Ellis County, Texas

Ellis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2020, its population was estimated to be 192,455. The county seat is Waxahachie. The county was founded in 1849 and organized the next year. It is named for Richard Ellis, president of the convention that produced the Texas Declaration of Independence. Ellis County is included in the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan statistical area.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 952 square miles (2,470 km²), of which 935 square miles (2,420 km²) are land and 16 square miles (41 km²) (1.7%) are covered by water.

Lake Waxahachie is located about five miles south of Waxahachie in Ellis County, Texas. Owned and operated by Ellis County Water Control and Improvement District Number One on behalf of the city of Waxahachie, the lake was formed by impounding the Waxahachie Creek in 1956. The water covers about 650 acres and has a maximum depth around 50. The former community of South Prong was located beside the creek before the lake was created. There has been a country club and a two-acre public park with boat ramp since the lake was completed. The lake is a recreational resource for the entire county.

According to the census of 2000, 111,360 people, 37,020 households, and 29,653 families resided in the county. The population density was 118 people per square mile (46 people/km²). The 39,071 housing units averaged 42 units per square mile (16/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 80.63% White, 8.64% African American, 0.59% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 7.92% from other races, and 1.86% from two or more races. About 18.42% of the population was Hispanic or Latinos of any race. By 2020, its population increased to 192,455. The racial makeup in 2020 was 55.34% non-Hispanic white, 12.33% African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.79% Asian American, 0.41% some other race, 3.62% multiracial, and 27.04% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

A Williams Institute analysis of 2010 census data found about 3.2 same-sex couples per 1,000 households were in the county.

American Community Survey 2023 Racial Data

The United States Census Bureau estimated that in 2023, Ellis County’s population was 222,829. It was also estimated that the county was 28.4% Hispanic or Latino, 51.9% NH White, 16.5% NH Black, 1.0% NH Asian, 0.4% NH Native, 0.1% NH Pacific Islander, and 1.7% NH Multiracial.

Ellis is a staunchly Republican county in presidential elections. The last Democratic presidential candidate to carry the county was Jimmy Carter in 1976, and since 2000, Republican presidential candidates have won with more than 60% of the vote.