Seminole, Texas | |
|---|---|
City | |
 The Gaines County Courthouse in Seminole. | |
 Location of Seminole, Texas | |
 | |
| Coordinates:32°43′7″N102°39′0″W / 32.71861°N 102.65000°W /32.71861; -102.65000 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Gaines |
| Area | |
• Total | 3.80 sq mi (9.83 km2) |
| • Land | 3.80 sq mi (9.83 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 3,297 ft (1,005 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 6,988 |
| • Density | 2,058.4/sq mi (794.74/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 79360 |
| Area code | 432 |
| FIPS code | 48-66764[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2411866[2] |
| Website | https://cityofseminoletx.org/ |
Seminole is a city in and thecounty seat ofGaines County, Texas, United States.[4] As of the2020 census, Seminole had a population of 6,988.[5] Seminole and Gaines County are home to a large population ofLow German Mennonites from Russia that came to West Texas in the 1980s.[6]
It is the birthplace ofcountry music singersLarry Gatlin andTanya Tucker.
The land for Seminole was donated by nonresident landowners to become the county seat for Gaines County. In 1906, the first move to Seminole was made by W. B. Austin and his wife Emma, who moved their general store there, which was located inCaput, Texas. During this time, several post offices found a new home in Seminole. Seminole National Bank opened its doors in 1906, followed by First State Bank in 1907. In 1912, Seminole National Bank lost over $3,000 when it was robbed. In 1914, the two banks merged to form First State Bank. In 1950, Seminole's population surpassedSeagraves, Texas, for the first time.[7]
Plautdietsch-speaking"Russian" Mennonites ofGerman,Flemish andFrisian ancestry became anethnoreligious group in theRussian Empire in the 19th century. They migrated from there toCanada in the 1870s and then toMexico in 1922. In 1977, some 100 families from Mexico bought land southwest of Seminole to settle there, but faced difficulties with immigration. In 1980, PresidentJimmy Carter signed legislation allowing the original 100 families to gain fullcitizenship. In 2016, about 6,000 Plautdietsch speakers lived around Seminole.[8]
On April 6, 2025, Secretary of Health and Human ServicesRobert F. Kennedy Jr flew to Seminole to investigate a measle epidemic and attended the funeral of Daisy Hildebrand, 8.[9]
Seminole is located at32°43′7″N102°39′00″W / 32.71861°N 102.65000°W /32.71861; -102.65000.[10]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.3 square miles (8.5 km2), all land.
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The climate iscold semiarid (Köppen:BSk) affected by elevation with well defined seasons, more extreme and drier than most of the great cities of Texas.[11] The lowest temperature measured in the state of Texas (which tied an 1899 mark set in Tulia) was set in Seminole with −23 °F (−31 °C), recorded on February 8, 1933.[12]
| Climate data for Seminole, Texas (1991–2020 normals,[a] extremes 1922–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 83 (28) | 88 (31) | 95 (35) | 99 (37) | 109 (43) | 114.0 (45.6) | 113 (45) | 110 (43) | 106 (41) | 102 (39) | 89 (32) | 83 (28) | 114.0 (45.6) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 75.4 (24.1) | 79.5 (26.4) | 86.4 (30.2) | 92.0 (33.3) | 99.1 (37.3) | 104.2 (40.1) | 102.3 (39.1) | 101.3 (38.5) | 97.5 (36.4) | 91.8 (33.2) | 81.8 (27.7) | 74.3 (23.5) | 106.1 (41.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 56.2 (13.4) | 61.2 (16.2) | 69.1 (20.6) | 77.8 (25.4) | 85.8 (29.9) | 93.2 (34.0) | 94.0 (34.4) | 93.1 (33.9) | 85.6 (29.8) | 77.1 (25.1) | 64.9 (18.3) | 56.7 (13.7) | 76.2 (24.6) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 42.1 (5.6) | 46.0 (7.8) | 53.4 (11.9) | 61.4 (16.3) | 70.5 (21.4) | 78.6 (25.9) | 80.6 (27.0) | 79.6 (26.4) | 72.4 (22.4) | 62.5 (16.9) | 50.5 (10.3) | 42.6 (5.9) | 61.7 (16.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 27.9 (−2.3) | 30.7 (−0.7) | 37.6 (3.1) | 44.9 (7.2) | 55.2 (12.9) | 64.1 (17.8) | 67.2 (19.6) | 66.2 (19.0) | 59.3 (15.2) | 48.0 (8.9) | 36.0 (2.2) | 28.6 (−1.9) | 47.1 (8.4) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 15.6 (−9.1) | 18.0 (−7.8) | 23.4 (−4.8) | 32.0 (0.0) | 42.1 (5.6) | 56.1 (13.4) | 61.6 (16.4) | 60.7 (15.9) | 47.6 (8.7) | 33.1 (0.6) | 21.7 (−5.7) | 15.0 (−9.4) | 11.2 (−11.