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Dickens County, Texas facts for kids

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Dickens County
The Dickens County Courthouse in Dickens
The Dickens County Courthouse in Dickens
Map of Texas highlighting Dickens County
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Map of the United States highlighting Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Texas
Founded 1891
Seat Dickens
Largest city Spur
Area
 • Total 905 sq mi (2,340 km2)
 • Land 902 sq mi (2,340 km2)
 • Water 3.5 sq mi (9 km2)  0.4%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 1,770
 • Density 1.956/sq mi (0.7551/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 13th

Dickens County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1,770. Its county seat is Dickens. The county was created in 1876 and later organized in 1891. Both the county and its seat are named for J. Dickens, who died at the Battle of the Alamo.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 905 square miles (2,340 km2), of which 902 square miles (2,340 km2) are land and 3.5 square miles (9.1 km2) (0.4%) are covered by water.

Major highways

  • US 82.svg Texas 114.svg U.S. Highway 82 / State Highway 114
  • Texas 70.svg State Highway 70
  • Texas 208.svg State Highway 208

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 28
1890 295 953.6%
1900 1,151 290.2%
1910 3,092 168.6%
1920 5,876 90.0%
1930 8,601 46.4%
1940 7,847 −8.8%
1950 7,177 −8.5%
1960 4,963 −30.8%
1970 3,737 −24.7%
1980 3,539 −5.3%
1990 2,571 −27.4%
2000 2,762 7.4%
2010 2,444 −11.5%
2020 1,770 −27.6%
U.S. Decennial Census
1850–2010 2010 2020
Dickens County, Texas - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2010 % 2020
  White alone (NH) 1,590 1,178 65.06% 66.55%
  Black or African American alone (NH) 92 18 3.76% 1.02%
  Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 21 0 0.86% 0.00%
Asian alone (NH) 18 1 0.74% 0.06%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 0 2 0.00% 0.11%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 0 7 0.00% 0.40%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) 15 52 0.61% 2.94%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 708 512 28.97% 28.93%
Total 2,444 1,770 100.00% 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 census of 2000, 2,762 people, 980 households, and 638 families resided in the county. The population density was 3 people per square mile (1.2 people/km2). The 1,368 housing units averaged 2 per square mile (0.77/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 77.62% White, 8.18% African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.25% Pacific Islander, 12.35% from other races, and 1.12% from two or more races. About 23.90% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 980 households, 23.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.60% were married couples living together, 7.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.80% were not families. About 32.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the county, the population was distributed as 18.50% under the age of 18, 10.40% from 18 to 24, 29.70% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 19.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 130.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 141.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $25,898, and for a family was $32,500. Males had a median income of $25,000 versus $18,571 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,156. About 14.10% of families and 17.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.30% of those under age 18 and 18.20% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

Unincorporated communities

Notable people

  • Charles Weldon Cannon, rancher and boot and saddle manufacturer
  • Marshall Formby, attorney, newspaper publisher, radio executive, and politician

Elected leadership

Legislative Representation Name Service
United States Congress, District 13 Ronny Jackson 2021 – Present
State Senator, District 28 Charles Perry 2014 – Present
State Representative, District 68 David Spiller February 2021 – January 1, 2023
State Representative, District 83 Dustin Burrows January 1, 2023 – Present
County Elected Leadership Name Service
County Judge Kevin Brendle 2015 – present
County Commissioner Pct 1 Dennis Wyatt 2017 – present
County Commissioner Pct 2 Mike Smith 2015 – present
County Commissioner Pct 3 Charles Morris 2013 – present
County Commissioner Pct 4 Greg Arnold 2023 – present
110th District Attorney Emily Teegardin (Silverton) 2023 – present
District & County Clerk Danay Carnes 2022 – present
County Sheriff Terry Braly 2013 – present
County Attorney Aaron Clements 2018 – present
County Tax Assessor-collector Rebecca Haney 2015 – present
County Treasurer Brandi Abbott 2023 – present
Justice of the Peace Stella Carter 2023 – present

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Dickens para niños

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