Nolan County | |
|---|---|
 Nolan County Courthouse | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofTexas | |
 Texas's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:32°19′N100°24′W / 32.31°N 100.4°W /32.31; -100.4 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Texas |
| Founded | 1881 |
| Named after | Philip Nolan |
| Seat | Sweetwater |
| Largest city | Sweetwater |
| Area | |
• Total | 914 sq mi (2,370 km2) |
| • Land | 912 sq mi (2,360 km2) |
| • Water | 2.0 sq mi (5 km2) 0.2% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 14,738 |
| • Density | 16/sq mi (6.2/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 19th |
| Website | www |
Nolan County is acounty located in the west-central region of theU.S. state ofTexas. As of the2020 census, its population was 14,738.[1] Itscounty seat isSweetwater.[2] The county was created in 1876 and organized in 1881.[3] It is named forPhilip Nolan, one of the firstAmerican traders to visit Texas. Nolan County comprises the Sweetwatermicropolitan statistical area.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 914 square miles (2,370 km2), of which 2.0 sq mi (5.2 km2) (0.2%) are covered by water.[4]
Nolan County is in the Cross Timbers region for wildlife management.[5] Geologically Nolan County occupies part of the Rolling Plains in the North and South,[6] separated by an isolated part of the Edwards Plateau[7] in much of the center. The uplifted plateau, rising up to 500[8] feet above the surrounding plains, gives Nolan county an advantage on production of wind energy.
West ofHighland School, theBench Mountain, at 2607 feet above sea level, is listed as the highest point in Nolan County.
Plateau areas of the Cretaceous Period[7] and much of the county are underlain by petroleum deposits from the Pennsylvanian Period.[9]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 640 | — | |
| 1890 | 1,573 | 145.8% | |
| 1900 | 2,611 | 66.0% | |
| 1910 | 11,999 | 359.6% | |
| 1920 | 10,868 | −9.4% | |
| 1930 | 19,323 | 77.8% | |
| 1940 | 17,309 | −10.4% | |
| 1950 | 19,808 | 14.4% | |
| 1960 | 18,963 | −4.3% | |
| 1970 | 16,220 | −14.5% | |
| 1980 | 17,359 | 7.0% | |
| 1990 | 16,594 | −4.4% | |
| 2000 | 15,802 | −4.8% | |
| 2010 | 15,216 | −3.7% | |
| 2020 | 14,738 | −3.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[10] 1850–2010[11] 2010[12] 2020[13] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[14] | Pop 2010[12] | Pop 2020[13] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 10,480 | 9,191 | 8,138 | 66.32% | 60.40% | 55.22% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 713 | 666 | 625 | 4.51% | 4.38% | 4.24% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 25 | 44 | 53 | 0.16% | 0.29% | 0.36% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 33 | 58 | 103 | 0.21% | 0.38% | 0.70% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0.01% | 0.00% | 0.01% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 2 | 8 | 31 | 0.01% | 0.05% | 0.21% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 117 | 146 | 432 | 0.74% | 0.96% | 2.93% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4,431 | 5,103 | 5,354 | 28.04% | 33.54% | 36.33% |
| Total | 15,802 | 15,216 | 14,738 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of thecensus[15] of 2000, 15,802 people, 6,170 households, and 4,288 families resided in the county. Thepopulation density was 17 people per square mile (6.6 people/km2). The 7,112 housing units averaged 8 units per square mile (3.1 units/km2). Theracial makeup of the county was 78.45% White, 4.68% Black or African American, 0.49% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 14.02% from other races, and 2.07% from two or more races. About 28.04% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Of the 6,170 households, 32.20% had children under 18 living with them, 53.00% were married couples living together, 12.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.50% were not families. Around 27.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.40% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.48, and the average family size was 3.01.
In the county, the population was distributed as 27.10% under 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 25.40% from 25 to 44, 22.60% from 45 to 64, and 16.40% who were 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $26,209, and for a family was $32,004. Males had a median income of $28,674 versus $19,335 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $14,077. About 18.30% of families and 21.70% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 29.50% of those under age 18 and 18.50% of those age 65 or over.
