Gillespie County Profile

Gillespie County has a population of 21,784. The population is 47% urban and 53% rural. The land area is 1,061 square miles, in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. We are centrally located, about 65 miles from San Antonio and about 70 miles from Austin . Fredericksburg is the County Seat of Gillespie County, along with the communities of Harper, Stonewall, Doss, Luckenbach and Willow City.

Gillespie County is a rural community, most known for its hospitality (over 350 B&Bs, 850 Hotel Rooms) and downtown shopping. However, our roots are more in agriculture (Peaches, Wine, Cattle, Sheep, Goats, Horses and Feed Crops). Tourist attractions include LBJ State and National Historical Parks, Enchanted Rock State Park, The (Nimitz) National Museum of the Pacific War, The Pioneer Museum, Wildseed Farm, 7 Wineries…and a host of city parks. There always seems to be some event or celebration going on. See www.fbgtx.org .

Industry breaks down as follows:

Workforce:

Private Wage or Salary	67%
Government	14%
Self Employed (not incorporated)	17%
Unpaid Family	2%
47.3% Male; 52.7% Female
Median Age	46.3 Years
Average Wage	$23,741
Household Wage	$40,220
Average Income, Including Retired workers	$54,516
Average House Value	$144,967
Average Property Tax (in 2000)	$1,251 (1.2%)
Voting Record—80% Republican; 19% Democrat; 1% Other

Agriculture (2005-2007 figures)

Gillespie County Soils range from Sandy Loams in the Eastern portions of the county to the hard rock Granite outcroppings in the Northern Hill Country. Most of the county is on the Edwards Plateau, except for the northeastern corner, which is in the Llano River basin . The primary soils are generally shallow and clayey and not particularly suited to intensive agriculture. The soils in the bottomlands along the Pedernales River and some major creeks are deeper and loamier and better for crops, while the soils in northeastern Gillespie County are generally shallow and loamy.

The terrain features plateaus and limestone hills broken by the Pedernales River, with an elevation ranging from 1,100 to 2,250 feet above sea level and averaging 1,747 feet above sea level. The soils on Gillespie County 's limestone hills support growths of live oak, shin oak, and other browse plants, as well as grasses and forbs well-suited for grazing. The deeper soils in the valleys and plains produce a true prairie of medium and tall grasses mixed with forbs and woody plants.

Some 573,000 acres (85 percent of the agricultural land in the county) is rangeland, which constitutes the county's major renewable resource. The recent trend in Gillespie County has been to convert land previously used for raising crops to improved pasture and hay culture Cattle and sheep are raised throughout Gillespie County , and Angora goats primarily in the southwest part of the county.

Among the numerous wild animals are white-tailed deer, turkeys, quail, doves, foxes, ringtail cats, bobcats, coyotes, ducks, and geese. Many farm and ranch tanks are stocked with channel catfish, black bass, and sunfish. Several landowners order Rainbow Trout, to place in local creeks and streams for recreational winter fishing.

The county's principal water source is the Pedernales River, which flows from west to east across the width of southern Gillespie County . Other major water sources include Threadgill Creek in the northwest, North Grape Creek in the east, and Crabapple Creek in the north central part of the county. Mineral resources include limestone, talc, gypsum, and metallic minerals. Temperatures range from an average high of 95° F in July to an average low of 36° in January; rainfall averages 27.45 inches a year, and the growing season lasts 219 days.

Gillespie County is located in Plant Zone 5 and lies in a precarious position for raising fruit and nut crops. With the arrival of extended warm temperatures in the early spring, trees often begin to leaf out, and blooms can be destroyed by a quick frost or freeze. Entire peach crops have been lost on one cold spring night. Add floods and droughts to the mix and you will see why our farmers and ranchers needed that stout German constitution.

It only seems appropriate to conclude with our favorite weather observance. Our farmers and ranchers talk about the subject each and every day of the year…”When it rains, it never stops…and when it stops, it never rains.” May you see sunshine and rain when the crops say it's time.