Pyote ( ) is a town in Ward County, Texas, United States. Its population was 72 at the 2020 census.

History

Pyote began as a small town. Its fortunes rose with oil, but its population decreased when the railroad was built away from the town. At one time, Pyote had 3,500 residents. The 1942 development of the Pyote Army Air Base and the 1967 development of what became the West Texas State School raised the town's fortunes.Johnson, David.
Pyote's future
" '' Odessa American''. April 17, 2010. Retrieved on June 4, 2010.

Geography

Pyote is located at (31.537478, –103.126771). 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 1.3 square miles (3.3 km²), all land.

Climate

This area has a large amount of sunshine year round due to its stable descending air and high pressure. 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 ...

, Pyote has a

desert climate The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk'') is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...

, ''Bwh'' on climate maps.

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, 131 people, 56 households, and 32 families were 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 101.5 people per sq mi (39.2/km²). The 85 housing units averaged 65.9 per sq mi (25.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 83.97% White, 1.53% African American, 6.87% Native American, 4.58% from other races, and 3.05% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 22.90% of the population. Of the 56 households, 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.4% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.1% were not families. About 37.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34, and the average family size was 3.09. In the town, the age distribution was 26.0% under 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 81.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males. The median income for a household was $25,625, and for a family was $30,833. Males had a median income of $31,250 versus $20,750 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 $11,505. There were 6.3% of families and 15.3% 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 17.1% of under eighteens and 9.1% of those over 64.

Government and infrastructure

unincorporated area An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

near Pyote is the site of the former Pyote Army Air Base. It was home to the West Texas State School, a youth detention facility operated by the Texas Youth Commission, until its 2010 closure.Ward, Mike.
Report: school "did not provide a safe environment"
." ''

Austin American-Statesman The ''Austin American-Statesman'' is the major daily newspaper for Austin, the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is owned by Hearst Communications. The distribution of the following ''The New York Times'', ''The Washington Post'', '' ...

''. Saturday March 17, 2007. Retrieved on May 23, 2010. The

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the federal governmen ...

operates the Pyote Post Office.

Education

The Town of Pyote is served by the Monahans-Wickett-Pyote Independent School District. All of Ward County is zoned to

Odessa College Odessa College is a public junior college in Odessa, Texas. The college serves the people of Ector County and the Permian Basin. It was established in 1946 and enrolled 8,024 students in fall 2021 and 7,679 students in spring 2022 in its univ ...

References

External links

{{authority control Towns in Ward County, Texas Towns in Texas Ghost towns in West Texas