Dallam County, Texas

County in Texas, United States From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dallam County is the north-westernmost county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 Census, its population was 7,115.[1][2] Its county seat is Dalhart.[3] The county was founded in 1876 and later organized in 1891.[4] It is named for James Wilmer Dallam, a lawyer and newspaper publisher.

Country United States
Founded1891
Quick facts Country, State ...
Dallam County, Texas
1922 Dallam County Courthouse in Dalhart
1922 Dallam County Courthouse in Dalhart
Map of Texas highlighting Dallam County
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Coordinates: 36°17′N 102°35′W
Country United States
State Texas
Founded1891
SeatDalhart
Largest cityDalhart
Area
  Total
1,505 sq mi (3,900 km2)
  Land1,503 sq mi (3,890 km2)
  Water2.0 sq mi (5.2 km2)  0.1%
Population
 (2020)
  Total
7,115
  Estimate 
(2025)
7,508 Increase
  Density4.7/sq mi (1.8/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
  Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district13th
Websitewww.dallam.org Edit this at Wikidata
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History

Dallam County was formed in 1876 from portions of Bexar County. It was named after James Wilmer Dallam, the lawyer who made the first digest of Texas laws.[5] The first settlement in the area followed in 1870, which resulted in the Red River War of 1874 and 1875 with the native Comanche and Kiowa tribes. In 1900–01, the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad company built a stretch from Liberal, Kansas, to Tucumcari, New Mexico, which ran through the county.[citation needed] The location where the tracks met those of the Fort Worth and Denver Railway was named Dalhart. The name is taken from the first letters of Dallam County and Hartley County, between which the town's area is divided. Within a short time, the small railroad stop turned into a sizable town and was named county seat in 1903.[6]

Dallam County was one of the hardest-hit areas in the Dust Bowl.[7]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,505 square miles (3,900 km2), of which 1,503 square miles (3,890 km2) are land and 2.0 square miles (5.2 km2) (0.1%) are covered by water.[8]

Dallam County is one of only three counties in Texas to border two other U.S. states (the others being Bowie and Cass). Dallam County forms part of the tripoint—of Texas-Oklahoma-New Mexico.[citation needed]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

National protected area

Demographics

More information Census, Pop. ...
Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1890112
190014630.4%
19104,0012,640.4%
19204,52813.2%
19307,83072.9%
19406,494−17.1%
19507,64017.6%
19606,302−17.5%
19706,012−4.6%
19806,5318.6%
19905,461−16.4%
20006,22213.9%
20106,7037.7%
20207,1156.1%
2025 (est.)7,508[9] Increase5.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]
1850–2010[11] 2010[12] 2020[13]
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Racial and ethnic composition

More information Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic), Pop 1980 ...
Dallam County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 1980[14] Pop 1990[15] Pop 2000[16] Pop 2010[12] Pop 2020[13] % 1980 % 1990 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 5,211 4,157 4,257 3,726 3,119 79.79% 76.12% 68.42% 55.59% 43.84%
Black or African American alone (NH) 155 102 100 81 74 2.37% 1.87% 1.61% 1.21% 1.04%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 43 31 35 34 51 0.66% 0.57% 0.56% 0.51% 0.72%
Asian alone (NH) 28 14 13 37 10 0.43% 0.26% 0.21% 0.55% 0.14%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) x [17] x [18] 0 5 3 x x 0.00% 0.07% 0.04%
Other race alone (NH) 4 6 1 17 10 0.06% 0.11% 0.02% 0.25% 0.14%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) x [19] x [20] 50 86 141 x x 0.80% 1.28% 1.98%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 1,090 1,151 1,766 2,717 3,707 16.69% 21.08% 28.38% 40.53% 52.10%
Total 6,531 5,461 6,222 6,703 7,115 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
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2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 7,115. The median age was 32.3 years. 29.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 11.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 112.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 117.7 males age 18 and over.[21][22]

The racial makeup of the county was 54.5% White, 1.1% Black or African American, 1.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 18.7% from some other race, and 23.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 52.1% of the population.[22]

76.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 23.3% lived in rural areas.[23]

There were 2,546 households in the county, of which 39.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 48.1% were married-couple households, 24.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 20.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[21]

