According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 905 square miles (2,340 km2), of which 902 square miles (2,340 km2) are land and 3.5 square miles (9.1 km2) (0.4%) are covered by water.[5]
U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1850–2010[8] 2010[9] 2020[10]
Dickens 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 thecensus[12] of 2000, 2,762 people, 980 households, and 638 families resided in the county. Thepopulation density was 3 people per square mile (1.2 people/km2). The 1,368 housing units averaged 2 per square mile (0.77/km2). Theracial makeup of the county was 77.62% White, 8.18% African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.25% Pacific Islander, 12.35% from other races, and 1.12% from two or more races. About 23.90% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Of the 980 households, 23.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.60% were married couples living together, 7.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.80% were not families. About 32.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the county, the population was distributed as 18.50% under the age of 18, 10.40% from 18 to 24, 29.70% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 19.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 130.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 141.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $25,898, and for a family was $32,500. Males had a median income of $25,000 versus $18,571 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $13,156. About 14.10% of families and 17.40% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 21.30% of those under age 18 and 18.20% of those age 65 or over.
Following redistricting after the 2020 census, effective January 1, 2023, Dickens County is inTexas House of Representatives District 83, represented by RepublicanDustin Burrows, an attorney fromLubbock. Dickens County was previously in House District 68. In theTexas Senate, Dickens County is presently inDistrict 28, represented by RepublicanCharles Perry.
Like much of West Texas, Dickens now leans heavily Republican, giving less than 15% of the vote to Hillary Clinton in 2016, though it did support her husband, Bill Clinton, in both 1992 and 1996, inthe former election supporting him by double digits over Texas resident George H.W. Bush. However, the county historically leaned heavily Democratic, having previously even voted againstRonald Reagan in both his 1980 and 1984 landslides, and against native sonDwight D. Eisenhower in 1952 and 1956.
United States presidential election results for Dickens County, Texas[16]
