Early Matador Ranch main building in Motley CountyWork is proceeding in 2011 on the restoration of the old Matador jail. Pictured is former Motley County Judge Ed D. Smith.
Motley County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1,063,[1] making it the 10th-least populous county in Texas. Its county seat is Matador.[2] The county was created in 1876 and organized in 1891.[3] It is named for Junius William Mottley, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Mottley's name is spelled incorrectly because the bill establishing the county misspelled his name. Motley County was one of 30[4]prohibition, or entirely dry, counties in Texas, but is now a wet county.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 990 sq mi (2,600 km2), of which 990 sq mi (2,600 km2) are land and 0.2 sq mi (0.52 km2) (0.03%) is covered by water.[5]
U.S. Decennial Census[6] 1850–2010[7] 2010[8] 2020[9]
Motley 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.
As of the census[11] of 2000, 1,426 people, 606 households, and 435 families were residing in the county. The population density was 1 person/sq mi (0.39 person/km2). The 839 housing units averaged 1 per square mile (0.39/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 87.38% White, 3.51% African American, 0.63% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 6.31% from other races, and 1.89% from two or more races. About 12.13% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.
Of the 606 households, 26.60% had children under 18 living with them, 60.20% were married couples living together, 8.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.20% were not families. About 25.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.30% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the county, the age distribution was 24.00% under 18, 6.00% from 18 to 24, 21.10% from 25 to 44, 25.20% from 45 to 64, and 23.70% who were 65 or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $28,348, and for a family was $33,977. Males had a median income of $25,395 versus $13,333 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,584. About 13.90% of families and 19.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.30% of those under age 18 and 13.80% of those age 65 or over.
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