Comal County (/ˈkoʊmæl/ KOH-mal) is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 161,501. Comal County is known for its rich German-Texan and European history. Its county seat is New Braunfels.

Comal County is part of the San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX metropolitan statistical area.

Along with Hays and Kendall counties, Comal was listed in 2017 of the nation's 10 fastest-growing large counties with a population of at least 10,000. In 2017, Comal County was second on the list; it grew by 5,675 newcomers, or 4.4% from 2015 to 2016. Kendall County was the second-fastest growing county in the nation in 2015 to 2016, growing by 5.16%. Hays County, third on the national list, had nearly 10,000 new residents during the year. As a result of this growth, the counties have experienced new home construction, traffic congestion, and greater demand for public services. Bexar County, which includes San Antonio, grew by 1.75% during the year, but its number of new residents exceeded 33,000.

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• Early native American inhabitants include Tonkawa, Waco, Karankawa and Lipan Apache.
• 1700-1758 The area becomes known as “Comal”, Mexican Spanish for “flat griddle”. Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe Mission at Comal Springs.
• 1825 Coahuila y Tejas issues land grant for Comal Springs to Juan Martín de Veramendi.
• 1842 Adelsverein organized in Germany to promote emigration to Texas. Fisher-Miller Land Grant sets aside three million acres (12,000 km) to settle 600 families and single men of German, Dutch, Swiss, Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian ancestry in Texas.
• 1844, June 26 - Henry Francis Fisher sells interest in land grant to Adelsverein
• 1845 Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels secures title to 1,265 acres (5.12 km) of the Veramendi grant, including the Comal Springs and River, for the Adelsverein. Thousands of German immigrants are stranded at port of disembarkation Indianaola on Matagorda Bay. With no food or shelters, living in holes dug into the ground, an estimated 50% die from disease or starvation. The living begin to walk to their destinations hundreds of miles away. 200 German colonists who walked from Indianola found the town of New Braunfels at the crossing of the San Antonio-Nacogdches Road on the Guadalupe River. John O. Meusebach arrives in Galveston.
• 1846 March - Texas legislature forms Comal County from the Eighth Precinct of Bexar County. New Braunfels is the county seat.
• 1850 Survey of 130 German farms in Comal reveals no slave laborers.
• 1852 Neu-Braunfelser Zeitung begins publication, initially only in German, deriving its name from 16th-century Germany's prototype of a newspaper titled Zeitung.
• 1854 County is divided into eight public school districts. The Texas State Convention of Germans meet in San Antonio and adopt a political, social and religious platform, including: 1) Equal pay for equal work; 2) Direct election of the President of the United States; 3) Abolition of capital punishment; 4) “Slavery is an evil, the abolition of which is a requirement of democratic principles..”; 5) Free schools – including universities - supported by the state, without religious influence; and 6) Total separation of church and state.
• 1858 Final county boundaries determination with the separation of part of western Comal County to Blanco and Kendall counties. New Braunfels votes in a school tax.
• 1861 Comal County votes for secession from the Union. Contributes three all-German volunteer companies to the Confederate cause.
• 1887 Faust Street Bridge built over the Guadalupe River.
• 1898 Comal County limestone courthouse erected. Romanesque Revival style. Architect James Riely Gordon.
• 1920s County establishes itself as a manufacturing and shipping center for textiles, garments, flour, and construction materials.
• 1924 Presidential candidate Robert M. LaFollette received his highest vote percentage of any county in the 48 states, 73.96%, in Comal.
• 1960 Four students at St. Mary's University San Antonio discover Natural Bridge Caverns, the largest known commercial caverns in the state of Texas.
• 1961 Comal's first Wurstfest draws a crowd of 2,000.
• 1964 Canyon Lake impoundment, boosting tourism and related industries.

