Randall County, Texas
Randall County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 140,753.[1] Its county seat is Canyon.[2] The county was created in 1876 and later organized in 1889.[3] It is named for Horace Randal, a Confederate brigadier general killed at the Battle of Jenkins Ferry. The reason the county name differs from his is because the bill creating the county misspelled Randal's name.
Randall County | |
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Coordinates: 34°58′N 101°54′W | |
Country | United States |
State | Texas |
Founded | 1889 |
Named for | Horace Randal |
Seat | Canyon |
Largest city | Amarillo |
Area | |
• Total | 922 sq mi (2,390 km2) |
• Land | 912 sq mi (2,360 km2) |
• Water | 11 sq mi (30 km2) 1.2% |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 140,753 |
• Density | 150/sq mi (59/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
Congressional district | 13th |
Website | www |
Randall County, alongside adjacent Potter County is part of the Amarillo Metropolitan Statistical Area.
At one time, the large JA Ranch, founded by Charles Goodnight and John George Adair, which reached into six counties, held acreage in Randall County.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 922 square miles (2,390 km2), of which 912 square miles (2,360 km2) is land and 11 square miles (28 km2) (1.2%) is covered by water.[4]
Palo Duro Canyon, the second-largest canyon in the United States, is located in Randall County.
Major highways
Adjacent counties
- Potter County (north)
- Oldham County (northwest)
- Armstrong County (east)
- Carson County (northeast)
- Swisher County (south)
- Briscoe County (southeast)
- Castro County (southwest)
- Deaf Smith County (west)
National protected area
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1880 | 3 | — | |
1890 | 187 | 6,133.3% | |
1900 | 963 | 415.0% | |
1910 | 3,312 | 243.9% | |
1920 | 3,675 | 11.0% | |
1930 | 7,071 | 92.4% | |
1940 | 7,185 | 1.6% | |
1950 | 13,774 | 91.7% | |
1960 | 33,913 | 146.2% | |
1970 | 53,885 | 58.9% | |
1980 | 75,062 | 39.3% | |
1990 | 89,673 | 19.5% | |
2000 | 104,312 | 16.3% | |
2010 | 120,725 | 15.7% | |
2020 | 140,753 | 16.6% | |
U.S. Decennial Census[5] 1850–2010[6] 2010[7] 2020[8] |
Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2010[7] | Pop 2020[8] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|
White alone (NH) | 94,361 | 95,457 | 78.16% | 67.82% |
Black or African American alone (NH) | 2,701 | 4,567 | 2.24% | 3.24% |
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 586 | 794 | 0.49% | 0.56% |
Asian alone (NH) | 1,625 | 2,604 | 1.35% | 1.85% |
Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 29 | 54 | 0.02% | 0.04% |
Some Other Race alone (NH) | 93 | 412 | 0.08% | 0.29% |
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 1,555 | 5,282 | 1.29% | 3.75% |
Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 19,775 | 31,583 | 16.38% | 22.44% |
Total | 120,725 | 140,753 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
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 can be of any race.
As of the census[9] of 2000, 104,312 people, 41,240 households, and 28,785 families resided in the county. The population density was 114 people per square mile (44 people/km2). The 43,261 housing units averaged 47 units per square mile (18/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 90.44% White, 1.50% Black or African American, 0.65% Native American, 1.03% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 4.71% from other races, and 1.64% from two or more races. About 10.3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Of the 41,240 households, 33.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.50% were married couples living together, 9.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.20% were not families; 25.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49, and the average family size was 3.00.
In the county, the population was distributed as 26.10% under the age of 18, 11.20% from 18 to 24, 28.40% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 11.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $42,712, and for a family was $52,420. Males had a median income of $36,333 versus $25,358 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,840. About 5.70% of families and 8.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.50% of those under age 18 and 6.60% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
Although once more Democratic-leaning, the county has become solidly Republican. The Republican candidate has carried the county in every presidential election since 1952, usually by overwhelming margins.[10] In the last thirteen elections, no Republican candidate has received less than 61% of the county's vote,[11] and since 2000, Randall has been the nation's most Republican "metropolitan" county outside of predominantly Mormon counties in Utah.[12]
Randall County was one of the more than 200 counties in Texas to cast the majority of its votes for Republican John McCain. McCain received 41,895 votes, which was 81% of the total, while Democrat Barack Obama received 9,461 votes, or 18% of the total, far below his national percentage.
