Plains is a town in and 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 ...

Yoakum County Yoakum County is a county located in the far western portion of the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 7,694. Its county seat is Plains. The county was created in 1876 and later organized in 1907. It is named for ...

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

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 ...

, United States. The city's population was 1,355 at the 2020 census. Yoakum County is in the Texas High Plains Wine country.

History

In 1905, W. J. Luna founded and named Plains. When

was organized in 1907, Plains was designated the county seat. Following the discovery of oil in 1936, the population has grown steadily.

Geography

Plains is located at (33.190251, –102.827578). 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 has a total area of 1.0 square mile (2.6 km), all land. Sulphur Springs Draw runs through town. The

spring Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season), a season of the year * Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy * Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water * Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a he ...

s feeding the stream have dried up due to the extraction of underground water.

Climate

According to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Plains has a

semiarid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of se ...

, ''BSk'' on climate maps.Climate Summary for Plains, Texas
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Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, 1,355 people, 428 households, and 346 families were residing in the town.

2000 census

At the 2000 census, 1,450 people, 485 households, and 390 families were living in the town. The population density was . The 569 housing units had an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 69.66% White, 0.76% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 27.79% from other races, and 1.66% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 53.03% of the population. Of the 485 households, 42.3% had children under 18 living with them, 68.0% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.4% were not families. About 17.1% of households were one person, and 8.7% were one person 65 or older. The average household size was 2.98 and the average family size was 3.37. The age distribution was 32.6% under 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% 65 or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 97 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 91 males. The median income foe a household was $32,188 and for a family was $36,250. Males had a median income of $27,188 versus $21,042 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,624. About 17.2% of families and 20.2% 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 28.9% of those under 18 and 23.5% of those 65 or over.

Education

The Town of Plains is served by the

Plains Independent School District Plains Independent School District is a public school district based in Plains, Texas, United States. The district has three campuses: * Plains High School (grades 9-12) *Plains Middle School (grades 5-8) *Plains Elementary School (prekinderg ...

Notable person

* Clyde "Bulldog" Turner, a member of the

Professional Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players ...

References

External links

Plains in the Handbook of Texas Online
{{authority control Towns in Yoakum County, Texas Towns in Texas County seats in Texas