Burnet County (/ˈbɜːrnɪt/ BUR-nit) is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 49,130. Its county seat is Burnet. The county was founded in 1852 and later organized in 1854. It is named for David Gouverneur Burnet, the first (provisional) president of the Republic of Texas. The name of the county is pronounced with the emphasis or accent on the first syllable, just as is the case with its namesake.

Indigenous peoples inhabited the area as early as 4500 BC. Later known tribes in the area include Tonkawa, Lipan Apache, and Comanche.

During the 1820s-1830s, Stephen F. Austin and Green DeWitt conducted surveying and Indian-fighting explorations. In 1849, the United States established Fort Croghan, and in 1848, the first settlers arrived in the county, Samuel Eli Holland, Logan Vandeveer, Peter Kerr, William Harrison Magill, Noah Smithwick, Captain Jesse B. Burnham, R. H. Hall, Adam Rankin "Stovepipe" Johnson, and Captain Christian Dorbandt. In 1851, 20 Mormon families under the leadership of Lyman Wight establish a colony at Hamilton Creek, later to be known as Morman Mill.

In 1852, the Fourth Texas Legislature created Burnet County from Bell, Travis, and Williamson Counties. The first post office was established at Hamilton in 1853.

In 1860, 235 slaves were in Burnet County. After the war, some former slaves left the county, but many stayed. A group of them settled on land in the eastern part of Oatmeal. In 1870, the black population of the county had increased to 358, keeping pace with the growth of the total number of residents; the number of blacks had fallen to 248 by 1880, however, and the number of new white residents was such that after 1890, blacks represented less than 3% of the total population. Some found work on farms and ranches, but by the turn of the century, many had moved into the Marble Falls area to work in town.

During 1882–1903, railroad tracks connected Burnet, Granite Mountain, Marble Falls, and Lampasas. Lake Victor and Bertram became shipping-point communities. Other communities lost population as the railroad offered employment. During the Great Depression, county farmers suffered financially, but found work with government-sponsored public-works projects. The Lower Colorado River Authority employed hundreds of people for the construction of the Hamilton (Buchanan) Dam and Roy B. Inks Dam.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,021 sq mi (2,640 km), of which 27 sq mi (70 km) (2.6%) are covered by water.

• U.S. Highway 183
• U.S. Highway 281
• State Highway 29

• Lampasas County (north)
• Bell County (northeast)
• Williamson County (east)
• Travis County (southeast)
• Blanco County (south)
• Llano County (west)
• San Saba County (northwest)

• Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1860	2,487		—
1870	3,688		48.3%
1880	6,855		85.9%
1890	10,747		56.8%
1900	10,528		−2.0%
1910	10,755		2.2%
1920	9,499		−11.7%
1930	10,355		9.0%
1940	10,771		4.0%
1950	10,356		−3.9%
1960	9,265		−10.5%
1970	11,420		23.3%
1980	17,803		55.9%
1990	22,677		27.4%
2000	34,147		50.6%
2010	42,750		25.2%
2020	49,130		14.9%
U.S. Decennial Census 1850–2010 2010 2020

Burnet County, Texas – racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.

Race / ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000	Pop. 2010	Pop. 2020	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	28,017	32,530	34,810	82.05%	76.09%	70.85%
Black or African American alone (NH)	500	700	579	1.46%	1.64%	1.18%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	155	169	183	0.45%	0.40%	0.37%
Asian alone (NH)	89	198	424	0.26%	0.46%	0.86%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	13	13	14	0.04%	0.03%	0.03%
Other race alone (NH)	15	44	147	0.04%	0.10%	0.30%
Mixed race or multiracial (NH)	314	444	1,774	0.92%	1.04%	3.61%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	5,044	8,652	11,199	14.77%	20.24%	22.79%
Total	34,147	42,750	49,130	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of the census of 2020, 49,130 people and 16,743 households resided in the county. (The remaining data that follow in this section are outdated. The Census 2020 data for the following demographics have not yet been released.) The population density was 34 people/sq mi (13 people/km). The 15,933 housing units averaged 16 per square mile (6.2/km). The racial makeup of the county was 89.64% White, 1.52% African American, 0.68% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 6.30% from other races, and 1.58% from two or more races. About 14.77% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 16,743 households, 30.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.50% were married couples living together, 8.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.40% were not families. About 22.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53, and the average family size was 2.94.

