County Spotlight
FIPS 48427 · RUCC 4 — Nonmetro - Urban population of 20,000 or more, adjacent to a metro area
2020 population
65,920
2024 Dem %
41.8%
of 16,419 votes
2024 GOP %
57.8%
2024 margin
-16.0pp
Shift since 2008
-85.3pp
Presidential
| Year | Dem % | GOP % | Margin | Total votes | Turnout * |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 84.5% | 15.2% | +69.3pp | 9,792 | 14.9% |
| 2012 | 86.4% | 13.0% | +73.4pp | 11,859 +2,067 vs prior | 18.0% |
| 2016 | 79.1% | 19.0% | +60.1pp | 11,691 -168 vs prior | 17.7% |
| 2020 | 52.1% | 47.1% | +5.0pp | 17,525 +5,834 vs prior | 26.6% |
| 2024 | 41.8% | 57.8% | -16.0pp | 16,419 -1,106 vs prior | 24.9% |
* Turnout = total votes ÷ 2020 population (constant denominator). Proxy for VAP turnout — includes minors and non-citizens, so absolute level runs below true voter turnout. Trend is what reads.
Margin trend
Total votes cast per cycle
U.S. Senate
| Race | County margin | Statewide | vs. president | Two-party votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas 2024 Colin Allred (D) vs. Ted Cruz (R) | -2.4pp | -8.7pp | +13.6pp | 13,826 |
| Texas 2018 Beto O'Rourke (D) vs. Ted Cruz (R) | +54.4pp | -2.6pp | -6.9pp | 10,682 |
| Texas 2014 David Alameel (D) vs. John Cornyn (R) | +59.6pp | -28.3pp | -14.3pp | 4,756 |
| Texas 2012 Paul Sadler (D) vs. Ted Cruz (R) | +65.6pp | -16.3pp | -8.3pp | 10,961 |
| Texas 2008 Rick Noriega (D) vs. John Cornyn (R) | +73.3pp | -12.3pp | +3.8pp | 9,130 |
Two-party margins, (D − R) ÷ (D + R). “vs. president” = the Senate Democrat's county margin minus the Democratic presidential nominee's two-party margin: the same year's race in presidential years, the preceding one in midterms. Positive means the Senate Democrat ran ahead.
BLS QCEW · Q3 2025
Total employment
14,867
673 establishments
Avg weekly wage
$833
~$43,316/year full-time
Public sector share
39%
5,737 jobs (fed/state/local)
Private sector
9,129
$560 avg/wk
Top private industries by employment
| Industry | Jobs | Avg wage / wk | Concentration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education and health services | 4,253 | $450 | 1.71× |
| Trade, transportation, and utilities | 2,572 | $658 | 0.94× |
| Leisure and hospitality | 1,202 | $344 | 0.74× |
| Financial activities | 283 | $846 | 0.34× |
| Professional and business services | 216 | $966 | 0.10× |
| Construction | 182 | $1413 | 0.22× |
Concentration = Location Quotient (industry's employment share in this county vs. nationwide). LQ > 1.5 = over-concentrated; > 3 = highly dependent.
ACS 5-year (2022) + ERS
ACS DP03
U.S. Religion Census 2020
Adherents (% of population)
84.37%
Congregations
47
Congregations / 100k pop
71.3
IRS Exempt Organizations BMF
Active exempt orgs
78
Churches
30
8 schools, 1 hospitals
Total reported revenue
$11.6M
16 orgs filing
Total reported assets
$35.1M
Largest NTEE categories by count
All active exempt organizations
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| City | Type | EIN | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loading organizations… | |||||
Source: IRS Exempt Organizations Business Master File (irs.gov/pub/irs-soi), joined to ZIP→county via Census ZCTA-county relationship file. Revenue and assets are most-recent IRS-reported figures — orgs below the Form 990 filing threshold show $0.
DOL OLMS + IRS BMF 501(c)(5)
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Sources. Election results: MIT Election Data + Science Lab (2008–2020, and 2018/2022 U.S. Senate precinct returns aggregated to county), OpenElections (2008–2016 and 2020 U.S. Senate, kept only where county sums match certified statewide totals) and Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections (2024). RUCC: USDA ERS, Rural-Urban Continuum Codes 2023. Demographics: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates 2022 (detail tables and DP03 profile). USDA County Typology Codes 2025 Edition. ERS Atlas of Rural and Small-Town America + Food Environment Atlas. U.S. Religion Census 2020 (Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies).