Hockley County was formed in 1876 from portions of Bexar and Young Counties. It was named for George Washington Hockley,[4] the commander of artillery in the Battle of San Jacinto and later secretary of war of the Republic of Texas.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 909 square miles (2,350 km2), of which 908 square miles (2,350 km2) are land and 0.2 sq mi (0.52 km2) (0.02%) is covered by water.[5]
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 21,537, the median age was 37.1 years, 26.0% of residents were under the age of 18, and 16.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.7 males age 18 and over.[11]
58.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 41.5% lived in rural areas.[13]
There were 7,954 households in the county, of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 51.9% were married-couple households, 17.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[11]
There were 9,173 housing units, of which 13.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 72.5% were owner-occupied and 27.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 14.4%.[11]
Hockley 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 the 2000census,[15] 22,716 people, 7,994 households, and 6,091 families resided in the county. Thepopulation density was 25 people per square mile (9.7 people/km2). The 9,148 housing units averaged 10 units per square mile (3.9/km2). Theracial makeup of the county was 74.38% White, 3.72% Black or African American, 0.82% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 18.68% from other races, and 2.22% from two or more races. About 37.24% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Of the 7,994 households, 38.1% had children under 18 living with them, 60.4% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.8% were not families; 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the county, the age distribution was 29.1% under 18, 11.8% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% who were 65 or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.3 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 92.2 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,085, and for a family was $35,288. Males had a median income of $29,735 versus $20,671 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $15,022. About 14.80% of families and 18.90% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 24.10% of those under age 18 and 12.60% of those age 65 or over.
