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Cottle County, Texas

Coordinates: 34°05′N 100°16′W / 34.08°N 100.27°W / 34.08; -100.27
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cottle County, Texas
County
Cottle County Courthouse in Paducah
Cottle County Courthouse in Paducah
Map of Texas highlighting Cottle County
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Coordinates: 34°05′N 100°16′W / 34.08°N 100.27°W / 34.08; -100.27
Country United States
State Texas
Founded1892
Named afterGeorge Washington Cottle
SeatPaducah
Largest townPaducah
Area
 • Total
902 sq mi (2,340 km2)
 • Land901 sq mi (2,330 km2)
 • Water1.1 sq mi (2.8 km2)  0.1%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
1,380
 • Density1.53/sq mi (0.591/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district13th
Websitewww.co.cottle.tx.us Edit this at Wikidata

Cottle County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1,380.[1][2] Its county seat is Paducah.[3] The county was founded in 1876 and later organized in 1892.[4] It is named for George Washington Cottle,[5] who died defending the Alamo. Cottle County was formerly one of 46 prohibition or entirely dry counties in Texas. It now allows beer and wine sales.

The Matador Ranch, based in neighboring Motley County, once reached into Cottle County.[6]

Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 902 sq mi (2,340 km2), of which 1.1 sq mi (2.8 km2) (0.1%) is covered by water.[7]

Major highways

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Adjacent counties

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Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
188024—
1890240900.0%
19001,002317.5%
19104,396338.7%
19206,90157.0%
19309,39536.1%
19407,079−24.7%
19506,099−13.8%
19604,207−31.0%
19703,204−23.8%
19802,947−8.0%
19902,247−23.8%
20001,904−15.3%
20101,505−21.0%
20201,380−8.3%
2024 (est.)1,263[8]−8.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
1850–2010[10] 2010[11] 2020[12]

Racial and ethnic composition

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Cottle 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 2000[13] Pop 2010[11] Pop 2020[12] % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 1,348 1,043 902 70.80% 69.30% 65.36%
Black or African American alone (NH) 176 129 96 9.24% 8.57% 6.96%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 0 4 2 0.00% 0.27% 0.14%
Asian alone (NH) 0 0 0 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 0 1 1 0.00% 0.07% 0.07%
Other race alone (NH) 0 3 0 0.00% 0.20% 0.00%
Multiracial (NH) 20 9 52 1.05% 0.60% 3.77%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 360 316 327 18.91% 21.00% 23.70%
Total 1,904 1,505 1,380 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

2020 census

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As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 1,380. The median age was 47.0 years. 20.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 26.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 88.8 males age 18 and over.[14][15]

The racial makeup of the county was 74.4% White, 7.0% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, <0.1% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 8.8% from some other race, and 9.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 23.7% of the population.[15]

<0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[16]

There were 613 households in the county, of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 48.0% were married-couple households, 20.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[14]

There were 891 housing units, of which 31.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 74.9% were owner-occupied and 25.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 4.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 17.7%.[14]

2000 census

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As of the 2000 United States census,[17] 1,904 people, 820 households, and 550 families resided in the county. The population density was 2 people/mi2 (0.77 people/km2). The 1,088 housing units averaged 1 per square mile (0.39/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 81.46% White, 9.87% African American, 7.20% from other races, and 1.47% from two or more races. About 18.91% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 820 households, 28.0% had children under 18 living with them, 53.9% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.9% were not families. Around 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.9% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.28, and the average family size was 2.84.

In the county, the age distribution was 23.9% under 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 21.5% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 25.6% who were 65 or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.2 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 81.9 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $25,446, and for a family was $33,036. Males had a median income of $24,375 versus $16,667 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,212. About 13.70% of families and 18.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.4% of those under 18 and 16.0% of those 65 or over.

Politics

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Until 2000, Cottle County went consistently Democratic in presidential elections, except for the 1928 election, when sentiment against Al Smith’s devout Catholic faith and opposition to Prohibition allowed Herbert Hoover to carry the county with 51% of the vote. After John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, and Hubert Humphrey easily carried the county in 1960, 1964, and 1968, respectively,[18][19][20] Cottle County again voted for the Democratic candidate in the 1972 election, as it was the only county in Texas north of Maverick County (Eagle Pass) to have been won by George McGovern, albeit by a margin of only seven votes.[21] After Jimmy Carter carried it in 1976 and 1980,[22][23] Walter Mondale won a majority of the county's votes in 1984,[24] Michael Dukakis won the county in 1988[25] and Bill Clinton carried it in 1992 and 1996.[26][27]

Like the rest of the Bible Belt, Cottle has trended powerfully Republican[28] and in the last six elections, the Republican nominee has won more than two-thirds of the vote. In 2012, Mitt Romney received 555 votes to Barack Obama’s 180,[29] and in 2016, Hillary Clinton won fewer than 100 votes in the county, less than a tenth as many as Jimmy Carter 40 years before.