In the county, the age distribution was 24.50% under 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 26.00% from 25 to 44, 24.50% from 45 to 64, and 17.90% who were 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $37,921, and for a family was $43,871. Males had a median income of $30,255 versus $20,908 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,850. About 7.90% of families and 10.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.50% of those under age 18 and 7.90% of those age 65 or over.

• Adam R. "Stovepipe" Johnson, Confederate general; the 1887 founder of Marble Falls, despite being blinded during the war
• Gerald Lyda (1923–2005), general contractor and cattle rancher, born and raised in Burnet County
• Stephen McGee (born September 27, 1985), former American football quarterback, played college football for Texas A&M drafted and played NFL football for the Dallas Cowboys
• James Oakley, former County Commissioner (1998–2005) and County Judge (2015–present)
• Logan Vandeveer, early Texas soldier, ranger, cattleman and civic leader; a leader in presenting the petition to the legislature in 1852 to establish Burnet County and was instrumental in having the town of Burnet named the county seat
• Al Witcher (born 1936), American football player

United States presidential election results for Burnet County, Texas

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	21,795	77.42%	6,114	21.72%	244	0.87%
2020	18,767	75.93%	5,639	22.81%	311	1.26%
2016	14,638	76.22%	3,797	19.77%	769	4.00%
2012	12,843	76.46%	3,674	21.87%	279	1.66%
2008	12,059	71.38%	4,608	27.28%	226	1.34%
2004	11,456	72.77%	4,147	26.34%	139	0.88%
2000	9,286	70.18%	3,557	26.88%	389	2.94%
1996	5,744	51.99%	4,123	37.32%	1,182	10.70%
1992	4,272	39.53%	3,638	33.66%	2,897	26.81%
1988	5,120	53.85%	4,343	45.68%	45	0.47%
1984	5,895	66.18%	2,983	33.49%	29	0.33%
1980	4,033	50.84%	3,711	46.78%	189	2.38%
1976	2,777	41.85%	3,818	57.53%	41	0.62%
1972	3,438	73.34%	1,227	26.17%	23	0.49%
1968	1,459	36.68%	1,876	47.16%	643	16.16%
1964	821	24.08%	2,585	75.81%	4	0.12%
1960	1,189	39.95%	1,770	59.48%	17	0.57%
1956	1,163	44.90%	1,422	54.90%	5	0.19%
1952	1,270	46.98%	1,431	52.94%	2	0.07%
1948	287	12.35%	1,955	84.12%	82	3.53%
1944	228	10.80%	1,697	80.35%	187	8.85%
1940	233	9.66%	2,177	90.26%	2	0.08%
1936	111	6.54%	1,583	93.34%	2	0.12%
1932	144	7.02%	1,904	92.88%	2	0.10%
1928	936	66.67%	467	33.26%	1	0.07%
1924	277	13.45%	1,725	83.74%	58	2.82%
1920	241	18.98%	795	62.60%	234	18.43%
1916	115	10.87%	913	86.29%	30	2.84%
1912	85	10.87%	623	79.67%	74	9.46%

• List of museums in Central Texas
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Burnet County, Texas
• Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Burnet County

• Burnet County government’s website
• Burnet County tourism office
• Burnet County from the Handbook of Texas Online
• Burnet County TXGenWeb Project
• Burnet Bulletin newspaper
• The Highlander newspaper

30°47′N 98°11′W / 30.78°N 98.18°W / 30.78; -98.18