Childress 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 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, its population was 6,664. 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 Childress. The county was created in 1876 and later organized in 1887. It is named for George Campbell Childress, the author of the Texas Declaration of Independence. County and regional history is preserved in the Childress County Heritage Museum in downtown Childress. The Bradley 3 Ranch, operated by matriarch Minnie Lou Bradley, is entirely in Childress County, but has a Memphis ( Hall County) mailing address.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which are land and (2.4%) are covered by water.

Major highways

* U.S. Highway 62 * U.S. Highway 83 * U.S. Highway 287 * State Highway 256

Adjacent counties

* Collingsworth County (north) * Harmon County, Oklahoma (northeast) * Hardeman County (east) * Cottle County (south) * Hall County (west)

Demographics

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, 7,688 people, 2,474 households, and 1,650 families resided 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 3,059 housing units averaged . The racial makeup of the county was 67.70% White, 14.09% Black or African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 15.70% from other races, and 1.83% from two or more races. About 20.47% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 2,474 households, 31.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.40% were married couples living together, 11.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.30% were not families. About 30.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.00. In the county, the population was distributed as 22.10% under the age of 18, 12.10% from 18 to 24, 30.60% from 25 to 44, 19.40% from 45 to 64, and 15.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 142.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 149.50 males. The median income for a household in the county was $27,457, and for a family was $35,543. Males had a median income of $25,606 versus $20,037 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 $12,452. About 13.70% of families and 17.60% 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 28.30% of those under age 18 and 10.30% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

City

* Childress (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

* Carey * Kirkland * Loco * Tell

Politics

Formerly a Democratic stronghold like the rest of Texas, Childress County has, since the Reagan era, become powerfully Republican, especially in the 2000s. Republican Drew Springer, Jr., a businessman from Muenster in Cooke County, has since January 2013 represented Childress County in the Texas House of Representatives.

References

External links

Childress County government's website

Historic photographs from the Childress County Heritage Museum
hosted by th
Portal to Texas History

Childress County in ''Handbook of Texas Online''
at the University of Texas
Childress County Profile from the Texas Association of Counties
{{authority control 1887 establishments in Texas Populated places established in 1887 Texas Panhandle