Loving County, Texas

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Loving County, Texas
Map
Location in the state of Texas
Texas's location in the USA
Statistics
Founded	information needed
Seat	Mentone
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	1,753 km² (677 mi²) 1,743 km² (673 mi²) 10 km² (4 mi²), 0.56%
Population  - (2000)  - Density	67 0.03/km²

Loving County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. According to the 2004 estimate by the Census Bureau, it is the least populous county in the United States, with a resident population of only 52. This population has also been rapidly declining in recent years; Loving County having lost over 35% of its population from 1990 to 2000 and another 22% of its population between 2000 and 2004. Its county seat—and only community—is Mentone⁶. The nearest sizable communities include Pecos, Texas and Carlsbad, New Mexico.

The county is named for Oliver Loving, a cattle rancher and pioneer of the cattle drive who with Charles Goodnight developed the Goodnight-Loving Trail. He was mortally wounded by Native Americans while on a cattle drive in the vicinity of the county. Loving County was the last county in Texas to be incorporated, and the only county in Texas to be incorporated twice.

Contents 1 Geography 1.1 Major Highways 1.2 Adjacent counties 2 Demographics 3 Education 4 Notes 5 External links

[edit] Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,753 km² (677 mi²). 1,743 km² (673 mi²) of it is land and 10 km² (4 mi²) of it (0.56%) is water.

[edit] Major Highways

• State Highway 302 (Texas)
• Farm to Market Road 652

These are the only through-routes in Loving County

[edit] Adjacent counties

• Lea County, New Mexico (north)
• Winkler County (east)
• Ward County (southeast)
• Reeves County (south & west)
• Eddy County, New Mexico (northwest)

[edit] Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1890	3		–
1900	33		1000.0%
1910	249		654.5%
1920	82		-67.1%
1930	195		137.8%
1940	285		46.2%
1950	227		-20.4%
1960	226		-0.4%
1970	164		-27.4%
1980	91		-44.5%
1990	107		17.6%
2000	67		-37.4%

As of the census² of 2000, there were 67 people, 31 households, and 19 families residing in the county. The population density was 0.03/km² (0.1/mi²). There were 70 housing units at an average density of 0.04/km² (0.1/mi²). Of the total population of 67 persons, 60 persons identified themselves as White, no person identified him or herself as Black, African American, Native American, Asian, or Pacific Islander, 6 identified themselves as "some other race", and 1 person identified him or herself as belonging to two or more races. In addition, 7 persons identified themselves as being of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin of any race.

There were 31 households out of which 5 have children under the age of 18 living with them, 17 are married couples living together, 2 have a female householder with no husband present, and 11 are non-families. Ten households are made up of individuals and 2 consist of someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.65.

In the county, the population was spread out with 13 people under the age of 18, one between 18 and 24, 18 from 25 to 44, 24 from 45 to 64, and 11 who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 10 females there are 11.61 males. For every 10 females age 18 and over, there are 12.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $40,000, and the median income for a family was $53,750. Males had a median income of $25,833 versus $0 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,084. None of the population and no families are below the poverty line.

Loving County is the only county^{[citation needed]} in the United States with no persons below the poverty line in 2000.^[1]

[edit] Education

Loving County is served by the Wink-Loving Independent School District. The county's school system was closed and consolidated into Wink's ISD in 1972 because the enrollment had fallen to two pupils.

[edit] Notes

[edit] External links

• Loving County from the Handbook of Texas Online