Wilbarger County ( ) is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

located in the North Texas region of the U.S. state of

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,887. The

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

is Vernon. The county was created in 1858 and later organized in 1881. Wilbarger is named for Josiah Pugh Wilbarger and Mathias Wilbarger, two early settlers.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which are land and (0.7%) are covered by water.

Major highways

* U.S. Highway 70 * U.S. Highway 183 * U.S. Highway 283 * U.S. Highway 287

Adjacent counties

* Tillman County, Oklahoma (north) * Wichita County (east) * Baylor County (south) * Foard County (west) * Hardeman County (west) * Jackson County, Oklahoma (northwest)

Demographics

Census-designated places

* Harrold * Lockett * Oklaunion

Population

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, 14,676 people, 5,537 households, and 3,748 families were residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . The 6,371 housing units averaged . The racial makeup of the county was 78.17% White, 8.86% African American, 0.66% Native American, 0.63% Asian, 9.76% from other races, and 1.91% from two or more races. About 20.54% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 5,537 households, 32.20% had children under 18 living with them, 53.10% were married couples living together, 10.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.30% were not families. About 29.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.90% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.48, and the average family size was 3.07. In the county, the age distribution was 27.90% under 18, 9.50% from 18 to 24, 24.80% from 25 to 44, 21.60% from 45 to 64, and 16.20% who were 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.70 males. The median income for a household in the county was $29,500, and for a family was $38,685. Males had a median income of $26,001 versus $19,620 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the county was $16,520. About 9.00% of families and 13.10% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 16.00% of those under age 18 and 13.30% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

County Seat

* Vernon (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

* Odell * Harrold * Lockett * Oklaunion

Education

School districts serving sections of the county include: * Chillicothe Independent School District * Harrold Independent School District * Northside Independent School District * Vernon Independent School District The county is in the service area of Vernon College.Texas Education Code, Sec. 130.207. VERNON REGIONAL JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA

Notable people

* Clyde Gates, wide receiver for the

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...

* Jack English Hightower, Memphis, Texas, native; former member of both houses of the Texas State Legislature, and former U.S. Representative * Roy Orbison, singer/songwriter, was born in Wilbarger County. * Daryl Richardson, running back for the St. Louis Rams * Bernard Scott, running back for the

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...

* Jack Teagarden, bandleader and trombonist * John Clay Wolfe, American radio personality who began his career in Wilbarger County on KSEY

Politics

References

External links

Vernon Daily Record - Wilbarger County News

Wilbarger County, Texas Official Website
*
Josiah Wilbarger's entry
in th
Biographical Encyclopedia of Texas
hosted by th
Portal to Texas History

Wilbarger County Profile from the Texas Association of Counties
{{coord, 34.08, -99.24, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-TX_source:UScensus1990 1881 establishments in Texas Populated places established in 1881