Velma is a town in Stephens 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. The population was 620 at the 2010 census.

History

A post office was established at Velma, Indian Territory on September 25, 1886. It was named for Velma Dobbins, daughter of a local merchant and longtime resident. At the time of its founding, Velma was located in Pickens County, Chickasaw Nation.Charles Goins, ''Historical Atlas of Oklahoma'' (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2006), plate 105.

Geography

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 , all land. Velma is home of the "Annual Old Settler's Picnic and Rodeo", which, since statehood, has been held on the first weekend of August with few interruptions. The event is known for attracting the best Calf Ropers in the United States.

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, there were 664 people, 247 households, and 187 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 290 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 90.96%

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 ...

, 8.28% Native American, 0.30% from other races, and 0.45% 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 1.05% of the population. There were 247 households, out of which 40.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.3% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.9% were non-families. 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.15. In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.1% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $30,341, and the median income for a family was $34,286. Males had a median income of $32,083 versus $16,136 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 $12,010. About 16.3% of families and 17.8% 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 21.7% of those under age 18 and 15.8% of those age 65 or over.

Notable person

Joe Diffie, country singer-songwriter

References

{{authority control Towns in Stephens County, Oklahoma Towns in Oklahoma