Gray County, Texas

Gray County
County
The Gray County Courthouse
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 35°25′N100°49′W / 35.41°N 100.81°W / 35.41; -100.81
Country	United States
State	Texas
Founded	1902
Named for	Peter W. Gray
Seat	Pampa
Largest city	Pampa
Area
• Total	929 sq mi (2,410 km2)
• Land	926 sq mi (2,400 km2)
• Water	3.4 sq mi (9 km2)  0.4%
Population  (2020)
• Total	21,227
• Density	23/sq mi (8.8/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	13th
Website	www.co.gray.tx.us

Gray County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 21,227. ^[1] The county seat is Pampa. ^[2] The county was created in 1876 and later organized in 1902. ^[3] Gray County is named for Peter W. Gray, ^[4] a Confederate lawyer and soldier in the American Civil War.

Gray County comprises the Pampa, TX micropolitan statistical area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 929 square miles (2,410 km²), of which 926 sq mi (2,400 km²) are land and 3.4 sq mi (8.8 km²) (0.4%) are covered by water. ^[5]

Major highways

• Interstate 40
• U.S. Highway 60
• State Highway 70
• State Highway 152
• State Highway 273

Adjacent counties

• Roberts County (north)
• Hemphill County (northeast)
• Wheeler County (east)
• Collingsworth County (southeast)
• Donley County (south)
• Armstrong County (southwest)
• Carson County (west)

National protected area

• McClellan Creek National Grassland

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	56		—
1890	203		262.5%
1900	480		136.5%
1910	3,405		609.4%
1920	4,663		36.9%
1930	22,090		373.7%
1940	23,911		8.2%
1950	24,728		3.4%
1960	31,535		27.5%
1970	26,949		−14.5%
1980	26,386		−2.1%
1990	23,967		−9.2%
2000	22,744		−5.1%
2010	22,535		−0.9%
2020	21,227		−5.8%
U.S. Decennial Census [6] 1850–2010 [7] 2010 [8] 2020 [9]

Gray 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 [10]	Pop 2010 [8]	Pop 2020 [9]	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	17,800	15,564	13,025	78.26%	69.07%	61.36%
Black or African American alone (NH)	1,309	1,055	835	5.76%	4.68%	3.93%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	169	152	141	0.74%	0.67%	0.66%
Asian alone (NH)	88	83	127	0.39%	0.37%	0.60%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	4	1	0	0.02%	0.00%	0.00%
Other race alone (NH)	18	11	37	0.08%	0.05%	0.17%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	397	304	715	1.75%	1.35%	3.37%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	2,959	5,365	6,347	13.01%	23.81%	29.90%
Total	22,744	22,535	21,227	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of the census ^[11] of 2000, 22,744 people, 8,793 households, and 6,049 families were residing in the county. The population density was 24 people per square mile (9.3 people/km²). The 10,567 housing units averaged 11 units per square mile (4.2/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 82.15% White, 5.85% African American, 0.94% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 8.25% from other races, and 2.42% from two or more races. About 13.01% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 8,793 households, 30.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.00% were married couples living together, 9.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.20% were not families. About 28.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39, and the average family size was 2.93.

In the county, the age distribution was 24.00% under 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 27.20% from 25 to 44, 22.30% from 45 to 64, and 18.10% who were 65 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,368, and for a family was $40,019. Males had a median income of $32,401 versus $20,158 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,702. About 11.20% of families and 13.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.60% of those under age 18 and 9.60% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

City

• Pampa (county seat)

Towns

• Lefors
• McLean

Census-designated place

• Alanreed

Other unincorporated communities

• Back
• Hoover

Politics

Prior to 1952, Gray County was primarily Democratic similar to most of Texas and the Solid South. The county only gave a Republican presidential candidate a majority before 1952 in 1928, when Herbert Hoover won the county due to anti-Catholic sentiment towards Al Smith. Starting with the 1952 election, the county has become a Republican stronghold along with the rest of the Texas Panhandle. This level of Republican dominance has increased in recent years, as every Republican presidential candidate in the second millennium has racked up 80% of the county's vote. Additionally, after the 2008 election, Democrats Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Joe Biden have failed to win even 1,000 votes total in the county.

United States presidential election results for Gray County, Texas ^[12]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	6,691	88.27%	845	11.15%	44	0.58%
2020	6,840	87.90%	829	10.65%	113	1.45%
2016	6,500	87.78%	701	9.47%	204	2.75%
2012	6,443	87.20%	886	11.99%	60	0.81%
2008	6,924	85.13%	1,153	14.18%	56	0.69%
2004	7,260	84.69%	1,289	15.04%	23	0.27%
2000	6,732	82.25%	1,376	16.81%	77	0.94%
1996	6,102	69.15%	2,114	23.96%	608	6.89%
1992	6,105	58.86%	2,426	23.39%	1,841	17.75%
1988	7,259	74.22%	2,460	25.15%	62	0.63%
1984	8,955	81.50%	2,003	18.23%	30	0.27%
1980	7,187	70.81%	2,786	27.45%	176	1.73%
1976	6,010	60.33%	3,872	38.87%	80	0.80%
1972	7,968	84.37%	1,367	14.47%	109	1.15%
1968	5,994	55.53%	2,374	21.99%	2,427	22.48%
1964	5,011	57.93%	3,633	42.00%	6	0.07%
1960	6,197	68.76%	2,802	31.09%	14	0.16%
1956	5,047	61.90%	3,034	37.21%	72	0.88%
1952	5,467	61.73%	3,367	38.02%	23	0.26%
1948	1,594	27.98%	3,699	64.94%	403	7.08%
1944	1,739	34.86%	3,067	61.48%	183	3.67%
1940	1,217	21.97%	4,315	77.89%	8	0.14%
1936	464	9.59%	4,347	89.83%	28	0.58%
1932	505	12.70%	3,446	86.69%	24	0.60%
1928	1,871	65.35%	986	34.44%	6	0.21%
1924	581	48.86%	608	51.14%	0	0.00%
1920	251	30.95%	529	65.23%	31	3.82%
1916	69	11.73%	482	81.97%	37	6.29%
1912	13	3.09%	272	64.61%	136	32.30%

Notable people

• Phil Cates, state representative from 1971 to 1979, was born in Pampa in 1947. ^[13]
• Tom Mechler, state Republican Party chairman since 2015, is a former Gray County Republican chairman.
• Kae T. Patrick, a native of Gray County, served in the Texas House of Representatives from San Antonio from 1981 to 1988.

See also

• Texas portal

• List of museums in the Texas Panhandle
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Gray County, Texas
• Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Gray County

References

1. "Gray County, Texas". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 30, 2022.
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 April 12, 2017. Retrieved May 23, 2015.
4. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp.  142.
5. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
6. "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". US Census Bureau.
7. "Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010" (PDF). Texas Almanac. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
8. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Gray County, Texas". United States Census Bureau .
9. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Gray County, Texas". United States Census Bureau .
10. "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Gray County, Texas". United States Census Bureau.
11. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 14, 2011.
12. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
13. "Phil Cates". Texas Legislative Reference Library. Retrieved June 29, 2015.

External links

• Gray County government's website
• Gray County from the Handbook of Texas Online
• Gray County Profile from the Texas Association of Counties Archived September 15, 2015, at the Wayback Machine

35°25′N100°49′W / 35.41°N 100.81°W / 35.41; -100.81