Yoakum County, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Yoakum County
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The Yoakum County Courthouse in Plains.
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Location within the U.S. state of Texas
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 Texas's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Texas |
| Founded | 1907 |
| Seat | Plains |
| Largest town | Denver City |
| Area | |
| • Total | 800 sq mi (2,000 km2) |
| • Land | 800 sq mi (2,000 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2) 0% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 7,694 |
| • Density | 9.6/sq mi (3.71/km2) |
| Congressional district | 19th |
Yoakum County is a county located in the far western portion of the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,694. Its county seat is Plains. The county was created in 1876 and later organized in 1907. It is named for Henderson King Yoakum, a Texas historian.
Until the passage of a liquor sales referendum held on May 11, 2013, Yoakum had been one of 19 remaining prohibition or entirely dry counties within the state of Texas. Voters in Denver City also approved a separate referendum to permit liquor sales within that community.
In 1965, Recorded Texas Historic Landmark number 5927 was placed at the county courthouse, acknowledging the creation of the county in 1876.
Until after 1900, the county contained primarily nomadic buffalo hunters and a few scattered ranchers. Yoakum County was organized in 1907, and the population increased to 602 because of the sale of state land deeds.
Contents
History
Native Americans
Early tribes included Suma-Jumano, Comanche, Cheyenne and Kiowa.
County established
The Texas legislature established Yoakum County from Bexar County in 1876. The county was organized in 1907, and Plains became the county seat. In 1900, the area had only twenty-six residents. There was only one ranch in the county that year devoted to cattle, rather than crops.
Sale of state land after 1900 brought an increase in population. By 1910, there were 107 farms or ranches in the area, and the population had increased to 602.
By 1920, there were 109 ranches or farms in the area, but the population had fallen to 504. More than 21,000 cattle were reported that year, but crop cultivation remained limited; about 2,200 acres (8.9 km2) were planted in corn, 600 in sorghum, and 47 in cotton. During the 1920s the county experienced a minor expansion of crop farming, and cotton became the most important crop; by 1930 over 10,000 acres (40 km2) were devoted to cotton. There were 239 farms, and the population had increased to 1,263.
The first oil well in the county gushed in 1935. Denver City benefited with a resulting boom economy. By January 1, 1991, almost 1,664,036,000 barrels (264,560,600 m3) of oil had been taken from county lands since 1936.
Irrigation in the county led to more acres being planted on sorghum, cotton, alfalfa, watermelons and castor beans. In 1982, 93 percent of the land in Yoakum County was in farms and ranches, and 44 percent of the farmland was under cultivation. Some 110,000 acres (450 km2) were irrigated. About 95 percent of agricultural revenue was derived from crops, especially cotton, sorghum, wheat, hay, and corn.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 800 square miles (2,100 km2), virtually all of which is land.
Major highways
U.S. Highway 82
U.S. Highway 380
State Highway 83
State Highway 214
Adjacent counties
- Cochran County (north)
- Terry County (east)
- Gaines County (south)
- Lea County, New Mexico (west)
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 4 | — | |
| 1900 | 26 | 550.0% | |
| 1910 | 602 | 2,215.4% | |
| 1920 | 504 | −16.3% | |
| 1930 | 1,263 | 150.6% | |
| 1940 | 5,354 | 323.9% | |
| 1950 | 4,339 | −19.0% | |
| 1960 | 8,032 | 85.1% | |
| 1970 | 7,344 | −8.6% | |
| 1980 | 8,299 | 13.0% | |
| 1990 | 8,786 | 5.9% | |
| 2000 | 7,322 | −16.7% | |
| 2010 | 7,879 | 7.6% | |
| 2020 | 7,694 | −2.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1850–2010 2010 2020 |
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2020 census
| Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 3,090 | 2,488 | 39.22% | 32.34% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 55 | 55 | 0.70% | 0.71% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 30 | 22 | 0.38% | 0.29% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 26 | 46 | 0.33% | 0.60% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 1 | 0 | 0.01% | 0.00% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 5 | 15 | 0.06% | 0.19% |
| Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 50 | 100 | 0.63% | 1.30% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4,622 | 4,968 | 58.66% | 64.57% |
| Total | 7,879 | 7,694 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
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 can be of any race.
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 7,694 people, 2,617 households, and 1,985 families residing in the county.
Communities
Towns
- Denver City (small part in Gaines County)
- Plains (county seat)
Unincorporated community
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Yoakum para niños
