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Motley County, Texas facts for kids

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Motley County
Motley County Courthouse in Matador
Motley County Courthouse in Matador
Map of Texas highlighting Motley 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 Matador
Largest town Matador
Area
 • Total 990 sq mi (2,600 km2)
 • Land 990 sq mi (2,600 km2)
 • Water 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km2)  0.03%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 1,063
 • Density 1.074/sq mi (0.4146/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 13th
Early Matador Ranch structure, Motley County, TX IMG 1532
Early Matador Ranch main building in Motley County
Old jail, Matador, TX IMG 1564
Work is proceeding in 2011 on the restoration of the old Matador jail. Pictured is former Motley County Judge Ed D. Smith.

Motley County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1,063, making it the 10th-least populous county in Texas. Its county seat is Matador. The county was created in 1876 and organized in 1891. It is named for Junius William Mottley, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Mottley's name is spelled incorrectly because the bill establishing the county misspelled his name. Motley County was one of 30 prohibition, or entirely dry, counties in Texas, but is now a wet county.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 990 sq mi (2,600 km2), of which 990 sq mi (2,600 km2) are land and 0.2 sq mi (0.52 km2) (0.03%) is covered by water.

Major highways

  • US 62.svg US 70.svg U.S. Highway 62/U.S. Highway 70
  • Texas 70.svg State Highway 70

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 24
1890 139 479.2%
1900 1,257 804.3%
1910 2,396 90.6%
1920 4,107 71.4%
1930 6,812 65.9%
1940 4,994 −26.7%
1950 3,963 −20.6%
1960 2,870 −27.6%
1970 2,178 −24.1%
1980 1,950 −10.5%
1990 1,532 −21.4%
2000 1,426 −6.9%
2010 1,210 −15.1%
2020 1,063 −12.1%
U.S. Decennial Census
1850–2010 2010 2020
Motley County, Texas - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2010 % 2020
  White alone (NH) 1,013 858 83.72% 80.71%
  Black or African American alone (NH) 24 7 1.98% 0.66%
  Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 8 0 0.66% 0.00%
Asian alone (NH) 0 0 0.00% 0.00%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 0 0 0.00% 0.00%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 0 2 0.00% 0.19%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) 2 43 0.17% 4.05%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 163 153 13.47% 14.39%
Total 1,210 1,063 100.00% 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, 1,426 people, 606 households, and 435 families were residing in the county. The population density was 1 person/sq mi (0.39 person/km2). The 839 housing units averaged 1 per square mile (0.39/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 87.38% White, 3.51% African American, 0.63% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 6.31% from other races, and 1.89% from two or more races. About 12.13% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

Of the 606 households, 26.60% had children under 18 living with them, 60.20% were married couples living together, 8.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.20% were not families. About 25.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.30% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.82.

In the county, the age distribution was 24.00% under 18, 6.00% from 18 to 24, 21.10% from 25 to 44, 25.20% from 45 to 64, and 23.70% who were 65 or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $28,348, and for a family was $33,977. Males had a median income of $25,395 versus $13,333 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,584. About 13.90% of families and 19.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.30% of those under age 18 and 13.80% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Towns

Unincorporated community

Ghost towns

Education

School districts serving the county include:

  • Motley County Independent School District
  • Turkey-Quitaque Independent School District

The county is in the service area of South Plains College.

See also

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

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