Leon is a town in Love County,

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, the community had 74 residents. The town is old enough to appear on a 1911 Rand McNally map of the county.

Name

It is now unclear why the town chose the name Leon, although towns in Iowa and

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

were named for David Camden de Leon, the "Fighting Doctor" of the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...

and another town in New York was named for the former Kingdom of Leon in

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

Geography

Leon is east of the Red River, which forms the

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 ...

–Oklahoma border. Oklahoma State Highway 76 leads north from Leon to State Highway 32. Leon is west-southwest of Marietta, the Love

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 ...

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town of Leon has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

Leon is part of the Ardmore Micropolitan Statistical Area.

2000 census

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, there were 96 people, 34 households, and 24 families residing in the town. 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 363.6 people per square mile and roughly 551.8 animals per square mile (142.6/km²). There were 42 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 45.12%

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

, 12.50% Native American, 1.04% from other races, and 8.33% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 73.04% of the population. There were 34 households, out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.2% were married couples living together, 23.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.4% were non-families. 23.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 4.46. In the town, the population was spread out, with 34.4% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 17.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $10,500, and the median income for a family was $21,667. Males had a median income of $12,000 versus $17,500 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 town was $18,908. There were 12.5% of families and 11.1% of the population living 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 15 teenagers and none of those over 64. Many local persons refer to Leon as where they live and are from even though they do not specifically reside within the city limits. The Census data does not now reflect this, as a result of the fact that many residences which were once covered by the Leon zip code were reassigned in a recent 911 address change.

Religion

The majority of Leonites are

Southern Baptist The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), alternatively the Great Commission Baptists (GCB), is a Christian denomination based in the United States. It is the world's largest Baptist organization, the largest Protestantism in the United States, Pr ...

. The Leon Baptist Church, a member of the Enon Baptist Association, is the sole active church in the town.

Economy

Leon currently has no businesses and currently is considered a

bedroom community A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...

, in that those who live there commute to their respective places of employment. Leon is a potential location for a convenience store/ restaurant, as well as a location for an industrial production plant, or distribution center. Utilities are electrical, from the Red River Valley Rural Electrical Association Cooperative, and water is from the Rural Water Department Number One. There is no natural gas service at this time, with property occupants utilizing electric heat, propane, butane, and wood. Sanitation consists of individual property septic systems. Waste disposal is the responsibility of the property occupant. There is a local refuse route disposal company.

Education

Most youth in Leon attend Turner Public Schools in Burneyville. Leon Public Schools was consolidated with Turner Public Schools in 1994.

References

Bibliography

* . {{authority control Towns in Love County, Oklahoma Towns in Oklahoma Ardmore, Oklahoma micropolitan area