Nolan County, Texas

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Nolan County is a county located in the west-central region of the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 14,738.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Its county seat is Sweetwater.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> The county was created in 1876 and organized in 1881.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is named for Philip Nolan, one of the first American traders to visit Texas. Nolan County comprises the Sweetwater micropolitan statistical area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert (0.2%) are covered by water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref>

Nolan County is in the Cross Timbers region for wildlife management.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Geologically Nolan County occupies part of the Rolling Plains in the North and South,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> separated by an isolated part of the Edwards Plateau<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> in much of the center. The uplifted plateau, rising up to 500<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> feet above the surrounding plains, gives Nolan county an advantage on production of wind energy.

West of Highland School, the Bench Mountain, at 2607 feet above sea level, is listed as the highest point in Nolan County.

Plateau areas of the Cretaceous Period<ref name=":0" /> and much of the county are underlain by petroleum deposits from the Pennsylvanian Period.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Fisher County (north)
Taylor County (east)
Runnels County (southeast)
Coke County (south)
Mitchell County (west)

Demographics

Template:US Census population

**Nolan County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition**
Template:Nobold
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Partial<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	% 2000	% 2010	Template:Partial
White alone (NH)	10,480	9,191	8,138	66.32%	60.40%	55.22%
Black or African American alone (NH)	713	666	625	4.51%	4.38%	4.24%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	25	44	53	0.16%	0.29%	0.36%
Asian alone (NH)	33	58	103	0.21%	0.38%	0.70%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	1	0	2	0.01%	0.00%	0.01%
Other race alone (NH)	2	8	31	0.01%	0.05%	0.21%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	117	146	432	0.74%	0.96%	2.93%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	4,431	5,103	5,354	28.04%	33.54%	36.33%
Total	15,802	15,216	14,738	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of the census<ref name="GR8">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2000, 15,802 people, 6,170 households, and 4,288 families resided in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. The 7,112 housing units averaged Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 78.45% White, 4.68% Black or African American, 0.49% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 14.02% from other races, and 2.07% from two or more races. About 28.04% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 6,170 households, 32.20% had children under 18 living with them, 53.00% were married couples living together, 12.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.50% were not families. Around 27.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.40% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.48, and the average family size was 3.01.

In the county, the population was distributed as 27.10% under 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 25.40% from 25 to 44, 22.60% from 45 to 64, and 16.40% who were 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $26,209, and for a family was $32,004. Males had a median income of $28,674 versus $19,335 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,077. About 18.30% of families and 21.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.50% of those under age 18 and 18.50% of those age 65 or over.

Wind power

Nolan County has established itself as a center for wind power generation. As of July 2008, Nolan County generated more wind energy than the entire state of California, and would have ranked sixth in the world for wind power generation if it were counted as its own country.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2013, there were more than 13,000 operational wind turbines.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

A branch of Texas State Technical College, near Sweetwater, offers the first community-college program for wind energy in Texas beginning in 2007. Wind energy investments in the county of about $3 billion since 1999 have resulted in about 1,330 direct wind-related jobs created in Nolan County alone (in 2009), with almost $18,000,000 in annual landowner royalties and over $12,000,000 in annual local school taxes (2007),<ref>Wind Economics In Nolan County https://www.scribd.com/doc/280240711/nolan-county-case-study-070908 accessed November 19, 2018</ref> and about $1.7 million more in county property taxes. The majority of investments come from Epplament Energy, E.ON, Invenergy, Lestis Private Capital Group, NextEra, and Lattner Energy.

Nolan County is a hub of the Public Utility Commission's $5 billion CREZ wind-energy transmission line expansion project in Texas.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Communities

File:Wastella Texas grain elevator 2011.jpg

Abandoned grain elevator in Wastella

Politics

Nolan County is part of the 71st district for elections to the Texas House of Representatives. The Republican state representative Stan Lambert represents the district which also covers Callahan, Jones and Taylor Counties.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Education

School districts include:<ref>Template:Cite web - Text list</ref>

The Texas Legislature designated the county as being in the Western Texas College District.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

References

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External links

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