Editing Nolan County, Texas

{{Short description|County in Texas, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county               = Nolan County
 | founded              = 1881
 | state                = Texas
 | seat wl              = Sweetwater
 | largest city wl      = Sweetwater
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 914
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 912
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 2.0
 | area percentage      = 0.2
 | census yr            = 2020
 | pop                  = 14738
 | density_sq_mi        = auto
 | web                  = www.co.nolan.tx.us
 | ex image             = Nolan County Texas Courthouse 2015.jpg
 | ex image size        = 250
 | ex image cap         = Nolan County Courthouse
 | footnotes            = 
 | time zone            = Central
 | named for            = [[Philip Nolan (Texas trader)|Philip Nolan]]
 | district             = 19th
}}

'''Nolan County''' is a [[County (United States)|county]] located in the west-central region of the [[U.S. state]] of [[Texas]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], its population was 14,738.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nolan County, Texas|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0500000US48353|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=February 23, 2021}}</ref> Its [[county seat]] is [[Sweetwater, Texas|Sweetwater]].<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref> The county was created in 1876 and organized in 1881.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/documents/TX_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm|title=Texas: Individual County Chronologies|work=Texas Atlas of Historical County Boundaries|publisher=[[Newberry Library|The Newberry Library]]|date=2008|access-date=May 25, 2015}}</ref> It is named for [[Philip Nolan (Texas trader)|Philip Nolan]], one of the first [[United States|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 {{convert|914|sqmi}}, of which  {{convert|2.0|sqmi|abbr=on}} (0.2%) are covered by water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_48.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=May 5, 2015|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files}}</ref>

Nolan County is in the Cross Timbers region for wildlife management.<ref>{{Cite web |title=North Central Texas Wildlife Management |url=https://tpwd.texas.gov/landwater/land/habitats/cross_timbers/ |access-date=March 26, 2024 |website=tpwd.texas.gov}}</ref> Geologically Nolan County occupies part of the Rolling Plains in the North and South,<ref>{{Cite web |title=TPWD: Ecological Regions of North Central Texas |url=https://tpwd.texas.gov/landwater/land/habitats/cross_timbers/ecoregions/ |access-date=March 26, 2024 |website=tpwd.texas.gov}}</ref> separated by an isolated part of the Edwards Plateau<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=TPWD:Edwards Plateau |url=https://tpwd.texas.gov/landwater/land/habitats/cross_timbers/ecoregions/edwards_plateau.phtml |access-date=March 26, 2024 |website=tpwd.texas.gov}}</ref> in much of the center. The uplifted plateau, rising up to 500<ref>{{Cite web |title=Worldwide Elevation Finder |url=http://elevation.maplogs.com/ |access-date=March 26, 2024 |website=elevation.maplogs.com}}</ref> feet above the surrounding plains, gives Nolan county an advantage on production of wind energy.

West of [http://www.highland.esc14.net/ Highland School], the [https://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=22674 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>{{Cite web |title=ABSTRACT: Canyon (Pennsylvanian) Sand Prospecting in Nolan County, Texas, Using Electrotelluric Survey Methods, by Robert B. Lanter and Michael R. Birkos; #91037 (2010) |url=https://www.searchanddiscovery.com/abstracts/html/1987/sw/abstracts/0241.htm |access-date=March 26, 2024 |website=www.searchanddiscovery.com}}</ref>

===Major highways===
* [[File:I-20 (TX).svg|20px]] [[Interstate 20 in Texas|Interstate 20]]
* [[File:US 84.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 84 in Texas|U.S. Highway 84]]
* [[File:Texas 70.svg|20px]] [[Texas State Highway 70|State Highway 70]]
* [[File:Texas 153.svg|20px]] [[Texas State Highway 153|State Highway 153]]

===Adjacent counties===
* [[Fisher County, Texas|Fisher County]] (north)
* [[Taylor County, Texas|Taylor County]] (east)
* [[Runnels County, Texas|Runnels County]] (southeast)
* [[Coke County, Texas|Coke County]] (south)
* [[Mitchell County, Texas|Mitchell County]] (west)

