The County covers an estimated area of 2200 square kilometers. Additionally, the 2020 US censors put the number of people living in Van Zandt County at 56590.

Located on the interstate highway, east of Dallas in the Claypan area of northeastern Texas, Van Zandt thrives on manufacturing, construction, and retail trade.

Also, the County, named for Isaac Van Zandt, enjoys a subtropical climate with humid and hot summers. It receives annual average precipitation of 43 inches and an average annual temperature of 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

History of Van Zandt County, Texas

The State legislature created Van Zandt County in 1848. It curved out Van Zandt County from Henderson County.

Also, the legislature named the newly established County for Isaac Zandt, a popular leader of the Republic of Texas. It picked Sabine Lake as the Van Zandt County seat. In the same year, the State legislature formed the County to build a crude courthouse and held the first court session.

In 1850, the State legislature created another County. This time, it established Woods County from parts of Van Zandt County. Therefore, moving the Van Zandt County seat from Sabine Lake to Canton.

Van Zandt County Offices

Van Zandt County government comprises several offices working together to provide essential government services to its residents. The offices include the County Judge, County Attorney, County Treasurer, and the Sheriff, among others.

Don Kirkpatric presides over as the Van Zandt County Judge, he supervises the operation of the Commissioners Court, and residents can reach him using phone:903-567-4071.

Jennifer DiMaggio remains the County Commissioner’s Administrator, and residents can reach her using phone:903-567-2166.

Laprode sits as the Precinct 1 Commissioner, and residents can reach him by phone:903-567-2166.

Virgil Melton occupies the office of the Precinct 2 Commissioner, and residents can reach him by phone:903-567-2166.

Keith Pearson Sits as the Precinct 3 Commissioner, and residents can reach her using phone:903-567-2166.

Tim West presides over as the Precinct 4 Commissioner, and residents can reach him using phone:903-567-2166.

Susan Strickland sits as the County Clerk, and citizens can reach her using her phone:903-567-7555.

Kenny Edwards sits as the County Treasurer, and residents can reach him via his phone:903-567-25551.

Misty Stanberry remains the County Tax Collector, and residents can contact her using phone:903-567-6511.

Sandy Hill sits as the County Auditor, and residents may reach him using phone:903-567-2171.

Steve Hendrix occupies the office of the County Sheriff, and citizens can contact him using phone:903-567-4133.

Cost of Living in Van Zandt County, Texas

The cost of living in the County of Van Zandt remains relatively cheaper than most other regions of the United States of America. Additionally, groceries, housing, transportation, and miscellaneous costs fall below the average US costs.

However, the cost of healthcare services and utilities surpass the average US cost.

It means that healthcare services and utility costs remain high to citizens in the County compared to what their counterparts are spending in other US regions.

The climate of Van Zandt County, Texas

Van Zandt recorded 44 inches of rain per year, more than the average US rainfall at 38 inches. By contrast, it recorded only a small amount of snowfall. It is 1 inch compared to the average annual US snowfall of 28 inches.

Additionally, Van Zandt recorded an annual average of 232 sunny days in the past year. The yearly US average stands at 205 sunny days. Precipitation for the past year was recorded at 86 days.

August remains the hottest month in Van Zandt County at 94.9 degrees Fahrenheit. Contrastingly, January is the coldest month at 33.4 degrees Fahrenheit.

The three most comfortable months for summer activities in Van Zandt are April, May, and October. Their average temperatures range between 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

An average of 80.1 days experiences hot temperatures of over 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Education in Van Zandt County

Van Zandt County boasts of several good schools in the State of Texas. Here are some of these schools;

Martin Mill Independent School District
Canton Independent School District
Edgewood Independent School District
Strake Jesuit College Preparatory
Van Independent School District
Grand Saline Independent School District
Fruitvale Independent School District

The average annual expenditure per student in Van Zandt stands at $9330. If you compare it with the average US expenditure per student at $12383, it means parents spend less on their children’s education than in many other US regions.

Besides, the County provides:

A teacher for every 14 pupils.
A librarian for every 722 pupils.
A counselor for every 381 pupils.

The Economy of Van Zandt County, Texas

The economy of Van Zandt depends on the following economic activities to thrive;

Construction
Manufacturing
Retail Trade
Education Sector
Healthcare Services
Accommodation and Food Services
Other Services

The unemployment rate at Van Zandt County at 6.1% almost mirrors the 6.0% US annual average. Also, the County Job market increased by 2.7% in the past year.

Furthermore, the County’s projected job market growth rate for the next ten years stands at 41.4%. It is higher than the Average Projected US job market growth rate for a similar period at 33.5%.

The average income per person in Van Zandt at $22707 remains lower than the annual average US income per individual at $28555.

Financial Transparency in Van Zandt County, Texas

The County government of Van Zandt upholds the principle of financial accountability and transparency to the County’s residents.

The County Auditor audits the Counter finances and publishes the reports for public scrutiny yearly. Besides, the County Treasurer is responsible for publishing Account records showing the financial health status of the County.

The Public gets the opportunity to see the proposed budget and the actual authorized funding.

Additionally, the County provides information on the authorized Tax rates and other laws that informs the County government procurement and expenditure. It enables citizens to check and confirm whether the County expenditure followed the due process of the law.

Public Information Request in Van Zandt County, Texas

Van Zandt County authorities provide free access to essential public information to residents of the County. More significantly, citizens can freely request information that is not classified for their consumption.

The County provides a portal that citizens can use to request information online. Equally, citizens can send requests through fax or merely hand over a written request to the Public Information Administrator.

More importantly, citizens need to provide their requests in writing. The submissions need to have sufficient details so that the County Public Information Administrator can provide the information requested with accuracy.

The Citizens will receive the information after a reasonable period after submitting their request, probably about ten days.