Real County, Texas

Updated on Nov 30, 2023

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Largest city Camp Wood Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5 Area 1,813 km² Population 3,350 (2013) Unemployment rate 4.7% (Apr 2015)		Congressional district 21st Website www.co.real.tx.us Founded 1913 County seat Leakey Cities Leakey, Camp Wood

Rivers Nueces River, Dry Frio River, Frio River

Real County (/ˈriː.ɔːl/ REE-awl) is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,309. The county seat is Leakey. The county is named for Julius Real (1860–1944), a former member of the Texas State Senate.

Map of Real County, TX, USA

The Alto Frio Baptist Encampment is located in an isolated area of Real County southeast of Leakey.

History

1762-1771 Looking for protection from Comanches, Lipan Apache chief El Gran Cabezón persuades Franciscans and the Spanish military to establish San Lorenzo de la Santa Cruz Mission on the Nueces River. The mission was abandoned in 1771

1856 John and Nancy Leakey settle in Frio Canyon.

1857 The original Camp Wood is established on the Nueces River near the site of the former San Lorenzo mission.

1864 Lipan Apaches attack the family of George Schwander in the abandoned ruins of the San Lorenzo mission.

1868 Theophilus Watkins, F. Smith and Newman Patterson construct a gravity flow irrigation canal from the Frio River that operates for a century.

1879 Indians attack and kill Jennie Coalson, wife of Nic Coalson, and two children at Half Moon Prairie.

1881 Lipan Apaches strike the McLauren home at Buzzard's Roost in the Frio Canyon. Last Indian raid in southwest Texas.

1910 Crop farming declines in the county, livestock ranching gains prominence, in particular angora goats.

1913 On April 3, the Texas state legislature establishes Real County from parts of Edwards, Bandera, and Kerr counties. Leakey is the county seat.

1920 Camp Wood township is founded and becomes a railroad terminus to transport heart cedar.

1924 Charles A. Lindbergh lands in Real County.

1948 Farm Road 337 is completed.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 700 square miles (1,800 km²), of which 699 square miles (1,810 km²) is land and 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²) (0.1%) is water.

Major highways

U.S. Highway 83

State Highway 41

State Highway 55

Ranch to Market Road 337

Adjacent counties

Edwards County (west)

Kerr County (northeast)

Bandera County (east)

Uvalde County (south)

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, 3,047 people, 1,245 households, and 869 families resided in the county. The population density was 4/mi² (2/km²). The 2,007 housing units averaged 3/mi² (1/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 91.40% White, 0.20% Black or African American, 0.62% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 6.01% from other races, and 1.54% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were about 22.58% of the population.

Of the 1,245 households, 26.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.40% were married couples living together, 7.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.20% were not families. About 28.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the county, the population was distributed as 23.40% under the age of 18, 5.40% from 18 to 24, 21.50% from 25 to 44, 28.80% from 45 to 64, and 20.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $25,118, and for a family was $29,839. Males had a median income of $21,076 versus $18,352 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,321. About 17.40% of families and 21.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.60% of those under age 18 and 15.00% of those age 65 or over.