% goes up with age, 1.54% per year.• GOP% goes up with income, .64% per

$1,000.• GOP% goes down with population:

– 2.4% per 1% of state population.– 0.1% per 10,000 people.

The mark of a truly educated man is to be moved deeply by statistics.

George Bernard ∑haw

With thanks to:Professor Jim Granato

Director, UH Center for Public Policy

Saumitra Vaidya

Research Assistant

Texas Political Atlas:http://www.uh.edu/cpp/texaspoliticalatlas.pdf

See also:http://www.uh.edu/cpp/election2004.htm