[2] The county is named for James Stephen Hogg, the governor of Texas from 1891 to 1895.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,136 square miles (2,940 km2), virtually all of which is land.

[3] As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,838 people, 1,545 households, and 1,111 families residing in the county.

As of the census[10] of 2000, there were 5,281 people, 1,815 households, and 1,359 families residing in the county.

The racial makeup of the county was 80.44% White, 0.45% Black or African American, 0.78% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 15.83% from other races, and 2.29% from two or more races.

23.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

[12] Jim Hogg was one of the few counties in Texas that voted for Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts over the incumbent George W. Bush.