Potter County, Texas
Potter County, Texas | ||
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Potter County District Courts Building in downtown Amarillo | ||
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Location in the U.S. state of Texas | ||
Texas's location in the U.S. | ||
Founded | 1887 | |
Named for | Robert Potter | |
Seat | Amarillo | |
Largest city | Amarillo | |
Area | ||
• Total | 922 sq mi (2,388 km2) | |
• Land | 908 sq mi (2,352 km2) | |
• Water | 14 sq mi (36 km2), 1.5% | |
Population | ||
• (2010) | 121,073 | |
• Density | 133/sq mi (51/km²) | |
Congressional district | 13th | |
Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 | |
Website |
www |
Potter County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 121,073.[1] Its county seat is Amarillo.[2] The county was created in 1876 and organized in 1887.[3] It is named for Robert Potter, a politician, signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and the Secretary of the Texas Navy.
Potter County is included in the Amarillo, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 922 square miles (2,390 km2), of which 908 square miles (2,350 km2) is land and 14 square miles (36 km2) (1.5%) is water.[4]
Major highways
- Interstate 27
- Interstate 40
- Interstate 40 Business
- U.S. Highway 60
- U.S. Highway 87
- U.S. Highway 287
- State Highway 136
- Loop 335
Adjacent counties
- Moore County (north)
- Carson County (east)
- Randall County (south)
- Oldham County (west)
- Deaf Smith County (southwest)
- Armstrong County (southeast)
- Hartley County (northwest)
- Hutchinson County (northeast)
National protected areas
Demographics
Historical population | |||
---|---|---|---|
Census | Pop. | %± | |
1880 | 28 | — | |
1890 | 849 | 2,932.1% | |
1900 | 1,820 | 114.4% | |
1910 | 12,424 | 582.6% | |
1920 | 16,710 | 34.5% | |
1930 | 46,080 | 175.8% | |
1940 | 54,265 | 17.8% | |
1950 | 73,366 | 35.2% | |
1960 | 115,580 | 57.5% | |
1970 | 90,511 | −21.7% | |
1980 | 98,637 | 9.0% | |
1990 | 97,874 | −0.8% | |
2000 | 113,546 | 16.0% | |
2010 | 121,073 | 6.6% | |
Est. 2015 | 121,802 | [5] | 0.6% |
U.S. Decennial Census[6] 1850–2010[7] 2010–2014[1] |
As of the census[8] of 2000, there were 113,546 people, 40,760 households, and 27,472 families residing in the county. The population density was 125 people per square mile (48/km²). There were 44,598 housing units at an average density of 49 per square mile (19/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 68.60% White, 9.96% Black or African American, 0.87% Native American, 2.49% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 15.44% from other races, and 2.60% from two or more races. 28.11% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 40,760 households out of which 34.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.40% were married couples living together, 15.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.60% were non-families. 27.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.21.
In the county, the population was spread out with 28.00% under the age of 18, 11.10% from 18 to 24, 30.10% from 25 to 44, 19.10% from 45 to 64, and 11.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 100.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $29,492, and the median income for a family was $35,321. Males had a median income of $26,123 versus $20,275 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,947. About 15.20% of families and 19.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.30% of those under age 18 and 12.30% of those age 65 or over.
Government and infrastructure
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice Clements Unit and Neal Unit are located in unincorporated Potter County, east of the City of Amarillo.[9]
Politics
Potter County strongly supports Republican candidates, especially at the federal level. It has supported Republican presidential candidates in every election since 1968, usually by lopsided margins. In 2004, George W. Bush received 21,401 votes (74% of the total) in the county to just 7,489 votes (25%) for his opponent, John Kerry. In 2008, John McCain fared nearly as well, garnering 20,741 votes (69% of the total) to 8,932 votes (30%) for Barack Obama.
Communities
Cities
- Amarillo (county seat) (partial)
Towns
Unincorporated communities
Historical communities
See also
- List of museums in the Texas Panhandle
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Potter County, Texas
References
- 1 2 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
- ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ↑ "Texas: Individual County Chronologies". Texas Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2008. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
- ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved May 6, 2015.
- ↑ "County Totals Dataset: Population, Population Change and Estimated Components of Population Change: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015". Retrieved July 2, 2016.
- ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 6, 2015.
- ↑ "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Retrieved May 6, 2015.
- ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
- ↑ "Clements (BC)." Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Retrieved on June 23, 2013. "Unit Address and Phone Number: 9601 Spur 591, Amarillo, TX 79107-9606"
External links
- Potter County government’s website
- Potter County from the Handbook of Texas Online
- Historic Potter County materials, hosted by the Portal to Texas History.
- Potter County, TX Genealogy
- Potter County Profile from the Texas Association of Counties
Moore County | ||||
Oldham County | Carson County | |||
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Randall County |
Coordinates: 35°24′N 101°53′W / 35.40°N 101.89°W