Martin County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

in the U.S. state of

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

. As of the 2010 census, its population was 5,237. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

is Stanton. The county was created in 1876 and organized in 1884. It is named for Wylie Martin, an early settler. Until November 2018, Martin County was one of six entirely dry counties in Texas. During that month, Martin County changed from a dry county to a partially wet county after Stanton residents voted to approve the sale of beer and wine within city limits. Five dry counties remain. Martin County is included in the Midland–Odessa combined statistical area.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has an area of , of which is land and (0.08%) is water. The northern portion of the Spraberry Trend, the second-largest oil field in the United States by 2013 estimated crude oil production, underlies much of the county.

Major highways

* * * * * * *

Adjacent counties

* Dawson County (north) * Howard County (east) * Glasscock County (southeast) * Midland County (south) * Andrews County (west) * Gaines County (northwest)

Demographics

''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 A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2000, there were 4,746 people, 1,624 households, and 1,256 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 5 people per square mile (2/km²). There were 1,894 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile (1/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 79.01%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 1.58%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.82% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 16.06% from other races, and 2.36% from two or more races. 40.56% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race. There were 1,624 households, out of which 42.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.30% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 9.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.60% were non-families. 21.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.36. In the county, the population was spread out, with 33.90% under the age of 18, 6.70% from 18 to 24, 26.40% from 25 to 44, 19.70% from 45 to 64, and 13.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 95.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.70 males. The median income for a household in the county was $31,836, and the median income for a family was $35,965. Males had a median income of $29,360 versus $19,063 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $15,647. About 14.90% of families and 18.70% 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 23.90% of those under age 18 and 17.10% of those age 65 or over.

Media

The county is served by a weekly newspaper, local station KKJW (FM), nearby stations KBXJ (FM) and KPET (AM), and the various Midland and Odessa radio and TV stations.

Communities

Cities

* Ackerly (partly in Dawson County) * Midland (mostly in Midland County) * Stanton (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

* Lenorah *

Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...

Politics

References

External links

Martin County Government’s Website
* {{authority control 1876 establishments in Texas Populated places established in 1876