Blanco County (Spanish: "white", ) is a United States county located in the U.S. state of Texas. It is located in Central Texas and its county seat is Johnson City. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,374. The county is named for the Blanco River that traverses the county.

History

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 8,418 people, 3,303 households, and 2,391 families residing in the county. The population density was 12 /mi2. There were 4,031 housing units at an average density of 6 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 90.97% White, 0.74% Black or African American, 0.59% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 5.88% from other races, and 1.62% from two or more races. 15.32% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 3,303 households, out of which 30.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.50% were married couples living together, 7.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.60% were non-families. 24.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.96. In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.40% under the age of 18, 6.20% from 18 to 24, 25.60% from 25 to 44, 27.10% from 45 to 64, and 16.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.90 males. The median income for a household in the county was $39,369, and the median income for a family was $45,382. Males had a median income of $31,717 versus $21,879 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,721. About 8.10% of families and 11.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.20% of those under age 18 and 9.80% of those age 65 or over.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 713 sqmi, of which 709 sqmi is land and 4.2 sqmi (0.6%) is water. Blanco County is located in the Hill Country of central Texas, west of Austin and north of San Antonio. Two significant rivers, the Blanco and the Pedernales, flow through the county.

Major highways

Adjacent counties

National protected area

Texas Parklands

Politics

Communities

Cities

Town

Unincorporated communities

Education

School districts: Austin Community College is the designated community college for the county.