Coal County, Oklahoma | |
|---|---|
 Park inCoalgate | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofOklahoma | |
 Oklahoma's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:34°36′N96°18′W / 34.6°N 96.3°W /34.6; -96.3 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Oklahoma |
| Founded | 1907 |
| Seat | Coalgate |
| Largest city | Coalgate |
| Area | |
• Total | 521 sq mi (1,350 km2) |
| • Land | 517 sq mi (1,340 km2) |
| • Water | 4.7 sq mi (12 km2) 0.9% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 5,266 |
| • Density | 10.2/sq mi (3.93/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
| Website | https://coal.okcounties.org/ |
Coal County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofOklahoma. As of the2020 census, the population was 5,266.[1] Itscounty seat isCoalgate.[2]
Coal County was formed at statehood from the former Shappaway County (later renamedAtoka County) of thePushmataha District of theChoctaw Nation inIndian Territory. A 3.5 miles (5.6 km) strip of Coal County was taken from thePontotoc District of theChickasaw Nation. Initially, the Oklahoma legislature namedLehigh as the county seat, but a special election held in 1908 resulted in the citizens choosing Coalgate as the county seat. Lehigh tried to sue because more people voted than were registered, but no court would hear the case.[3]
Mining became a mainstay of the county's economy during the 1870s. The first coal mine opened on Chief Allen Wright's land. The industry activity peaked between 1910 and 1916 but declined sharply after World War I. Many of the mines closed by 1921, due to the refusal of mining companies of the area to unionize. Some mines reopened during World War II, but these closed by 1958, because of the rising cost of refining sulfur out of the coal mined.[3]
Agriculture replaced mining as the main economic activity of the county. Even this business encountered severe difficulty in 1921–1923 when aboll weevil infestation wiped out the cotton crop. All five banks in the county failed as a result.[4]
Coal County is in southeastern Oklahoma, in a 10-county area designated for tourism purposes by theOklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation asChoctaw Country.[5] According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 521 square miles (1,350 km2), of which 517 square miles (1,340 km2) is land and 4.7 square miles (12 km2) (0.9%) is water.[6] It is the fifth-smallest county in Oklahoma by area. The eastern part of the county lies in theOuachita Mountains, while the western part has open prairie and lies in the Sandstone Hills physiographic region. The county is drained by theClear Boggy andMuddy Boggy creeks.[3]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | 15,817 | — | |
| 1920 | 18,406 | 16.4% | |
| 1930 | 11,521 | −37.4% | |
| 1940 | 12,811 | 11.2% | |
| 1950 | 8,056 | −37.1% | |
| 1960 | 5,546 | −31.2% | |
| 1970 | 5,525 | −0.4% | |
| 1980 | 6,041 | 9.3% | |
| 1990 | 5,780 | −4.3% | |
| 2000 | 6,031 | 4.3% | |
| 2010 | 5,925 | −1.8% | |
| 2020 | 5,266 | −11.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9] 1990-2000[10] 2010[11] | |||
As of the2020 United States census, the county had a population of 5,266. Of the residents, 23.1% were under the age of 18 and 20.9% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 42.8 years. For every 100 females there were 97.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.0 males.[12][13]
The racial makeup of the county was 65.3% White, 0.5%Black or African American, 19.7%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Asian, 1.6% from some other race, and 12.5% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.8% of the population.[13]
There were 2,116 households in the county, of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 25.8% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[12]
There were 2,569 housing units, of which 17.6% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 74.2% were owner-occupied and 25.8% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 19.6%.[12]
As of the2010 United States census, there were 5,295 people, 2,350 households, and 1,604 families residing in the county.[14] There were 2,810 housing units.[14] The racial makeup of the county was 74.3%White, 0.5%Black orAfrican American, 16.7%Native American, 0.2%Asian, 0.5% fromother races, and 7.8% from two or more races.[14] 2.6% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.[14]
There were 2,350 households, out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.8% weremarried couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were non-families.[14] 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[14] The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.06.[14]
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.5% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 21.7% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older.[15] The median age was 41.0 years.[15] For every 100 females there were 97.7 males.[15] For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.5 males.[15]
According to the 2013American Community Survey, the median income for a household in the county was $34,867, and the median income for a family was $44,888.[16] Male full-time, year round workers had a median income of $36,442 compared to $26,450 for female full-time, year round workers.[16] Theper capita income for the county was $19,752.[16] About 15.8% of families and 21.6% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 35.9% of those under age 18 and 15.7% of those age 65 or over.[16]
According to the 2000 census, 94.6% spokeEnglish, 3.0%Spanish, 1.1%German and 1.1%Choctaw as their first language.