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 50,796 | 78.54% | 12,802 | 19.79% | 1,076 | 1.66% |
2016 | 43,462 | 80.03% | 8,367 | 15.41% | 2,476 | 4.56% |
2012 | 41,447 | 83.40% | 7,574 | 15.24% | 675 | 1.36% |
2008 | 41,948 | 80.93% | 9,468 | 18.27% | 416 | 0.80% |
2004 | 40,520 | 83.40% | 7,849 | 16.15% | 218 | 0.45% |
2000 | 33,921 | 81.17% | 7,209 | 17.25% | 660 | 1.58% |
1996 | 28,266 | 71.33% | 9,177 | 23.16% | 2,184 | 5.51% |
1992 | 24,971 | 61.60% | 9,119 | 22.50% | 6,447 | 15.90% |
1988 | 27,986 | 76.33% | 8,492 | 23.16% | 188 | 0.51% |
1984 | 30,249 | 83.08% | 6,044 | 16.60% | 116 | 0.32% |
1980 | 23,136 | 73.72% | 7,323 | 23.34% | 923 | 2.94% |
1976 | 17,115 | 64.53% | 9,074 | 34.21% | 335 | 1.26% |
1972 | 18,557 | 83.13% | 3,470 | 15.54% | 296 | 1.33% |
1968 | 11,400 | 61.32% | 4,060 | 21.84% | 3,132 | 16.85% |
1964 | 7,843 | 56.50% | 6,016 | 43.34% | 22 | 0.16% |
1960 | 6,958 | 67.76% | 3,282 | 31.96% | 29 | 0.28% |
1956 | 4,609 | 62.28% | 2,774 | 37.49% | 17 | 0.23% |
1952 | 4,305 | 69.28% | 1,905 | 30.66% | 4 | 0.06% |
1948 | 722 | 26.05% | 1,936 | 69.84% | 114 | 4.11% |
1944 | 409 | 19.34% | 1,439 | 68.04% | 267 | 12.62% |
1940 | 382 | 17.67% | 1,779 | 82.28% | 1 | 0.05% |
1936 | 142 | 7.87% | 1,656 | 91.80% | 6 | 0.33% |
1932 | 231 | 14.10% | 1,394 | 85.10% | 13 | 0.79% |
1928 | 733 | 52.66% | 659 | 47.34% | 0 | 0.00% |
1924 | 154 | 18.22% | 627 | 74.20% | 64 | 7.57% |
1920 | 183 | 33.21% | 360 | 65.34% | 8 | 1.45% |
1916 | 63 | 14.93% | 341 | 80.81% | 18 | 4.27% |
1912 | 21 | 6.34% | 269 | 81.27% | 41 | 12.39% |
Communities
Cities
- Amarillo (partly in Potter County)
- Canyon (county seat)
Towns
- Happy (mostly in Swisher County)
Villages
Ghost towns
Education
School districts include:[14]
- Amarillo Independent School District
- Bushland Independent School District
- Canyon Independent School District
- Happy Independent School District
- Wildorado Independent School District
All of the county is in the service area of Amarillo College.[15]
See also
References
- "Randall County, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- "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 9, 2015.
- "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". US Census Bureau.
- "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
- "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Randall County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
- "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Randall County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
- "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
- "Presidential election of 1952 - Map by counties". geoelections.free.fr. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
- "President Map - Election Results 2008 - The New York Times". elections.nytimes.com. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
- ‘100 Most Republican Counties in 2000 Presidential Election’; The American Statesman, September 17, 2004
- Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
- "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Randall County, TX" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022. - list
- Texas Education Code, Sec. 130.164. AMARILLO COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA..
External links
- Randall County government’s website
- Randall County TX Genealogy
- Randall County in Handbook of Texas Online at the University of Texas
- Historic Randall County materials, hosted by the Portal to Texas History.
- http://www.city-data.com/county/Randall_County-TX.html
- Randall County Profile from the Texas Association of Counties
- List of museums in the Texas Panhandle
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Randall County, Texas
- Texas State Historical Association | Randall County (tshaonline.org)