Texas Porch

Land Use & Economy

Cattle, Crops, and Oil All Drive the Medina County Economy

Medina County is a working agricultural county where cattle ranching, grain and peanut farming, and some oil and gas production all occur on roughly 1,300 square miles of land.

About 45 percent of Medina County's land qualifies as prime farmland. Cattle ranching is the top activity. Farmers also grow corn, sorghum, peanuts, hay, and vegetables.

The county produces oil, natural gas, limestone, and clay. Bat guano — bat droppings — is collected from limestone caves north of Hondo and sold as fertilizer.

If you are buying rural land here, expect active leases for grazing, hunting, or mineral rights. Mineral rights can be split from surface rights. That means someone else may own what is underground, even if you own the land on top. Ask your title company to run a full mineral search before you close.

Source to confirm: TSHA Handbook — Medina County

More Medina County notes