Howard County, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Howard County
|
|
|---|---|
Howard County Court House in downtown Big Spring
|
|
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
|
|
 Texas's location within the U.S. |
|
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Texas |
| Founded | 1882 |
| Named for | Volney E. Howard |
| Seat | Big Spring |
| Largest city | Big Spring |
| Area | |
| • Total | 904 sq mi (2,340 km2) |
| • Land | 901 sq mi (2,330 km2) |
| • Water | 3 sq mi (8 km2) 0.4% |
| Population
(2020)
|
|
| • Total | 34,860 |
| • Estimate
(2025)
|
30,504  |
| • Density | 33.9/sq mi (13.10/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 19th |
Howard County is a county located in the state of Texas in the United States. In 2020, about 34,860 people lived here. The main city and county seat is Big Spring.
The county was created in 1876 and officially started in 1882. It is named after Volney E. Howard, who was a U.S. Congressman from Texas. Howard County is part of the larger Big Spring area.
Contents
Exploring Howard County's Geography
Howard County covers about 904 square miles. Most of this (around 901 square miles) is land, and about 3 square miles is water.
The county sits where two major land regions meet. To the north is the Llano Estacado, a large, flat plateau. To the south is the Edwards Plateau, known for its hills and springs. Beals Creek, a stream that flows into the Colorado River, runs through the middle of Big Spring. It helps divide these two different land areas.
Main Roads in Howard County
These are the important highways that help people travel through Howard County:
Interstate 20
Interstate 20 Business
U.S. Highway 87
State Highway 176
State Highway 350
Farm to Market Road 669
Farm to Market Road 700
.svg){kind=small}
Neighboring Counties
Howard County shares borders with these other counties:
- Borden County (to the north)
- Mitchell County (to the east)
- Sterling County (to the southeast)
- Glasscock County (to the south)
- Martin County (to the west)
- Dawson County (to the northwest)
- Scurry County (to the northeast)
People and Population in Howard County
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 50 | — | |
| 1890 | 1,210 | 2,320.0% | |
| 1900 | 2,528 | 108.9% | |
| 1910 | 8,881 | 251.3% | |
| 1920 | 6,962 | −21.6% | |
| 1930 | 22,888 | 228.8% | |
| 1940 | 20,990 | −8.3% | |
| 1950 | 26,722 | 27.3% | |
| 1960 | 40,139 | 50.2% | |
| 1970 | 37,796 | −5.8% | |
| 1980 | 33,142 | −12.3% | |
| 1990 | 32,343 | −2.4% | |
| 2000 | 33,627 | 4.0% | |
| 2010 | 35,012 | 4.1% | |
| 2020 | 34,860 | −0.4% | |
| 2025 (est.) | 30,504 | |
−12.9% |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1850–2010 2010–2020 |
|||
Different Backgrounds in Howard County
Howard County is home to people from many different backgrounds. The table below shows the racial and ethnic makeup of the county over the years. It's important to know that the U.S. Census counts Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic group, and people of any race can be Hispanic/Latino.
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000 | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 19,096 | 18,801 | 15,672 | 56.79% | 53.70% | 44.96% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 1,292 | 2,079 | 1,520 | 3.84% | 5.94% | 4.36% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 122 | 220 | 211 | 0.36% | 0.63% | 0.61% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 196 | 256 | 386 | 0.58% | 0.73% | 1.11% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 1 | 13 | 12 | 0.00% | 0.04% | 0.03% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 8 | 76 | 68 | 0.02% | 0.22% | 0.20% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 315 | 312 | 817 | 0.94% | 0.89% | 2.34% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 12,597 | 13,255 | 16,174 | 37.46% | 37.86% | 46.40% |
| Total | 33,627 | 35,012 | 34,860 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Howard County in 2020
In 2020, about 34,860 people lived in Howard County. There were around 11,674 homes, with 7,739 of them being families. The average age of people living here was about 37.7 years. Nearly a quarter of the residents (22.9%) were under 18, and 14.4% were 65 or older. There were more males than females living in the county.
About 34.3% of homes had children under 18. Many homes (44.4%) were married couples. Other homes included single parents or individuals living alone. Almost 29% of homes were people living by themselves. About 11.9% of homes had someone aged 65 or older living alone.
The county had about 14,000 places to live. Most homes (65.5%) were owned by the people living in them, while others (34.5%) were rented.
The people living in Howard County come from many different backgrounds. About 67.9% were White, 4.9% Black or African American, and 46.4% were Hispanic or Latino. Many other groups also call Howard County home, including Asian, Native American, and people of two or more races.
Most people (83.1%) lived in cities or towns. A smaller part (16.9%) lived in the countryside.
Local Media
Howard County has its own daily newspaper. There are also several local radio stations like KBST (AM), KBST-FM, KBTS (FM), and KBYG (AM). Nearby stations include KBXJ (FM), KPET (AM), and KWDC (FM). Residents can also tune into various radio and TV stations from the cities of Midland and Odessa.
Communities in Howard County
Howard County has several towns and communities:
Cities
- Big Spring (This is the main city and where the county government is located)
- Forsan
Towns
Census-designated place
Unincorporated communities
These are smaller communities that are not officially organized as cities or towns:
Ghost town
- Soash (A ghost town is a place where most people have left)
How Howard County Votes
For many years, from 1912 to 1964, most voters in Howard County supported the Democratic party in presidential elections. However, since 1980, the county has mostly voted for Republican candidates.
Learning in Howard County
Students in Howard County attend schools in several different school districts:
- Big Spring Independent School District
- Borden County Independent School District
- Coahoma Independent School District
- Forsan Independent School District
- Sands Consolidated Independent School District
- Stanton Independent School District
After high school, students in Howard County can attend Howard County Junior College District for further education.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Howard (Texas) para niños
