Ralls is a city in

Crosby County, Texas Crosby County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 5,133. The county seat is Crosbyton. The county was founded in 1876 and later organized in 1886. Both the county and its seat are named fo ...

, United States. It was named after John Robinson Ralls, who with the help of W.E. McLaughlin, laid out the townsite in July 1911. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 1,665, down from 1,944 at the 2010 census. Ralls is surrounded by productive farmlands that primarily produce cotton and grains, with lesser amounts of soybean, sunflower seed, and vegetables.

Geography

Ralls is an agricultural community located on the level plains of the

Llano Estacado The Llano Estacado (), sometimes translated into English as the Staked Plains, is a region in the Southwestern United States that encompasses parts of eastern New Mexico and northwestern Texas. One of the largest mesas or tablelands on the North A ...

between Lorenzo to the west and Crosbyton to the east. To the north of Ralls is the small community of

Cone In geometry, a cone is a three-dimensional figure that tapers smoothly from a flat base (typically a circle) to a point not contained in the base, called the '' apex'' or '' vertex''. A cone is formed by a set of line segments, half-lines ...

, and further north is a narrow portion of

Blanco Canyon Blanco Canyon is a canyon located in the U.S. state of Texas. Eroded by the White River (Texas), White River into the Caprock Escarpment on the east side of the Llano Estacado, the canyon runs for in a southeasterly direction, gradually widening ...

, where Spanish explorer Vazquez and his army are believed to have camped in 1541. To the south of Ralls is the

Caprock Escarpment The Caprock Escarpment is a term used in West Texas and Eastern New Mexico to describe the geographical transition point between the level High Plains (United States), High Plains of the Llano Estacado and the surrounding rolling terrain. In ...

, which marks the break between the Llano Estacado and the Rolling Plains, carved by tributaries of the

Brazos River The Brazos River ( , ), called the ''Río de los Brazos de Dios'' (translated as "The River of the Arms of God") by early Spanish explorers, is the 14th-longest river in the United States at from its headwater source at the head of Blackwater ...

, such as the Salt Fork and the Double Mountain Fork. 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 ...

, Ralls has a total area of , all land. File:Llano Estacado Caprock Escarpment south of Ralls TX 2009.jpg, The

of the

, south of Ralls File:Ralls Texas Grain Silos 2010.jpg, Grain silos along the west side of Ralls

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, 1,665 people, 685 households, and 423 families were residing in the city.

2000 census

Ralls is part of the

Lubbock Lubbock ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Lubbock County. With a population of 272,086 in 2024, Lubbock is the 10th-most populous city in Texas and the 84th-most populous in the United States. The city is in the ...

metropolitan statistical area. According to the

, its population was 2,252 in

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

, with 776 households, and 584 families residing in the community. The population density was . The 871 housing units averaged 649.9 per square mile (251.0/km). The racial makeup of the city was 58.48% White, 2.22% African American, 0.53% Native American, 36.77% from other races, and 2.00% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 55.77% of the population. Of the 776 households, 38.7% had children under 18 living with them, 57.6% were married couples living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.7% were not families. About 22.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.37. In the city, the age distribution was 32.7% under 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $23,892, and for a family was $26,739. Males had a median income of $23,750 versus $15,724 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 city was $10,557. About 25.3% of families and 28.6% 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 34.8% of those under age 18 and 27.2% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

Hal Bynum Harold Lynn Bynum (September 29, 1934 – June 2, 2022) was an American songwriter associated with the outlaw country movement in the 1970s. Bynum wrote more than 200 songs for popular country artists, including Kenny Rogers (" Lucille"), Patty ...

, country music songwriter, was born in Ralls * Billy Walker, country musician, and member of the Grand Ole Opry, was born in Ralls

Geography

Demographics

2020 census

2000 census

Notable people

Education

See also

References

Notes

External links