Concho County, Texas

Concho County
County
The Concho County Courthouse in Paint Rock
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 31°20′N99°52′W / 31.33°N 99.86°W / 31.33; -99.86
Country	United States
State	Texas
Founded	1879
Named for	Concho River
Seat	Paint Rock
Largest city	Eden
Area
• Total	994 sq mi (2,570 km2)
• Land	984 sq mi (2,550 km2)
• Water	9.9 sq mi (26 km2)  1.0%
Population  (2020)
• Total	3,303
• Density	3.3/sq mi (1.3/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	11th
Website	www.co.concho.tx.us

Concho County marker

Concho County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. At the 2020 census, the population was 3,303. ^[1] Its county seat is Paint Rock. ^[2] The county was founded in 1858 and later organized in 1879. ^[3] It is named for the Concho River.

History

In the 1800s, Paleo-Indians lived in the county and left behind archaeological remains of a burned-rock midden. Athabascan-speaking Indians associated with the pre-horse Plains culture live in this part of Texas. Later native inhabitants included Jumano, Tonkawa, Comanche and Lipan Apache. ^[4]

In 1847, John O. Meusebach sent surveyors into the area. In 1849, Robert Simpson Neighbors led a small expedition through the area. ^[4]

The Texas Legislature formed Concho County from Bexar County in 1858. ^[4]

In 1874, Ranald S. Mackenzie led a campaign to drive out the remaining native peoples and established the Mackenzie Trail. ^[4] The county seat was formally established and named Paint Rock after the nearby pictographs. ^[5] The Eden community was established in 1882. ^[6] In 1909, the community of Lowake was established. ^[7]

Railroad development

Railroads came to the county first in 1910, with the Concho, San Saba and Llano Valley railroad being completed to Paint Rock. The Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railway was completed across the southeastern corner of the county in 1911, and the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe railroad finished a line to Eden in 1912. ^[4]

By 1930, the area had 449 owner-operated farms and 682 tenant-operated farms, of whom 619 were sharecroppers. ^[4]

In 1940, Concho County became part of a soil-conservation district. ^[4] In 1985, the Texas Water Commission granted permission to impound 554,000 acre-feet (683,000,000 m³) of water on the Colorado River at Stacy, to create the O. H. Ivie Reservoir. ^[8]

In 1988, Concho County was the leading sheep-producing county in Texas. ^[4]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 994 square miles (2,570 km²), of which 984 square miles (2,550 km²) is land and 9.9 square miles (26 km²) (1.0%) is water. ^[9]

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 83
• U.S. Highway 87
• State Highway 153
• State Highway 206

Adjacent counties

• Runnels County (north)
• Coleman County (northeast)
• McCulloch County (east)
• Menard County (south)
• Schleicher County (southwest)
• Tom Green County (west)

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	800		—
1890	1,065		33.1%
1900	1,427		34.0%
1910	6,654		366.3%
1920	5,847		−12.1%
1930	7,645		30.8%
1940	6,192		−19.0%
1950	5,078		−18.0%
1960	3,672		−27.7%
1970	2,937		−20.0%
1980	2,915		−0.7%
1990	3,044		4.4%
2000	3,966		30.3%
2010	4,087		3.1%
2020	3,303		−19.2%
U.S. Decennial Census [10] 1850–2010 [11] 2010 [12] 2020 [13]

Concho 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 [14]	Pop 2010 [12]	Pop 2020 [13]	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	2,265	1,810	2,097	57.11%	44.29%	63.49%
Black or African American alone (NH)	38	57	69	0.96%	1.39%	2.09%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	4	13	9	0.10%	0.32%	0.27%
Asian alone (NH)	3	14	19	0.08%	0.34%	0.58%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	4	5	1	0.10%	0.12%	0.03%
Other race alone (NH)	0	2	16	0.00%	0.05%	0.48%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	13	13	59	0.33%	0.32%	1.79%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	1,639	2,173	1,033	41.33%	53.17%	31.27%
Total	3,966	4,087	3,303	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

At the 2000^{[ needs update ]} census, ^[15] 3,966 people, 1,058 households and 757 families resided in the county. The population density was 4 per square mile (1.5/km²). There were 1,488 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile (0.77/km²). The racial make-up of the county was 88.20% White, 0.98% Black or African American, 0.48% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 8.93% from other races and 1.24% from two or more races. About 41.33% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

Of the 1,058 households, 29.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.40% were married couples living together, 9.70% had a female householder with no husband present and 28.40% were not families. About 26.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.97.

