| Denton County, Texas | |
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| Map | |
 Location in the state of Texas |
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 Texas's location in the U.S. |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | 1846 |
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| Seat | Denton |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
958 sq mi (2,481 km²) 889 sq mi (2,302 km²) 69 sq mi (179 km²), 7.24% |
| PopulationEst. - (2007) - Density |
612,357 689/sq mi (266/km²) |
| Website: www.co.denton.tx.us | |
Denton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 432,976; in 2007 the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that its population had reached 612,357. Part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, it is one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States. The county seat is Denton.[1] The county and the city are both named for John B. Denton, who was a preacher, lawyer, and soldier.
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Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 958 square miles (2,481 km²), of which, 889 square miles (2,301 km²) of it is land and 69 square miles (180 km²) of it (7.24%) is water.
Denton County sits atop a portion of the Barnett Shale, a geological formation believed to contain large quantities of natural gas. The County has benefited from tax revenue related to gas drilling and production, though complaints have arisen that many of the rural roads in the area (which were never designed to handle the heavy equipment used in gas drilling) have been destroyed by drilling companies.
Major highways
Interstate 35
- President George Bush Turnpike
U.S. Highway 77
U.S. Highway 377
U.S. Highway 380
State Highway 114
State Highway 121
Loop 288
Adjacent counties
- Cooke County (north)
- Grayson County (northeast)
- Collin County (east)
- Dallas County (southeast)
- Tarrant County (south)
- Wise County (west)
Demographics
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 432,976 people, 158,903 households, and 111,391 families residing in the county. The population density was 487 people per square mile (188/km²). There were 168,069 housing units at an average density of 189 per square mile (73/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 81.73% White, 5.86% Black or African American, 0.59% Native American, 4.03% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 5.56% from other races, and 2.19% from two or more races. 12.15% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 158,903 households out of which 39.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.90% were married couples living together, 8.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.90% were non-families. 22.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.18.
In the county, the population was spread out with 27.70% under the age of 18, 11.30% from 18 to 24, 37.00% from 25 to 44, 19.00% from 45 to 64, and 5.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 99.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $58,216, and the median income for a family was $69,292 (these figures had risen to $68,624 and $83,477 respectively as of a 2007 estimate[3]). Males had a median income of $45,835 versus $31,639 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,895. About 4.10% of families and 6.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.20% of those under age 18 and 7.10% of those age 65 or over.'
Denton County ranked twenty-ninth on the US Census Bureau's list of fastest growing counties between 2000 and 2007, with a 41.4% increase in population.[4] Denton County along with other Texas Counties has one of the nation's highest property tax rates. In 2007, it was #26 for property taxes as percentage of the homes value on owner occupied housing.[5]
High property tax rates can reduce a home's value significantly , leading to less resale value and negative equity upon ownership of the home. Part of this is due to the Robin Hood plan complex school financing scheme in Texas.[6]
Cities and towns
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 641 |
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| 1860 | 5,031 | 684.9% | |
| 1870 | 7,251 | 44.1% | |
| 1880 | 18,143 | 150.2% | |
| 1890 | 21,289 | 17.3% | |
| 1900 | 28,318 | 33.0% | |
| 1910 | 31,258 | 10.4% | |
| 1920 | 35,355 | 13.1% | |
| 1930 | 32,822 | −7.2% | |
| 1940 | 33,658 | 2.5% | |
| 1950 | 41,365 | 22.9% | |
| 1960 | 47,432 | 14.7% | |
| 1970 | 75,633 | 59.5% | |
| 1980 | 143,126 | 89.2% | |
| 1990 | 273,525 | 91.1% | |
| 2000 | 432,976 | 58.3% | |
| Est. 2008 | 636,557 | 47.0% | |
† only a small part of the city extends into Denton County
Education
The following school districts lie entirely within Denton County:
- Argyle Independent School District
- Aubrey Independent School District
- Denton Independent School District
- Lake Dallas Independent School District
- Lewisville Independent School District
- Little Elm Independent School District
- Ponder Independent School District
- Sanger Independent School District
while parts of the following districts fall within the county:
- Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District (very small part only)
- Celina Independent School District (very small part only)
- Era Independent School District (very small part only)
- Frisco Independent School District
- Krum Independent School District
- Northwest Independent School District
- Pilot Point Independent School District
- Prosper Independent School District (very small part only)
- Slidell Independent School District
The following colleges serve Denton County:
In popular culture
- Denton County is referenced in Bowling for Soup's single, "Ohio (Come Back to Texas)".
- The City of Denton is where Brad proposes to Janet in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show"
- The Mountain Goats 2000 record All Hail West Texas opens with the song "The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton".
References
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Find_a_County&Template=/cffiles/counties/usamap.cfm. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ACSSAFFFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=05000US33015&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US33%7C05000US33015&_street=&_county=denton+county&_cityTown=denton+county&_state=04000US48&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=050&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=ACS_2007_3YR_SAFF&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null®=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry=
- ^ "Table 8: Population Estimates for the 100 Fastest Growing U.S. Counties with 10,000 or More Population in 2007: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2007". U.S. Census Bureau. http://www.census.gov/popest/counties/tables/CO-EST2007-08.xls. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ http://www.taxfoundation.org/research/show/1888.html Taxfoundation.org
- ^ http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F04E5DB173BF934A35753C1A9629C8B63 Query.nytimes.com
- ^ Census population counts for Counties, 1850-1890
External links
- Denton County government's website
- Headlines about Denton County from The Dallas Morning News
- Denton County entry in the Handbook of Texas Online at the University of Texas
- Historic Denton County materials, hosted by the Portal to Texas History.
- Captain John B. Denton, preacher, lawyer and soldier. His life and times in Tennessee, Arkansas and Texas by Wm. Allen., published 1905, hosted by the Portal to Texas History
- Lewisville / Flower Mound / Highland Village info site
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Cooke County | Grayson County | |
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| Wise County |  |
Collin County | ||
 Denton County, Texas  |
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| Tarrant County | Dallas County |
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