Ochiltree County, Texas

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 918 sqmi, almost all land, and 0.5 sqmi (0.06%) is covered by water.

Major highways

• [[File:US 83.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 83
• [[File:Texas 15.svg|20px]] State Highway 15
• [[File:Texas 70.svg|20px]] State Highway 70

Adjacent counties

• Texas County, Oklahoma (north)
• Beaver County, Oklahoma (northeast)
• Lipscomb County (east)
• Roberts County (south)
• Hansford County (west)
• Hemphill County (southeast)

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1850–1900 1910 1920 1930 1940

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

Racial and ethnic composition

2020 census

As of the 2020 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.

The racial makeup of the county was 56.1% White, 0.2% Black or African American, 1.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian,

83.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 16.2% lived in rural areas.

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.

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%.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, 9,006 people, 3,261 households, and 2,488 families were residing in the county. The population density was 10 /mi2. The 3,769 housing units averaged 4 /mi2. The racial 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 of German, 10.3% were of Irish, 6.3% were of English, 5.4% were of American, and 1.5% were of Dutch, 1.5% were of Polish.

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. The per capita income for the county was $16,707. About 13% of the population and 9.8% of families were below the poverty 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.

Politics

Since the 1950s, Ochiltree has been an overwhelmingly Republican county. The last Democrat to carry the county was Harry S. Truman in 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 Texan Lyndon Johnson did not reach 35% in his 1964 landslide, when Ochiltree was easily Goldwater’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 so much as 10% was Bill Clinton in 1996.

In 2004 in Ochiltree County, 92.0% of voters (2,922) voted for George W. Bush, while 7.9% (251 people) voted for John Kerry. Two people voted for Michael 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), and it is the highest percentage during the 2004 election, (only Glasscock County, Texas, at 93.1%, had a higher percentage in the 2000 Presidential election).

In 2008, 91.7% of voters supported Senator John McCain, whereas only 7.8% of voters supported Senator Barack Obama.

Education

Of the population aged 25 and older (5,441 people), 14.6% did not have a high-school diploma, while 12.9% statewide are without a high-school diploma. About 27% of the county claimed 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.

The Allen campus of Frank Phillips College is located in Perryton.

Communities

City

• Perryton (county seat)

Town

• Booker (mostly in Lipscomb County)

Census-designated places

• Farnsworth
• Waka

In popular culture

Ochiltree County is the setting for the Hank the Cowdog series of children's books, in the unincorporated city of Twitchell.

References

References

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