Count Castell of the Adelsverein negotiated with the separate Darmstadt Society of Forty to colonize 200 families on the Fisher–Miller Land Grant territory in Texas. In return, they were to receive $12,000 in money, livestock, and equipment, and provisions for a year. After the first year, the colonies were expected to support themselves. The colonies attempted were Castell, Leiningen, Bettina, Schoenburg, and Meerholz in Llano County; Darmstädler Farm in Comal County; and Tusculum in Kendall County. Of these, only Castell survives. The colonies failed after the Adelsverein funding expired, and also due to conflict of structure and authorities. Some members moved to other Adelsverein settlements in Texas. Others moved elsewhere, or returned to Germany.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 575 square miles (1,490 km), of which 15 square miles (39 km) (2.7%) is covered by water.

The Balcones Escarpment runs northeastward through the county, generally just west of Interstate 35. West of the escarpment are the rocky hills and canyons of the Texas Hill Country; to the east are the rolling grasslands of the coastal plains.

The Guadalupe River flows generally southeastward through the county, and is impounded by Canyon Lake. The Comal River rises from the Comal Springs in New Braunfels, and quickly joins the Guadalupe River.

• Hays County (north)
• Blanco County (northwest)
• Guadalupe County (southeast)
• Bexar County (southwest)
• Kendall County (west)

• Interstate 35
• U.S. Highway 281
• State Highway 46

• [1] New Braunfels
• [2] Spring Branch (Kestrel)

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1850	1,723		—
1860	4,030		133.9%
1870	5,283		31.1%
1880	5,546		5.0%
1890	6,398		15.4%
1900	7,008		9.5%
1910	8,434		20.3%
1920	8,824		4.6%
1930	11,984		35.8%
1940	12,321		2.8%
1950	16,357		32.8%
1960	19,844		21.3%
1970	24,165		21.8%
1980	36,446		50.8%
1990	51,832		42.2%
2000	78,021		50.5%
2010	108,472		39.0%
2020	161,501		48.9%
2023 (est.)	193,928		20.1%
U.S. Decennial Census 1850–2010 2010 2020

Comal 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)	58,345	77,387	105,250	74.78%	71.34%	65.17%
Black or African American alone (NH)	693	1,606	3,584	0.89%	1.48%	2.22%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	268	355	514	0.34%	0.33%	0.32%
Asian alone (NH)	343	813	1,844	0.44%	0.75%	1.14%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	21	45	127	0.03%	0.04%	0.08%
Other Race alone (NH)	77	105	700	0.10%	0.10%	0.43%
Mixed Race or Multiracial (NH)	665	1,172	5,892	0.85%	1.08%	3.65%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	17,609	26,989	43,590	22.57%	24.88%	26.99%
Total	78,021	108,472	161,501	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of the census of 2010, there were 108,472 people, 29,066 households, and 21,886 families residing in the county. The population density was 139 people per square mile (54 people/km). There were 32,718 housing units at an average density of 58 units per square mile (22/km). The racial makeup of the county was 89.08% White, 0.95% Black or African American, 0.53% Native American, 0.46% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 6.98% from other races, and 1.96% from two or more races. 22.57% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 29,066 households, out of which 33.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.80% were married couples living together, 9.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.70% were non-families. 20.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.05.

A Williams Institute analysis of 2010 census data found there were about 4.4 same-sex couples per 1,000 households in the county.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.50% under the age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 27.50% from 25 to 44, 25.20% from 45 to 64, and 14.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $46,147, and the median income for a family was $52,455. Males had a median income of $36,048 versus $25,940 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,914. About 6.40% of families and 8.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.50% of those under age 18 and 7.30% of those age 65 or over.

Comal is a strongly Republican county: the last Democrat to carry it being Texan Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, and no others have done so since Franklin Roosevelt’s 1936 landslide when he won every Texas county bar traditionally Unionist Gillespie and Kendall and took 87.31 percent of the Lone Star State’s vote. LBJ’s victory in 1964 is the last time a Democrat has managed even 40 percent of the county's vote.

In earlier periods, the county’s German heritage meant it often deviated from a "Solid South" voting pattern. In 1924 Robert M. La Follette won 73.96 percent of Comal County’s vote (versus 6.52 percent for all of Texas), which made it his strongest county nationwide, and in 1920 American candidate James “Pa” Ferguson carried the county with 841 votes to 765 for Warren G. Harding.

