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Upton County is in southwestern Texas. Rankin, the county's seat of government, is fifty air miles south of Midland. Rattlesnake roundups at Rattlesnake Butte and rattlesnake races at McCamey have been annual events since 1936. McCamey is also home to the Medoza Trail Museum. Rankin hosts the County Livestock Show in January, a Junior Rodeo in June, and a Christmas Parade in December.  Upton County, FIPSCODE 48461, is the 220th largest of the 254 counties in Texas, with an estimated population of 3,404 in 2000. The county consists of 1242 square miles with a 2000 population density of 2.7 residents per square mile. The average density in Texas is 79.6 persons per square mile which is the same as the national average. Rainfall in Upton County averages 14.3 inches per year as compared to the Texas average of 28.1 inches per year.
FARMING |
The average growing season in Upton County is 232 days with the first freeze generally occurring around November 12. Texas is so climatically diverse that statewide averages are irrelevant as a means of comparison.
| Farming |
1987 |
1997 |
| Number of Farms |
86 |
96 |
| Acres of Farmland |
739,149 |
746,269 |
| Average Size of Farm (acres) |
8,595 |
7,774 |
POPULATION |
According to the Census, Upton County's population changed -23 percent from 1990 to 2000. The county's population was 4,447 in 1990 and 3,404 in 2000, an increase of -1,043. In 2000, the median age was 38.1 years versus a statewide average of 32.3 years and a national average of 35.3 years. The Texas Department of Human Services reported there were 56 births and 33 deaths in Upton County in 2000.
The 2000 Census estimates for Texas show a population composition as follows:
| Age Breakdown |
Upton County |
Texas |
| Under 18 |
29.3% |
28.2% |
| 18-24 |
7.9% |
10.5% |
| 25-44 |
24.9% |
31.1% |
| 45-64 |
23.8% |
20.2% |
| 65+ |
14.2% |
9.9% |
The 2000 Census Bureau's race/ethnic distribution estimates are as follows:
| Group |
Upton County |
Upton County (Percent) |
Texas |
Texas (Percent) |
| White |
2,648 |
78% |
14,799,505 |
71.0% |
| Black |
55 |
2% |
2,404,566 |
11.5% |
| Hispanic |
1,449 |
43% |
6,669,666 |
32.0% |
| Asian |
1 |
0% |
562,319 |
2.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native |
41 |
1% |
118,362 |
0.6% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander |
2 |
0% |
14,434 |
0.1% |
"Numbers may add up to more than the total population and more than 100 percent
because individuals may report more than one race." |
HOUSEHOLDS |
The county had approximately 1,256 households in 2000 according to the Census. This represents an average of 2.68 persons per household. The housing per square mile rate was 11.2 percent and the county's homeowner rate was 75.2 percent.
The mean travel time to work was 21.0 minutes compared to a state average of 25.4 minutes. The number of people over 16 who commuted to work was 1,291 while the number that worked at home was 37. The commuting to work breakdown was as follows: drove alone (1,005), carpooled (180), public transportation (0), walked (49), and other means (20).
EDUCATION |
According to the Census, 959 people in Upton County were enrolled in school in 2000. Countywide, 67.1 percent had a high school diploma or higher and 11.8 percent had a bachelor's degree or higher. The equivalent statewide figures for a high school diploma or higher and a bachelor's degree or higher were 75.7 percent and 23.2 percent, respectively.
SCHOOL ENROLLMENT
Population 3 years and over enrolled in school |
|
|
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
Population 25 years and over |
|
| Nursery school, preschool |
34 |
Less than 9th grade |
408 |
| Kindergarten |
52 |
9th to 12th grade, no diploma |
305 |
| Elementary school (grades 1-8) |
491 |
High school graduate |
739 |
| High school (grades 9-12) |
325 |
Some college, no degree |
399 |
| College or graduate school |
57 |
Associate degree |
59 |
|
|
Bachelor's degree |
173 |
|
|
Graduate or professional degree |
82 |
| Total |
959 |
|
2,165 |
FISCAL INFORMATION |
In 1999, the Health and Human Services Commission's poverty estimates for Upton County was 836 or 17.36 percent of the non-institutional population. Approximately 3,307,787 Texans or 16.54 percent of the total population fell beneath the poverty line in 1999; this exceeded the U.S. poverty rate of 11.8 percent. There were 303 people enrolled in Medicaid in April 2002 with 157 of those being under the age of 18.
The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts reported total state expenditures of $6,528,833 for Upton County in their "State Expenditures by County 2000" report. The State spent $1,875,386 on public assistance and $755,660 on highway construction and maintenance in Upton County. During the third quarter of 2001, gross sales for all industries totaled $31,929,509. Comparing the third quarter of 2000 to the third quarter of 2001, gross sales changed 17 percent (from $27,307,359). The county had 2 bank offices in 2001, as reported by the FDIC, with total deposits of $39 million. This represents 0.02 percent of total deposits in Texas ($243,390 billion).
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LABOR FORCE |
The county civilian labor force was 1,546 in March 2002 reflecting an increase from the March 2001 level of 1,439. According to the Texas Workforce Commission, total unemployment in March 2002 was 76 contrasted to the March 2001 total of 56. The Upton County unemployment rate for March 2002 was 4.9 percent compared to the March 2001 rate of 3.9 percent. The statewide unemployment rate was 5.6 percent in March 2002 and 4.2 percent in March 2001.
In the first quarter of 2001, Upton County had 1,141 employed persons and an average weekly wage of $589.
| Industry |
Jobs |
Percentage |
| Natural Resources & Mining |
336 |
29% |
| Construction |
0 |
0% |
| Manufacturing |
0 |
0% |
| Trade, Transportation & Utilities |
198 |
18% |
| Information |
0 |
0% |
| Financial Activities |
27 |
3% |
| Professional & Business Services |
0 |
0% |
| Education & Health Services |
73 |
7% |
| Leisure & Hospitality |
34 |
3% |
| Other Services |
7 |
1% |
| Nonclassifiable |
44 |
4% |
| Federal Government |
6 |
1% |
| State Government |
16 |
1% |
| Local Government |
400 |
36% |
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Distances from the county seat of Rankin (Miles) |
| Austin |
257 |
| Amarillo |
275 |
| Brownsville |
456 |
| Dallas |
322 |
| El Paso |
269 |
| Houston |
403 |
Cities |
- McCamey, City of
Chambers |
-McCamey Chamber of Commerce
-Rankin Chamber of Commerce
Top 10 Employers |
COMPASSIONATE CARE INC
E & A WELDING & OILFIELD SERVICES INC
ENOGEX PRODUCTS CORPORATION
MCCAMEY COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT
MCCAMEY ISD
PHARAOH OIL & GAS INC
RANKIN ISD
TOWN & COUNTRY FOOD STORES INC
UPTON COUNTY
WESTERN GAS RESOURCES INC
Employers are listed alphabetically with no ranking intended.
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