The first settler of Johnson County was Henry Briden, who built a log cabin on the Nolan River in 1849.[4] His log cabin still exists, and can be seen along State Highway 174 in Rio Vista, Texas. The first county seat was Wardville, now located under the waters of Lake Pat Cleburne. In 1856, Buchanan became the county seat. Johnson County was divided in 1866, with the western half becoming Hood County. Camp Henderson became the new county seat and was renamed Cleburne in honor of Confederate General Patrick Cleburne.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 734 square miles (1,900 km2), of which 725 square miles (1,880 km2) are land and 9.8 square miles (25 km2) (1.3%) are covered by water.[5]
Johnson 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.
In 2000 there were 126,811 people, 43,636 households, and 34,428 families resided in the county.[11] The population density was 174 people per square mile (67 people/km2). The 46,269 housing units averaged 63 units per square mile (24/km2). In 2020, its population was 179,927, reflecting the increase of the Metroplex's population and suburbanization.
At the 2000 census, the racial makeup of the county was 90.01% White, 2.50% African American, 0.64% Native American, 0.52% Asian, 0.18% Pacific Islander, 4.52% from other races, and 1.63% from two or more races. About 12.12% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. In 2010, its racial makeup was 76.55% non-Hispanic white, 2.52% African American, 0.47% Native American, 0.63% Asian American, 0.31% Pacific Islander, 0.11% some other race, 1.29% multiracial, and 18.10% Hispanic or Latino of any race.[10] By 2020, its racial and ethnic makeup was 66.26% non-Hispanic white, 3.58% African American, 0.47% Native American, 0.96% Asian, 0.52% Pacific Islander, 0.34% some other race, 4.19% multiracial, and 23.68% Hispanic or Latino of any race.[8]
As of 2000, the median income for a household in the county was $44,621, and for a family was $49,963. Males had a median income of $36,718 versus $25,149 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,400. About 6.90% of families and 8.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.60% of those under age 18 and 10.90% of those age 65 or over.
Hill College a college in Hillsboro, a town in neighboring Hill County also provides tertiary education, with a campus in Cleburne since 1971.[citation needed] Johnson County is defined by the Texas Education Code as being in the Hill College service area.[13]
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