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −9 (−23) | −23 (−31) | 8 (−13) | 20 (−7) | 28 (−2) | 44 (7) | 50 (10) | 51 (11) | 34 (1) | 20 (−7) | 5 (−15) | −1 (−18) | −23 (−31) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 0.69 (18) | 0.72 (18) | 1.01 (26) | 1.05 (27) | 2.23 (57) | 1.92 (49) | 2.05 (52) | 1.78 (45) | 2.75 (70) | 1.33 (34) | 1.00 (25) | 0.68 (17) | 17.21 (438) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 1.7 (4.3) | 1.3 (3.3) | 0.1 (0.25) | 0.1 (0.25) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.8 (2.0) | 0.8 (2.0) | 4.8 (12.1) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 3.9 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.0 | 4.8 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.1 | 5.8 | 4.6 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 52.1 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 2.8 |
| Source 1: NOAA[13] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service[14] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | 1,761 | — | |
| 1950 | 3,479 | 97.6% | |
| 1960 | 5,737 | 64.9% | |
| 1970 | 5,007 | −12.7% | |
| 1980 | 6,080 | 21.4% | |
| 1990 | 6,342 | 4.3% | |
| 2000 | 5,910 | −6.8% | |
| 2010 | 6,430 | 8.8% | |
| 2020 | 6,988 | 8.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[15][16] | |||
As of the2020 census, 6,988 people, 2,471 households, and 1,727 families were residing in the city. The median age was 32.4 years, with 29.4% of residents under the age of 18 and 12.7% aged 65 or older.[17]
For every 100 females there were 98.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.2 males age 18 and over.[17]
One hundred percent of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.[18]
There were 2,471 households in Seminole, of which 41.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 54.3% were married-couple households, 17.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 23.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[17]
There were 2,778 housing units, of which 11.1% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 12.7%.[17]
| Race | Number | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| White | 4,308 | 61.6% |
| Black or African American | 126 | 1.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 55 | 0.8% |
| Asian | 62 | 0.9% |
| Native Hawaiian andOther Pacific Islander | 5 | 0.1% |
| Some other race | 886 | 12.7% |
| Two or more races | 1,546 | 22.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 3,357 | 48.0% |
As of the census[3] of 2000, 5,910 people, 2,082 households, and 1,590 families resided in the city. The population density was 1,762.3 inhabitants per square mile (680.4/km2) . The 2,337 housing units had an average density of 696.9 per square mile (269.1/km2). Theracial makeup of the city was 80.64% White, 1.98% African American, 0.98% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 13.52% from other races, and 2.57% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 39.59% of the population.
Of the 2,082 households, 41.3% had children under 18 living with them, 61.6% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.6% were not families. About 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.79, and the average family size was 3.28.
In the city, the population was distributed as 31.9% under 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,063, and for a family was $36,019. Males had a median income of $31,563 versus $17,010 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,624. About 14.6% of families and 18.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.1% of those under 18 and 13.4% of those 65 or over.
The City of Seminole is served by theSeminole Independent School District. The Gaines County Library celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2008.[20]
Places adjacent to Seminole, Texas | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofGaines County, Texas,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
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| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
