Terry County was formed fromBexar County in 1876 and named for Col. Benjamin Franklin Terry, who commanded theTerry's Texas Rangers in the Civil War.[6]
In 1877, the ill-fatedNolan Expedition crossed the county in search of livestock stolen byComanche renegades. The various Indian tribes had moved on by the time of white settlement, due to the depletion of the buffalo herds by hunters.[7]
Terry County was organized in 1904, with Brownfield as the county seat.[8]
The county was settled by ranchers such as Ira J. Coulver, J. R. Quinn, Englishman Q. Bone, and Marion V. Brownfield.[8] By 1910 Terry County had 235 farms and 23,000 acres (93 km2) of improved land, with corn being the most important crop.[8]
Terry County lies in the oil-rich north Permian Basin, and the discovery of oil in 1940 quickly led to production.[8] By 1991 almost 363,143,000 barrels (57,735,100 m3) of crude had been extracted from Terry County lands since 1940.[9]
In 1991, Terry County was among the leading cotton counties in Texas.[8]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 891 square miles (2,310 km2), of which 889 square miles (2,300 km2) are land and 2.1 square miles (5.4 km2) (0.2%) are covered by water.[10]
Terry County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 11,831. The median age was 35.6 years. 27.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 15.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 105.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 106.0 males age 18 and over.[15][16]
69.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 30.1% lived in rural areas.[17]
There were 4,010 households in the county, of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.6% were married-couple households, 17.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[15]
There were 4,789 housing units, of which 16.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 68.3% were owner-occupied and 31.7% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 12.0%.[15]
As of thecensus[18] of 2000, 12,761 people, 4,278 households, and 3,247 families were residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 14 people per square mile (5.4 people/km2). The 5,087 housing units had an average density of 6 units per square mile (2.3 units/km2). Theracial makeup of the county was 76.55% White, 5.00% African American, 0.53% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 14.30% from other races, and 3.40% from two or more races. About 44.09% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.
Of the 4,278 households, 35.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.70% were married couples living together, 11.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.10% were not families. About 22.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76, and the average family size was 3.23.
The county's age distribution was 28.40% under 18, 9.50% from 18 to 24, 27.00% from 25 to 44, 20.60% from 45 to 64, and 14.60% who were 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 108.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $28,090, and for a family was $33,339. Males had a median income of $24,321 versus $20,131 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $13,860. About 19.20% of families and 23.30% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 32.50% of those under age 18 and 13.90% of those age 65 or over.
The county is served by a weekly newspaper, nearby stationKPET 690 AM (Lamesa), and the various Lubbock radio and TV stations. KKUB-AM and KTTU-FM are licensed to Brownfield, but operate primarily from offices and studios in Lubbock.