United States presidential election results for Comal County, Texas

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	62,740	70.58%	24,826	27.93%	1,326	1.49%
2016	45,136	72.59%	14,238	22.90%	2,804	4.51%
2012	39,318	76.30%	11,450	22.22%	761	1.48%
2008	35,233	73.01%	12,384	25.66%	644	1.33%
2004	31,574	76.93%	9,153	22.30%	316	0.77%
2000	24,599	75.12%	7,131	21.78%	1,018	3.11%
1996	16,763	64.33%	7,132	27.37%	2,162	8.30%
1992	12,651	50.72%	6,312	25.31%	5,978	23.97%
1988	13,994	70.04%	5,716	28.61%	270	1.35%
1984	13,452	76.07%	4,179	23.63%	52	0.29%
1980	9,758	71.15%	3,554	25.92%	402	2.93%
1976	6,377	60.42%	4,068	38.54%	109	1.03%
1972	6,761	78.36%	1,823	21.13%	44	0.51%
1968	3,646	54.34%	2,338	34.84%	726	10.82%
1964	2,223	37.84%	3,644	62.03%	8	0.14%
1960	3,082	62.38%	1,845	37.34%	14	0.28%
1956	3,397	74.54%	1,140	25.02%	20	0.44%
1952	3,350	72.73%	1,252	27.18%	4	0.09%
1948	1,752	56.99%	1,212	39.43%	110	3.58%
1944	2,021	67.61%	787	26.33%	181	6.06%
1940	1,852	68.44%	851	31.45%	3	0.11%
1936	554	25.52%	1,611	74.21%	6	0.28%
1932	176	7.33%	2,211	92.05%	15	0.62%
1928	508	21.14%	1,893	78.78%	2	0.08%
1924	312	12.66%	330	13.39%	1,823	73.96%
1920	765	42.03%	181	9.95%	874	48.02%
1916	743	61.25%	432	35.61%	38	3.13%
1912	157	16.83%	602	64.52%	174	18.65%

The county is part of the 21st District in the United States House of Representatives, represented by Republican Chip Roy, the 25th district of the Texas State Senate, represented by Republican Donna Campbell, and the 73rd District of the Texas House of Representatives and is represented by Republican Carrie Isaac.

• Fair Oaks Ranch (partly in Bexar and Kendall counties)
• New Braunfels (county seat) (mostly in Comal County but also in Guadalupe County)
• San Antonio (mostly in Bexar County and a small part in Medina County)
• Schertz (partly in Guadalupe and Bexar counties)
• Selma (mostly in Bexar and Guadalupe counties)

• Bulverde
• Garden Ridge
• Spring Branch

• Canyon Lake

• Bracken
• Canyon City
• Comal
• Fischer
• Hunter
• Sattler
• Smithson Valley
• Solms
• Startzville

• Anhalt
• Cranes Mill
• Dittlinger
• Freiheit
• Gruene
• Honey Creek
• Oak Cliff Acres
• Ogden
• Royal Forest
• Silver Hills
• Valley View
• Wesson

School districts in Comal County:

• Boerne Independent School District
• Comal Independent School District
• New Braunfels Independent School District
• Wimberley Independent School District

All of the county is in the service area of Alamo Community College District.

• The Randy Rogers Band song "Comal County Line" is about the county.
• The Jason Boland song "Comal County Blue" is about the county.

• Comal County Sheriff's Office
• Adelsverein
• German Texan
• Honey Creek (Texas)
• List of museums in Central Texas
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Comal County, Texas
• Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Comal County

• Library of Congress Historic American Buildings Survey (Comal Co)
• Comal County government’s website Archived March 27, 2020, at the Wayback Machine
• Comal County from the Handbook of Texas Online
• Canyon Lake Area Chamber of Commerce
• Historic materials from Comal County, hosted by the Portal to Texas History

29°49′N 98°17′W / 29.81°N 98.28°W / 29.81; -98.28