Coal County is in many respects typical of Oklahoma politics. Once a predominantlyDemocratic county, its elections have become dominated by theRepublican Party in recent years. In 1972,Richard Nixon became the first Republican to ever carry the county in a presidential election,[17] and was the only one to do so until the 2000 election. Coal County extremely narrowly supported two Democrats amidst national Republican landslides:James M. Cox by 24 votes in 1920 andWalter Mondale by 25 votes in 1984. The county swung 41 points Republican in the 2008 presidential election, the largest swing of any county in the country.[18]
| Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of September 30, 2025[19] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Number of Voters | Percentage | |||
| Republican | 1,950 | 51.48% | |||
| Democratic | 1,311 | 34.61% | |||
| Libertarian | 21 | 0.55% | |||
| Others | 506 | 13.36% | |||
| Total | 3,788 | 100.00% | |||
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1908 | 722 | 33.55% | 906 | 42.10% | 524 | 24.35% |
| 1912 | 571 | 25.33% | 1,109 | 49.20% | 574 | 25.47% |
| 1916 | 824 | 29.12% | 1,418 | 50.11% | 588 | 20.78% |
| 1920 | 1,744 | 43.63% | 1,768 | 44.23% | 485 | 12.13% |
| 1924 | 800 | 25.17% | 1,772 | 55.74% | 607 | 19.09% |
| 1928 | 1,283 | 42.82% | 1,681 | 56.11% | 32 | 1.07% |
| 1932 | 300 | 9.72% | 2,788 | 90.28% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 603 | 19.08% | 2,550 | 80.70% | 7 | 0.22% |
| 1940 | 1,148 | 32.48% | 2,377 | 67.24% | 10 | 0.28% |
| 1944 | 760 | 27.90% | 1,959 | 71.92% | 5 | 0.18% |
| 1948 | 464 | 17.93% | 2,124 | 82.07% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1952 | 1,106 | 38.66% | 1,755 | 61.34% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 920 | 36.57% | 1,596 | 63.43% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 1,019 | 44.54% | 1,269 | 55.46% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 721 | 30.89% | 1,613 | 69.11% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 669 | 29.64% | 963 | 42.67% | 625 | 27.69% |
| 1972 | 1,461 | 67.05% | 680 | 31.21% | 38 | 1.74% |
| 1976 | 769 | 29.97% | 1,774 | 69.13% | 23 | 0.90% |
| 1980 | 926 | 38.09% | 1,442 | 59.32% | 63 | 2.59% |
| 1984 | 1,259 | 49.10% | 1,284 | 50.08% | 21 | 0.82% |
| 1988 | 891 | 39.25% | 1,365 | 60.13% | 14 | 0.62% |
| 1992 | 714 | 25.50% | 1,448 | 51.71% | 638 | 22.79% |
| 1996 | 734 | 32.25% | 1,205 | 52.94% | 337 | 14.81% |
| 2000 | 1,196 | 50.64% | 1,148 | 48.60% | 18 | 0.76% |
| 2004 | 1,396 | 53.71% | 1,203 | 46.29% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 2008 | 1,672 | 73.59% | 600 | 26.41% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 2012 | 1,710 | 72.49% | 649 | 27.51% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 2016 | 1,898 | 79.12% | 411 | 17.13% | 90 | 3.75% |
| 2020 | 2,091 | 82.84% | 374 | 14.82% | 59 | 2.34% |
| 2024 | 2,155 | 84.91% | 345 | 13.59% | 38 | 1.50% |
The following sites in Coal County are listed on theNational Register of Historic Places:
Places adjacent to Coal County, Oklahoma | |
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Municipalities and communities ofCoal County, Oklahoma,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Towns | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Indian reservations | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
