The Ochiltree County Courthouse contains the inscription on one side, "Dedicated to the Purpose of Justice to All Mankind." Click to read.Cattle grazing in Ochiltree County south ofPerryton offU.S. Highway 83
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 918 sq mi (2,380 km2), almost all land, and 0.5 sq mi (1.3 km2) (0.06%) is covered by water.[7]
Ochiltree 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 10,015. The median age was 33.9 years, 30.2% of residents were under the age of 18, and 12.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 102.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.8 males.[24]
83.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 16.2% lived in rural areas.[26]
There were 3,622 households in the county, of which 41.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 57.7% were married-couple households, 17.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 20.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 24.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[24]
There were 4,332 housing units, of which 16.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 73.6% were owner-occupied, and 26.4% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5%, and the rental vacancy rate was 22.9%.[24]
As of the2000 census, 9,006 people, 3,261 households, and 2,488 families were residing in the county.[27] Thepopulation density was 10 people per square mile (3.9 people/km2). The 3,769 housing units averaged 4 units per square mile (1.5/km2). Theracial makeup of the county was 86.2% White, 0.13% African American, 0.94% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 10.29% from other races, and 2.04% from two or more races. About 13.79% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race. In terms of ancestry, 11.3% were ofGerman, 10.3% were ofIrish, 6.3% were ofEnglish, 5.4% were ofAmerican, and 1.5% were ofDutch, 1.5% were ofPolish.
Of the 3,261 households, 40.9% had children under the age of 18, 64% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.7% were not families. About 21% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74, and the average family size was 3.18.
In the county, the population distribution was 30.6% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.9 males.
The median income for a household was $38,013, and for a family was $45,565. Males had a median income of $31,558 versus $19,890. Theper capita income for the county was $16,707. About 13% of the population and 9.8% of families were below thepoverty line; 17.9% of those under the age of 18 and 8.7% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Those making less than $25,000 per year comprised 32.2% of the population, while 1.9% made more than $150,000, according to the 2000 census. Around 17.5% of the population made less than $15,000 per year, while 6.06% made more than $100,000.
Since the 1950s, Ochiltree has been an overwhelmingly Republican county. The last Democrat to carry the county wasHarry S. Trumanin 1948; Truman won 73.06% of the county's vote, more than twice the percentage any Democratic candidate has won in the subsequent 17 presidential elections. Even TexanLyndon Johnson did not reach 35% in his 1964 landslide, when Ochiltree was easilyGoldwater’s strongest Texas county. Indeed,Jimmy Carter in 1976 was the last Democrat to win 20% of the county's vote, and the last to reach even 10% wasBill Clinton in 1996.
In 2004 in Ochiltree County, 92.0% of voters (2,922) voted forGeorge W. Bush, while 7.9% (251 people) voted forJohn Kerry. Two people voted forMichael Badnarik (Libertarian). This is tied for the second-highest percentage of votes Bush received for any county in the US (in both 2000 and 2004). It is the highest percentage during the 2004 election (onlyGlasscock County, Texas, at 93.1%, had a higher percentage in the2000 Presidential election).
In 2008, 91.7% of voters supported SenatorJohn McCain, whereas only 7.8% of voters supported SenatorBarack Obama.[28]
United States presidential election results for Ochiltree County, Texas[29]
Of the population aged 25 and older (5,441 people), 14.6% did not have a high school diploma, compared with 12.9% statewide. About 27% of the county's residents reported that a high school diploma was their highest level of educational attainment, compared with 24.8% statewide; 16.1% had a bachelor's degree or higher, compared with 23.2% statewide.