Nolan County has established itself as a center forwind power generation. As of July 2008, Nolan County generated more wind energy than the entire state of California, and would have ranked sixth in the world for wind power generation if it were counted as its own country.[16] In 2013, there were more than 13,000 operational wind turbines.[17]
A branch ofTexas State Technical College, near Sweetwater, offers the first community-college program for wind energy in Texas beginning in 2007. Wind energy investments in the county of about $3 billion since 1999 have resulted in about 1,330 direct wind-related jobs created in Nolan County alone (in 2009), with almost $18,000,000 in annual landowner royalties and over $12,000,000 in annual local school taxes (2007),[18] and about $1.7 million more in county property taxes. The majority of investments come from Epplament Energy,E.ON,Invenergy, Lestis Private Capital Group,NextEra, andLattner Energy.
Nolan County is a hub of the Public Utility Commission's $5 billion CREZ wind-energy transmission line expansion project in Texas.[19]
Nolan County is part of the71st district for elections to theTexas House of Representatives. TheRepublicanstate representativeStan Lambert represents the district which also coversCallahan,Jones andTaylor Counties.[23]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 4,048 | 79.03% | 1,020 | 19.91% | 54 | 1.05% |
| 2020 | 4,131 | 76.97% | 1,162 | 21.65% | 74 | 1.38% |
| 2016 | 3,552 | 73.13% | 1,029 | 21.19% | 276 | 5.68% |
| 2012 | 3,282 | 71.74% | 1,216 | 26.58% | 77 | 1.68% |
| 2008 | 3,485 | 68.83% | 1,521 | 30.04% | 57 | 1.13% |
| 2004 | 3,722 | 70.37% | 1,541 | 29.14% | 26 | 0.49% |
| 2000 | 3,337 | 62.82% | 1,874 | 35.28% | 101 | 1.90% |
| 1996 | 2,166 | 40.18% | 2,582 | 47.89% | 643 | 11.93% |
| 1992 | 1,993 | 33.48% | 2,490 | 41.83% | 1,469 | 24.68% |
| 1988 | 2,734 | 48.74% | 2,853 | 50.86% | 22 | 0.39% |
| 1984 | 3,608 | 58.80% | 2,524 | 41.13% | 4 | 0.07% |
| 1980 | 2,781 | 48.83% | 2,796 | 49.10% | 118 | 2.07% |
| 1976 | 2,431 | 43.84% | 3,094 | 55.80% | 20 | 0.36% |
| 1972 | 3,634 | 73.03% | 1,338 | 26.89% | 4 | 0.08% |
| 1968 | 1,969 | 33.16% | 2,784 | 46.88% | 1,185 | 19.96% |
| 1964 | 1,610 | 31.19% | 3,540 | 68.58% | 12 | 0.23% |
| 1960 | 2,421 | 42.66% | 3,247 | 57.22% | 7 | 0.12% |
| 1956 | 2,232 | 46.69% | 2,535 | 53.03% | 13 | 0.27% |
| 1952 | 2,907 | 48.11% | 3,123 | 51.68% | 13 | 0.22% |
| 1948 | 552 | 13.57% | 3,408 | 83.76% | 109 | 2.68% |
| 1944 | 322 | 8.59% | 3,071 | 81.96% | 354 | 9.45% |
| 1940 | 471 | 12.41% | 3,314 | 87.35% | 9 | 0.24% |
| 1936 | 268 | 8.39% | 2,913 | 91.15% | 15 | 0.47% |
| 1932 | 219 | 8.19% | 2,453 | 91.70% | 3 | 0.11% |
| 1928 | 1,475 | 58.76% | 1,035 | 41.24% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 337 | 18.32% | 1,421 | 77.23% | 82 | 4.46% |
| 1920 | 175 | 15.16% | 923 | 79.98% | 56 | 4.85% |
| 1916 | 91 | 7.47% | 1,048 | 85.97% | 80 | 6.56% |
| 1912 | 60 | 7.34% | 655 | 80.17% | 102 | 12.48% |
School districts include:[25]
TheTexas Legislature designated the county as being in theWestern Texas College District.[26]
Places adjacent to Nolan County, Texas | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofNolan County, Texas,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
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