Texas County, Oklahoma | |
|---|---|
 Texas County Courthouse inGuymon (2012) | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofOklahoma | |
| Coordinates:36°45′N101°29′W / 36.75°N 101.48°W /36.75; -101.48 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Oklahoma |
| Founded | 1907 |
| Named after | Texas |
| Seat | Guymon |
| Largest city | Guymon |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,049 sq mi (5,310 km2) |
| • Land | 2,041 sq mi (5,290 km2) |
| • Water | 7.4 sq mi (19 km2) 0.4% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 21,384 |
| • Density | 10.48/sq mi (4.045/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
| Website | texas |
Texas County is acounty located inthe panhandle of the U.S. state ofOklahoma. Itscounty seat isGuymon. As of the2020 census, the population was 21,384.[1] It is the second largest county in Oklahoma, based on land area, and is named forTexas, the state that adjoins the county to its south.[2]Texas County comprises the Guymon, OKMicropolitan Statistical Area.The county economy is largely based on farming and cattle production. It is one of the top-producing counties in the U.S. for wheat, cattle, and hogs. It also lies within the noted Hugoton-Panhandle natural gas field.[2]
Being 50.6% Hispanic, Texas is also Oklahoma's onlyHispanic-majority county as of 2020.[3]
Texas County was formed at Oklahoma statehood (November 16, 1907) from the central one-third of "Old Beaver County". When the formation of the county was authorized by the Constitutional Convention of 1907, the county was so named because it was wholly included within the limits of the Texas Cession of 1850, whereby the ownership of the area was passed from the State of Texas to the United States government. From 1850 to 1890, its lands were never attached to any state or territory, never surveyed, and never divided into townships and sections like theeastern counties were. From 1890 to 1907, it was part ofBeaver County.[2]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,049 square miles (5,310 km2), of which 2,041 square miles (5,290 km2) are land and 7.4 square miles (19 km2) (0.4%) is water.[4] It is the second-largest county in Oklahoma by area. The county lies in theHigh Plains of theGreat Plains physiographic region. It is generally flat, but has some rolling hills. It is drained by theNorth Canadian River, often called theBeaver River in this area. Tributaries of the river areColdwater, Hackberry, Goff, Teepee, and Pony Creeks.[2]
For tourism purposes, the county's location inNorthwest Oklahoma puts it in the area designated by theOklahoma Department of Tourism asRed Carpet Country.[5]
TheOptima Lake project, includingOptima National Wildlife Refuge, and the Optima Wildlife Management Area being public hunting lands managed by theOklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, is 2 miles (3.2 km) north ofHardesty, Oklahoma.[2]
Texas County is one of four counties in the United States to border the state with which it shares its name (the other three areNevada County, California,Delaware County, Pennsylvania, andOhio County, West Virginia).
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | 14,249 | — | |
| 1920 | 13,975 | −1.9% | |
| 1930 | 14,100 | 0.9% | |
| 1940 | 9,896 | −29.8% | |
| 1950 | 14,235 | 43.8% | |
| 1960 | 14,162 | −0.5% | |
| 1970 | 16,352 | 15.5% | |
| 1980 | 17,727 | 8.4% | |
| 1990 | 16,419 | −7.4% | |
| 2000 | 20,107 | 22.5% | |
| 2010 | 20,640 | 2.7% | |
| 2020 | 21,384 | 3.6% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 20,577 | [6] | −3.8% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1790–1960[8] 1900–1990[9] 1990–2000[10] 2010[11] | |||
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 21,384. Of the residents, 29.3% were under the age of 18 and 12.2% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 32.4 years. For every 100 females there were 104.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 106.9 males.[12][13]
The racial makeup of the county was 47.4% White, 4.8%Black or African American, 2.6%American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%Asian, 26.2% from some other race, and 16.8% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 50.6% of the population.[13]
There were 7,376 households in the county, of which 40.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 23.0% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[12]
There were 8,443 housing units, of which 12.6% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 60.9% were owner-occupied and 39.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.0%.[12]
As of the 2010 census, there were 20,640 people, 7,212 households, and 5,147 families residing in the county. The population density was 4/km2 (10/mi2). There were 8,208 housing units at an average density of 2/km2 (5.2/mi2). The racial makeup of the county was 75.7%White, 1.6%Black orAfrican American, 1.3%Native American, 1.6%Asian, 0.2%Pacific Islander, 16.9% fromother races, and 2.8% from two or more races. 42.0% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race (34.3%Mexican, 3.5%Guatemalan, 0.7%Cuban, 0.7%Spanish).[14][15] 65.7% spokeEnglish and 33.1%Spanish as their first language.[16]
In 2010, there were 7,153 households, out of which 39.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.50% were married couples living together, 7.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.60% were non-families. 21.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.19. In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.80% under the age of 18, 12.70% from 18 to 24, 29.10% from 25 to 44, 19.20% from 45 to 64, and 10.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 105.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $35,872, and the median income for a family was $42,226. Males had a median income of $26,991 versus $20,404 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,692. About 10.20% of families and 14.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.80% of those under age 18 and 7.40% of those age 65 or over.
| Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of June 30, 2023[17] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Number of Voters | Percentage | |||
| Democratic | 1,535 | 17.71% | |||
| Republican | 5,423 | 62.57% | |||
| Others | 1,709 | 19.72% | |||
| Total | 8,667 | 100% | |||
The county has been consistently Republican since 1952. No Democratic presidential candidate has received more than 20% of the vote in the 21st century.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1908 | 1,315 | 43.37% | 1,470 | 48.48% | 247 | 8.15% |
| 1912 | 683 | 39.66% | 764 | 44.37% | 275 | 15.97% |
| 1916 | 807 | 32.69% | 1,349 | 54.64% | 313 | 12.68% |
| 1920 | 1,762 | 53.47% | 1,398 | 42.43% | 135 | 4.10% |
| 1924 | 1,745 | 44.04% | 1,812 | 45.73% | 405 | 10.22% |
| 1928 | 2,890 | 69.16% | 1,240 | 29.67% | 49 | 1.17% |
| 1932 | 1,372 | 25.38% | 4,033 | 74.62% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 1,223 | 27.35% | 3,229 | 72.22% | 19 | 0.42% |
| 1940 | 1,918 | 40.15% | 2,831 | 59.26% | 28 | 0.59% |
| 1944 | 1,731 | 44.73% | 2,119 | 54.75% | 20 | 0.52% |
| 1948 | 1,676 | 38.36% | 2,693 | 61.64% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1952 | 4,196 | 68.66% | 1,915 | 31.34% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 3,320 | 63.77% | 1,886 | 36.23% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 4,314 | 73.58% | 1,549 | 26.42% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 3,339 | 57.18% | 2,500 | 42.82% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 3,729 | 63.65% | 1,176 | 20.07% | 954 | 16.28% |
| 1972 | 5,726 | 82.54% | 924 | 13.32% | 287 | 4.14% |
| 1976 | 3,919 | 59.56% | 2,591 | 39.38% | 70 | 1.06% |
| 1980 | 5,503 | 77.52% | 1,451 | 20.44% | 145 | 2.04% |
| 1984 | 5,968 | 84.78% | 1,033 | 14.68% | 38 | 0.54% |
| 1988 | 4,971 | 73.62% | 1,717 | 25.43% | 64 | 0.95% |
| 1992 | 4,059 | 58.15% | 1,487 | 21.30% | 1,434 | 20.54% |
| 1996 | 4,139 | 67.95% | 1,408 | 23.12% | 544 | 8.93% |
| 2000 | 4,964 | 81.54% | 1,084 | 17.81% | 40 | 0.66% |
| 2004 | 5,450 | 84.29% | 1,016 | 15.71% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 2008 | 5,336 | 85.25% | 923 | 14.75% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 2012 | 4,930 | 85.12% | 862 | 14.88% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 2016 | 4,621 | 79.95% | 858 | 14.84% | 301 | 5.21% |
| 2020 | 4,505 | 81.60% | 894 | 16.19% | 122 | 2.21% |
| 2024 | 4,319 | 82.96% | 793 | 15.23% | 94 | 1.81% |
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Cattle raising was the most important economic activity before and after statehood. Farming rose in importance after the 1890s. Despite the occurrence of theDust Bowl these two sectors have recovered and prospered. By 1990, Texas County led the state in producing grainsorghums, with 4.2 million bushels, or one-quarter of the state's harvest, and was the state's fourth-largest wheat-producing county, harvesting 10.3 million bushels. By 1997, it was the state's top producer of both hogs and cattle.[2] Texas County was the fifth-ranked county in the entire nation in 2017 for the number of hogs produced (1,094,877),[18] and pork producerSeaboard Foods is the county's primary employer.[19]
Petroleum exploration began in 1922 and resulted in natural gas production from theHugoton Gas Field. The county remains the nation's largest producer of natural gas. Fourcarbon black plants operated near Optima from the mid-1930s through the 1940s.[2] The field extends fromHugoton, Kansas into the Texas Panhandle.
The 2000 MW Windcatcher wind farm project, consisting of 800 wind turbines from GE and a high voltageAC power line, was proposed for Texas County and adjacentCimarron County, but ran into opposition and was finally cancelled in July 2018.[20]
TheOklahoma Legislature created the Pan-Handle Agricultural Institute in 1909, offering secondary agricultural education for the Panhandle area. In 1921, the legislature changed the name to Panhandle Agricultural and Mechanical College and authorized the school to offer a two-year curriculum. In 1925, the State Board of Agriculture authorized upper division college courses; further, in 1926, junior and senior level courses were added. The school name has been changed twice since then, to Oklahoma Panhandle State College of Agriculture and Applied Science (OPSU) in 1967 and toOklahoma Panhandle State University in 1974.[21] The school is inGoodwell.
K-12 school districts include:[22]
There are two elementary school districts:Optima Public School andStraight Public School.[22]
Residents of Texhoma Public Schools attend that district's schools andTexhoma Independent School District in Texas for different grade levels.[23]
Guymon Municipal Airport is a city-owned, public-use airport located two nautical miles (3.7 km) west of the central business district ofCity of Guymon in Texas County.
The following are included among the twenty-four sites in Texas County listed on theNational Register of Historic Places[25]
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Places adjacent to Texas County, Oklahoma | |
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Municipalities and communities ofTexas County, Oklahoma,United States | ||
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