United States presidential election results for Cottle County, Texas[30]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
1912 8 2.64% 277 91.42% 18 5.94%
1916 12 2.24% 455 85.05% 68 12.71%
1920 121 18.22% 472 71.08% 71 10.69%
1924 59 8.97% 580 88.15% 19 2.89%
1928 473 51.19% 451 48.81% 0 0.00%
1932 38 3.08% 1,196 96.92% 0 0.00%
1936 86 6.33% 1,265 93.08% 8 0.59%
1940 237 13.60% 1,506 86.40% 0 0.00%
1944 130 4.68% 2,551 91.89% 95 3.42%
1948 102 7.02% 1,318 90.71% 33 2.27%
1952 494 26.53% 1,368 73.47% 0 0.00%
1956 329 22.40% 1,138 77.47% 2 0.14%
1960 370 27.19% 986 72.45% 5 0.37%
1964 230 17.00% 1,122 82.93% 1 0.07%
1968 268 21.00% 742 58.15% 266 20.85%
1972 564 49.69% 571 50.31% 0 0.00%
1976 311 22.85% 1,047 76.93% 3 0.22%
1980 511 40.36% 732 57.82% 23 1.82%
1984 507 44.09% 623 54.17% 20 1.74%
1988 379 35.00% 690 63.71% 14 1.29%
1992 245 23.90% 542 52.88% 238 23.22%
1996 331 40.46% 404 49.39% 83 10.15%
2000 502 66.31% 241 31.84% 14 1.85%
2004 549 71.48% 214 27.86% 5 0.65%
2008 509 72.20% 187 26.52% 9 1.28%
2012 555 74.90% 180 24.29% 6 0.81%
2016 506 82.68% 92 15.03% 14 2.29%
2020 540 81.57% 113 17.07% 9 1.36%
2024 565 85.87% 89 13.53% 4 0.61%
United States Senate election results for Cottle County, Texas1[31]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 544 84.60% 90 14.00% 9 1.40%

Communities

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Town

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Unincorporated communities

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Ghost towns

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Education

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School districts serving sections of the county include:[32]

The county is in the service area of Vernon College.[33]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Cottle County, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  2. ^ "Cottle County, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. ^ "Texas: Individual County Chronologies". Texas Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2008. Archived from the original on April 12, 2017. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  5. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 93.
  6. ^ "Matador Ranch," Historical marker, Texas Historical Commission, Motley County, Texas
  7. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
  8. ^ {{cite web Decrease |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/cottlecountytexas/PST045224 |title=QuickFacts: Cottle County, Texas |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=June 12, 2025}}
  9. ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". US Census Bureau.
  10. ^ "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
  11. ^ a b "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Cottle County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
  12. ^ a b "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Cottle County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
  13. ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Cottle County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
  14. ^ a b c "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
  15. ^ a b "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
  16. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
  17. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  18. ^ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections - Data Graphs".
  19. ^ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections - Data Graphs".
  20. ^ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections - Data Graphs".
  21. ^ "David Leip Presidential Atlas". Retrieved May 25, 2017.
  22. ^ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections - Data Graphs".
  23. ^ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections - Data Graphs".
  24. ^ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections - Data Graphs".
  25. ^ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections - Data Graphs".
  26. ^ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections - Data Graphs".
  27. ^ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections - Data Graphs".
  28. ^ Cohn, Nate; ‘Demographic Shift: Southern Whites’ Loyalty to G.O.P. Nearing That of Blacks to Democrats’, The New York Times, April 24, 2014
  29. ^ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections - Data Graphs".
  30. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  31. ^ "2024 Senate Election (Official Returns)". Commonwealth of Texas by county. November 5, 2024. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  32. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Cottle County, TX". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved June 29, 2022. - Text list
  33. ^ Texas Education Code, Sec. 130.207. VERNON REGIONAL JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.
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