Chambers County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 46,571. The county seat is Anahuac. Chambers County is one of the nine counties that comprise Greater Houston, the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan statistical area.
Contents
History
Mission Nuestra Señora de la Luz, a Spanish mission in Texas, was established in 1756 near what is now Wallisville.
Chambers County was founded in 1858. It is named for Thomas Jefferson Chambers, a major general in the Texas Revolution.
In 2019, Atlas Air Flight 3591, a cargo flight operating for Amazon Air, crashed in the Trinity Bay, in Chambers County and near Anahuac, while flying from Miami to Houston. All three people on board were killed.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 871 square miles (2,260 km2), of which 597 square miles (1,550 km2) are land and 274 square miles (710 km2) (31%) are covered by water.
The south and southwestern parts of the county lie in the Galveston Bay Area on the shores of Trinity Bay and East Bay. A small portion of the southeastern area lies on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.
National protected areas
Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge (formerly Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge)
Moody National Wildlife Refuge
State and local protected areas
Candy Cain Abshier Wildlife Management Area
Turtle Bayou Nature Preserve
Communities
Census-designated places
Oak Island
Stowell
Winnie
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 46,571. The median age was 35.8 years. 28.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 12.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 99.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.1 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 70.0% White, 6.9% Black or African American, 0.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 9.3% from some other race, and 11.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 23.5% of the population.
45.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 54.1% lived in rural areas.
There were 15,623 households in the county, of which 43.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 62.2% were married-couple households, 14.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 18.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 17.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 16,933 housing units, of which 7.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 85.3% were owner-occupied and 14.7% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 11.4%.
2000 census
As of the 2000 census, 26,031 people, 9,139 households, and 7,219 families were residing in the county. The population density was 43 people/mi2 (17 people/km2). The 10,336 housing units averaged 17 units per square mile (6.6/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 81.88% White, 9.77% African American, 0.48% Native American, 0.67% Asian, 6.02% from other races, and 1.18% from two or more races. About 10.79% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.
Of the 9,139 households, 40.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.70% were married couples living together, 9.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.00% were not families. About 17.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82, and the average family size was 3.20.
In the county, the age distribution was 28.90% under 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 29.90% from 25 to 44, 24.00% from 45 to 64, and 9.00% who were 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $47,964, and for a family was $52,986. Males had a median income of $43,351 versus $25,478 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,863. About 8.30% of families and 11.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.30% of those under age 18 and 12.60% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Chambers County is governed by a five-member commissioners' court, consisting of the county judge and four county commissioners. The county judge is elected to four-year terms in a countywide election. Commissioners are elected to four-year terms from single-member districts.
Politics
As with much of the Southern United States, Democrats won locally up into the 21st century, but the county has now become solidly Republican, with President Donald Trump winning over 80% of the vote in the 2024 United States presidential election.
Education
Public School Districts
Local Primary and Secondary School Jurisdictions. Each are governed by their own respective school board.
Goose Creek CISD
Barbers Hill ISD
Anahuac ISD
East Chambers ISD
La Porte ISD (parts of uninhabited Galveston Bay)
Higher Education
Community Colleges
Lee College (Anahuac, Barbers Hill, East Chambers, and Goose Creek ISDs: in other words, for all land areas of Chambers County)
San Jacinto College (La Porte ISD, which here means parts of uninhabited Galveston Bay)
Public libraries
The Chambers County Library System operates three libraries in the county.
Chambers County Library (main branch) in Anahuac
Juanita Hargraves Memorial Branch in Winnie
Sam and Carmena Goss Memorial Branch in Mont Belvieu
Transportation
Major highways
Interstate 10
State Highway 61
State Highway 65
State Highway 73
State Highway 99 (Grand Parkway)
State Highway 124
State Highway 146
Airports
The county operates two airports in unincorporated areas:
Chambers County Airport is east of Anahuac.
It was developed in the 1940s, and the county collaborated with the federal government to have it built. In August 1947, the federal government was to pay $23,322.
Chambers County-Winnie Stowell Airport serves Stowell and Winnie.
In addition, RWJ Airpark, a privately owned airport for public use, is located in Beach City.
In the 1970s there had been a proposal to establish another airport in the county, but the Baytown city council objected to the proposal, arguing it was too close to another airport under private ownership.
The Houston Airport System stated that Chambers County is within the primary service area of George Bush Intercontinental Airport, an international airport in Houston in Harris County.