16.10% of the population were under the age of 18, 10.40% from 18 to 24, 38.20% from 25 to 44, 21.50% from 45 to 64 and 13.80% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 181.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 209.90 males.

The median household income was $31,313 and the median family income was $36,894. Males had a median income of $20,750 and females $21,458. The per capita income was $15,727. About 7.50% of families and 11.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.80% of those under age 18 and 14.20% of those age 65 or over.

In 2004,^{[ needs update ]} Concho County has the third-highest proportion of prison inmates amongst its residents of any county equivalent in the United States, behind Crowley County, Colorado, and West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana. ^[16] As a result, the county had the highest gender ratio in the United States with 232 men to every 100 women. ^[17]

Communities

City

• Eden

Town

• Paint Rock (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

• Eola
• Lowake
• Millersview
• Vick

Ghost towns

• Concho
• Henderson Chapel
• Lightner
• Live Oak
• Pasche

In popular culture

The 1968 movie Journey to Shiloh features a group known as the "Concho County Comanches," and mentions neighboring Menard County.

Politics

United States presidential election results for Concho County, Texas

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	1,058	83.44%	197	15.54%	13	1.03%
2016	885	82.87%	148	13.86%	35	3.28%
2012	793	79.22%	194	19.38%	14	1.40%
2008	807	74.93%	257	23.86%	13	1.21%
2004	911	76.36%	270	22.63%	12	1.01%
2000	818	74.16%	268	24.30%	17	1.54%
1996	488	47.29%	434	42.05%	110	10.66%
1992	414	33.50%	489	39.56%	333	26.94%
1988	617	48.85%	643	50.91%	3	0.24%
1984	821	58.31%	580	41.19%	7	0.50%
1980	700	49.40%	702	49.54%	15	1.06%
1976	474	39.67%	715	59.83%	6	0.50%
1972	709	66.95%	350	33.05%	0	0.00%
1968	411	37.03%	502	45.23%	197	17.75%
1964	307	24.44%	948	75.48%	1	0.08%
1960	522	42.03%	718	57.81%	2	0.16%
1956	574	50.26%	567	49.65%	1	0.09%
1952	808	53.30%	708	46.70%	0	0.00%
1948	174	12.93%	1,156	85.88%	16	1.19%
1944	151	11.07%	1,090	79.91%	123	9.02%
1940	189	12.60%	1,310	87.33%	1	0.07%
1936	76	6.52%	1,089	93.48%	0	0.00%
1932	44	3.75%	1,126	95.91%	4	0.34%
1928	446	50.97%	426	48.69%	3	0.34%
1924	90	11.52%	668	85.53%	23	2.94%
1920	151	22.37%	405	60.00%	119	17.63%
1916	36	7.07%	418	82.12%	55	10.81%
1912	16	4.28%	326	87.17%	32	8.56%

See also

• Texas portal

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Concho County, Texas
• Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Concho County

References

1. "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Concho County, Texas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
   - "Concho County, Texas". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved February 23, 2021.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. "Texas: Individual County Chronologies". Texas Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2008. Archived from the original on May 13, 2015. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
4. Standifer, Mary M. "Concho County, Texas". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
5. "Paint Rock Pictographs". Texas Beyond History. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
6. "Eden, Texas". Texas Escapes. Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
7. "Lowake, Texas". Texas Escapes. Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
8. "O. H. Ivie Reservoir". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
9. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
10. "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decade". US Census Bureau.
11. "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.
12. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Concho County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
13. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Concho County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
14. "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Concho County, Texas". United States Census Bureau .
15. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 14, 2011.
16. Wagner, Peter (April 19, 2004). "Twenty one counties have twenty one percent of their population in prisons and jails". Prison Policy Initiative.
    - Sakala, Leah (2014). Breaking Down Mass Incarceration in the 2010 Census: State-by-State Incarceration Rates by Race/Ethnicity. Prison Policy Initiative. p. Appendix A.
17. "Concho County, Texas Gender Ratio". States101. Retrieved December 20, 2015.

External links

Media related to Concho County, Texas at Wikimedia Commons

• Concho County government’s website
• Concho County in Handbook of Texas Online at the University of Texas

31°20′N99°52′W / 31.33°N 99.86°W / 31.33; -99.86