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Webb County is in South Texas along the Mexican border. Laredo, the county's largest town and seat of government, is in the southwestern part of the county. International trade and tourism appear to constitute the most important future sectors of the economy, with Laredo serving as a major gateway to Mexico.  Webb County, FIPSCODE 48479, is the 21st largest of the 254 counties in Texas, with an estimated population of 193,117 in 2000. The county consists of 3376 square miles with a 2000 population density of 57.5 residents per square mile. The average density in Texas is 79.6 persons per square mile which is the same as the national average. Rainfall in Webb County averages 21.4 inches per year as compared to the Texas average of 28.1 inches per year.
FARMING |
The average growing season in Webb County is 322 days with the first freeze generally occurring around December 26. Texas is so climatically diverse that statewide averages are irrelevant as a means of comparison.
| Farming |
1987 |
1997 |
| Number of Farms |
494 |
453 |
| Acres of Farmland |
2,021,882 |
2,176,046 |
| Average Size of Farm (acres) |
4,093 |
4,804 |
POPULATION |
According to the Census, Webb County's population changed 45 percent from 1990 to 2000. The county's population was 133,239 in 1990 and 193,117 in 2000, an increase of 59,878. In 2000, the median age was 26.5 years versus a statewide average of 32.3 years and a national average of 35.3 years. The Texas Department of Human Services reported there were 5,777 births and 904 deaths in Webb County in 2000.
The 2000 Census estimates for Texas show a population composition as follows:
| Age Breakdown |
Webb County |
Texas |
| Under 18 |
36.2% |
28.2% |
| 18-24 |
11.4% |
10.5% |
| 25-44 |
29.3% |
31.1% |
| 45-64 |
15.6% |
20.2% |
| 65+ |
7.6% |
9.9% |
The 2000 Census Bureau's race/ethnic distribution estimates are as follows:
| Group |
Webb County |
Webb County (Percent) |
Texas |
Texas (Percent) |
| White |
158,670 |
82% |
14,799,505 |
71.0% |
| Black |
713 |
0% |
2,404,566 |
11.5% |
| Hispanic |
182,070 |
94% |
6,669,666 |
32.0% |
| Asian |
833 |
0% |
562,319 |
2.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native |
912 |
0% |
118,362 |
0.6% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander |
48 |
0% |
14,434 |
0.1% |
"Numbers may add up to more than the total population and more than 100 percent
because individuals may report more than one race." |
HOUSEHOLDS |
The county had approximately 50,740 households in 2000 according to the Census. This represents an average of 3.75 persons per household. The housing per square mile rate was 11.2 percent and the county's homeowner rate was 65.7 percent.
The mean travel time to work was 21.7 minutes compared to a state average of 25.4 minutes. The number of people over 16 who commuted to work was 61,256 while the number that worked at home was 1,796. The commuting to work breakdown was as follows: drove alone (43,785), carpooled (11,822), public transportation (1,556), walked (1,261), and other means (1,036).
EDUCATION |
According to the Census, 67,101 people in Webb County were enrolled in school in 2000. Countywide, 53.0 percent had a high school diploma or higher and 13.9 percent had a bachelor's degree or higher. The equivalent statewide figures for a high school diploma or higher and a bachelor's degree or higher were 75.7 percent and 23.2 percent, respectively.
SCHOOL ENROLLMENT
Population 3 years and over enrolled in school |
|
|
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
Population 25 years and over |
|
| Nursery school, preschool |
4,524 |
Less than 9th grade |
29,873 |
| Kindergarten |
4,616 |
9th to 12th grade, no diploma |
17,693 |
| Elementary school (grades 1-8) |
32,133 |
High school graduate |
18,152 |
| High school (grades 9-12) |
14,739 |
Some college, no degree |
16,128 |
| College or graduate school |
11,089 |
Associate degree |
5,244 |
|
|
Bachelor's degree |
8,710 |
|
|
Graduate or professional degree |
5,382 |
| Total |
67,101 |
|
101,182 |
FISCAL INFORMATION |
In 1999, the Health and Human Services Commission's poverty estimates for Webb County was 64,069 or 35.17 percent of the non-institutional population. Approximately 3,307,787 Texans or 16.54 percent of the total population fell beneath the poverty line in 1999; this exceeded the U.S. poverty rate of 11.8 percent. There were 43,347 people enrolled in Medicaid in April 2002 with 29,720 of those being under the age of 18.
The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts reported total state expenditures of $580,585,493 for Webb County in their "State Expenditures by County 2000" report. The State spent $231,581,803 on public assistance and $69,100,784 on highway construction and maintenance in Webb County. During the third quarter of 2001, gross sales for all industries totaled $803,924,589. Comparing the third quarter of 2000 to the third quarter of 2001, gross sales changed -1 percent (from $815,250,992). The county had 28 bank offices in 2001, as reported by the FDIC, with total deposits of $3,745 million. This represents 1.54 percent of total deposits in Texas ($243,390 billion).
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LABOR FORCE |
The county civilian labor force was 76,835 in March 2002 reflecting an increase from the March 2001 level of 74,876. According to the Texas Workforce Commission, total unemployment in March 2002 was 5,562 contrasted to the March 2001 total of 5,518. The Webb County unemployment rate for March 2002 was 7.2 percent compared to the March 2001 rate of 7.4 percent. The statewide unemployment rate was 5.6 percent in March 2002 and 4.2 percent in March 2001.
In the first quarter of 2001, Webb County had 69,391 employed persons and an average weekly wage of $454.
| Industry |
Jobs |
Percentage |
| Natural Resources & Mining |
1,401 |
3% |
| Construction |
2,326 |
3% |
| Manufacturing |
1,587 |
2% |
| Trade, Transportation & Utilities |
23,970 |
35% |
| Information |
691 |
1% |
| Financial Activities |
3,824 |
5% |
| Professional & Business Services |
4,277 |
6% |
| Education & Health Services |
7,676 |
11% |
| Leisure & Hospitality |
6,040 |
9% |
| Other Services |
1,481 |
2% |
| Nonclassifiable |
44 |
0% |
| Federal Government |
1,991 |
3% |
| State Government |
1,418 |
2% |
| Local Government |
12,665 |
18% |
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Distances from the county seat of Laredo (Miles) |
| Austin |
219 |
| Amarillo |
548 |
| Brownsville |
167 |
| Dallas |
399 |
| El Paso |
513 |
| Houston |
293 |
Cities |
- El Cenizo, City of
- Laredo, City of
- Rio Bravo, City of
Chambers |
-Laredo Chamber of Commerce
Top 20 Employers |
APC HOMEMAKER SERVICE
H E BUTT GROCERY CO
INTERNATIONAL BANK OF COMMERCE OF LAREDO
LAREDO - CITY OF
LAREDO COCA COLA BOTTLING
LAREDO COMMUNITY COLLEGE
LAREDO ISD
LAREDO REGIONAL INC
M S CARRIERS INC
MCDONALDS
MERCY HOSPITAL OF LAREDO
POPEYES OF LAREDO
PROFESSIONAL RECRUITERS INC
SOUTH TEXAS PRIMARY CARE INC
TEXAS A&M INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
THE LAREDO NATIONAL BANK
UNITED ISD
US DEPT OF JUSTICE
US DEPT OF TREASURY
WAL-MART ASSOCIATES INC
Employers are listed alphabetically with no ranking intended.
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