Rice is grown extensively in Matagorda County, as are St. Augustine and other turf grasses.

In addition to a wealth of offshore oil rigs and natural gas extraction facilities all over the county, two petrochemical processing plants (Celanese and Equistar) and the South Texas Project nuclear power plant operate within the county.

Matagorda County has secluded, extensive forests, wetlands, prairie, and coastal regions.

The Gulf Coast floodplain has several conditions conducive to a variety of ecosystems and recreational activities evident by the highest count of migrating birds in the United States.

Fishing (on- and offshore), hunting, and scuba diving are large parts of the recreation industry due to the Colorado River, the forests, and Matagorda Bay.

The Rio Colorado Golf Course and a birdwatching park are on the Colorado River near the State Highway 35 bridge, and several wildlife preserves are located around the county, a portion of which is land bought for that purpose by the two major petrochemical refineries and nuclear plant in the county.