There were 3,039 housing units, of which 16.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 57.8% were owner-occupied and 42.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 12.7%.[21]

2000 census

As of the 2000 census[24], 6,222 people, 2,317 households, and 1,628 families were residing in the county. The population density was 4 people per square mile (1.5 people/km2). The 2,697 housing units had an average density of 2 units per square mile (0.77/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 82.64% White, 1.64% Black or African American, 0.90% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 12.41% from other races, and 2.20% from two or more races. About 28.38% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race. About 19.6% were German, 8.2% were Irish, 7.1% were English, 5.5% were American, 2.8% were French, 2.7% were Scotch-Irish, and 1.6% were Dutch in ancestry.[25]

Of the 2,317 households, 39.0% had children under 18 living with them, 55.1% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were not families. About 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.24.[26]

In the county, the age distribution was 31.8% under 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 20.60% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.00 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 101.30 males.[27]

The median income for a household in the county was $27,946, and for a family was $33,558. Males had a median income of $27,244 versus $19,000 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,653. About 11.3% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.4% of those under 18 and 24.8% of those 65 or over.[28]

Politics

Dallam County is located within District 86 of the Texas House of Representatives. The seat has been held by Amarillo attorney John T. Smithee, a Republican, since 1985. Dallam County is located within District 31 of the Texas Senate. Dallam County as a whole is heavily Republican in orientation. Kamala Harris's 10.50% showing in the 2024 election was the lowest percentage of the vote a Democrat has received in the county since its organization in 1891.[citation needed]

More information Year, Republican ...
United States presidential election results for Dallam County, Texas[29]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.%No.%No.%
1912 18 5.28% 247 72.43% 76 22.29%
1916 81 16.53% 363 74.08% 46 9.39%
1920 195 26.49% 478 64.95% 63 8.56%
1924 254 24.31% 506 48.42% 285 27.27%
1928 618 53.00% 539 46.23% 9 0.77%
1932 341 14.83% 1,935 84.13% 24 1.04%
1936 220 12.74% 1,436 83.15% 71 4.11%
1940 427 21.63% 1,539 77.96% 8 0.41%
1944 323 20.06% 1,118 69.44% 169 10.50%
1948 399 20.54% 1,504 77.41% 40 2.06%
1952 1,464 54.77% 1,197 44.78% 12 0.45%
1956 1,018 48.41% 1,074 51.07% 11 0.52%
1960 961 53.15% 835 46.18% 12 0.66%
1964 700 39.80% 1,058 60.15% 1 0.06%
1968 990 49.30% 588 29.28% 430 21.41%
1972 1,271 78.02% 327 20.07% 31 1.90%
1976 936 46.64% 1,029 51.27% 42 2.09%
1980 965 58.88% 632 38.56% 42 2.56%
1984 1,594 75.80% 496 23.59% 13 0.62%
1988 1,205 64.72% 645 34.64% 12 0.64%
1992 922 54.78% 434 25.79% 327 19.43%
1996 970 59.36% 483 29.56% 181 11.08%
2000 1,385 79.42% 341 19.55% 18 1.03%
2004 1,473 82.66% 305 17.12% 4 0.22%
2008 1,269 79.86% 302 19.01% 18 1.13%
2012 1,248 81.36% 253 16.49% 33 2.15%
2016 1,261 81.67% 222 14.38% 61 3.95%
2020 1,389 86.33% 197 12.24% 23 1.43%
2024 1,285 88.80% 152 10.50% 10 0.69%
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More information Year, Republican ...
United States Senate election results for Dallam County, Texas1[30]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.%No.%No.%
2024 1,229 86.25% 158 11.09% 38 2.67%
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More information Year, Republican ...
United States Senate election results for Dallam County, Texas2[31]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.%No.%No.%
2020 1,369 85.83% 200 12.54% 26 1.63%
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More information Year, Republican ...
Texas Gubernatorial election results for Dallam County
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.%No.%No.%
2022 391 80.95% 78 16.15% 14 2.90%
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Education

The following school districts serve Dallam County:[32]

Dallam County is in the service area of Frank Phillips College (known in legislation as Borger Junior College).[33]

Communities

City

Town

Unincorporated communities

Ghost towns

See also

References

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