Rio Grande Valley, border trade, San Antonio metro. Bexar, Hidalgo, Webb counties.
East Texas
Piney Woods, timber, Tyler and Longview. Smith, Gregg, Nacogdoches counties.
Panhandle
High Plains agriculture, Amarillo. Potter, Randall, Moore, Deaf Smith counties.
Understanding Texas Counties in 2026
Texas has 254 counties — more than any other state in the United States. Counties in Texas range from the massive and sparsely populated Brewster County (6,193 square miles) to the tiny but densely developed Rockwall County (just 149 square miles). This diversity reflects Texas’s enormous geographic and demographic variety.
Each county is governed by a five-member Commissioners Court: a County Judge and four Precinct Commissioners elected every four years. The Commissioners Court serves as the county’s legislative and administrative body, managing budgets, roads, and county facilities. County Judges also handle misdemeanor and some civil courts.
Harris County alone holds nearly 16% of Texas’s entire population. At the opposite extreme, Loving County in West Texas has fewer than 100 residents — making it the least populated county in the United States. This 4.8-million to under-100 range is one of the most dramatic in any state.
Texas experienced explosive county-level growth in the 2020s. Hays County (Kyle, San Marcos) and Comal County (New Braunfels) have repeatedly ranked as the fastest-growing counties in the entire country, driven by the Austin-San Antonio tech boom and remote work migration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Texas has 254 counties, more than any other U.S. state. Georgia is second with 159. The Texas Legislature created all current counties, and no new county has been established since 1931. Counties range from 149 to 6,193 square miles in area.
Brewster County covers 6,193 square miles — larger than the entire state of Connecticut. Located in Far West Texas, it contains Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park, and the Chisos Mountains. Its county seat is Alpine.
Harris County has approximately 4.8 million residents and is the third most populous county in the United States (behind Los Angeles County, CA and Cook County, IL). It contains the city of Houston, the Texas Medical Center, and NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
Hays County (Kyle/San Marcos) and Comal County (New Braunfels) have repeatedly ranked as the fastest-growing counties in the entire United States. Both sit along the I-35 corridor between Austin and San Antonio. Williamson County (Round Rock/Georgetown) and Collin County (Frisco/McKinney) also see very rapid growth.
Austin is the county seat of Travis County in Central Texas. The Austin metro also includes Williamson County to the north (Round Rock, Georgetown, Cedar Park) and Hays County to the south (Kyle, San Marcos, Buda). Combined, these three counties form the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown MSA.
San Antonio is in Bexar County (pronounced “bear” county). Bexar County has approximately 2.1 million residents and is home to Joint Base San Antonio, the Alamo, the River Walk, and four Fortune 500 company headquarters. Bexar County is one of only two Texas counties with a population exceeding 2 million.