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1880= 640
|1890= 1573
|1900= 2611
|1910= 11999
|1920= 10868
|1930= 19323
|1940= 17309
|1950= 19808
|1960= 18963
|1970= 16220
|1980= 17359
|1990= 16594
|2000= 15802
|2010= 15216
|2020= 14738
|estyear=
|estimate=
|estref=
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.html|title=Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decade|publisher=[[US Census Bureau]]|access-date=}}</ref><br />1850–2010<ref>{{cite web|url=http://texasalmanac.com/sites/default/files/images/topics/ctypophistweb2010.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://texasalmanac.com/sites/default/files/images/topics/ctypophistweb2010.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live|title=Texas Almanac: Population History of Counties from 1850–2010|publisher=Texas Almanac|access-date=May 5, 2015}}</ref> 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2/> 2020<ref name=2020CensusP2/>
}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+'''Nolan County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition'''<br><small>{{nobold|''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.''}}</small>
!Race / Ethnicity <small>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')</small>
!Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>{{Cite web|title=P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Nolan County, Texas|url=https://data.census.gov/table?g=0500000US48353&tid=DECENNIALSF12000.P004|website=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date= }}</ref>
!Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Nolan County, Texas|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=0500000US48353&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!{{partial|Pop 2020}}<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Nolan County, Texas|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=0500000US48353&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!% 2000
!% 2010
!{{partial|% 2020}}
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|10,480
|9,191
|style='background: #ffffe6; |8,138
|66.32%
|60.40%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |55.22%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
|713
|666
|style='background: #ffffe6; |625
|4.51%
|4.38%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |4.24%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
|25
|44
|style='background: #ffffe6; |53
|0.16%
|0.29%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.36%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|33
|58
|style='background: #ffffe6; |103
|0.21%
|0.38%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.70%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|1
|0
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2
|0.01%
|0.00%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.01%
|-
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Other race]] alone (NH)
|2
|8
|style='background: #ffffe6; |31
|0.01%
|0.05%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.21%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed race or Multiracial]] (NH)
|117
|146
|style='background: #ffffe6; |432
|0.74%
|0.96%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.93%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|4,431
|5,103
|style='background: #ffffe6; |5,354
|28.04%
|33.54%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |36.33%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''15,802'''
|'''15,216'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''14,738'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%'''
|}

As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR8">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=May 14, 2011|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2000, 15,802 people, 6,170 households, and 4,288 families resided in the county. The [[population density]] was {{convert|17|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people|}}. The 7,112 housing units averaged {{convert|8|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The [[Race (United States Census)|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>{{cite news| url=https://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/2008-07-08-t-boone-pickens-plan-wind-energy_N.htm | work=USA Today | first1=Dan | last1=Reed | title=Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens wants to supplant oil with wind | date=July 11, 2008}}</ref> In 2013, there were more than 13,000 operational wind turbines.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Selcraig|first=Bruce|date=July–August 2014|title=The Mayor of Wind|url=https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2014-4-july-august/feature/mayor-wind|access-date=July 2, 2020|website=Sierra Club|language=en}}</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>{{Cite web |title=Renewable Energy |url=https://www.sweetwatertexas.net/strategic-advantages/key-industries/energy/windpower/ |access-date=March 26, 2024 |website=Sweetwater Economic Development |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Communities==
[[File:Wastella Texas grain elevator 2011.jpg|thumb|250px|Abandoned grain elevator in [[Wastella, Texas|Wastella]]]]

===Cities===
* [[Blackwell, Texas|Blackwell]] (partly in [[Coke County, Texas|Coke County]])
* [[Roscoe, Texas|Roscoe]]
* [[Sweetwater, Texas|Sweetwater]] (county seat)

===Unincorporated communities===
* [[Maryneal, Texas|Maryneal]]
* [[Nolan, Texas|Nolan]]
* Hylton<ref>{{cite web |last1=TSHA |first1=Support |title=Hylton TX (Nolan County) |url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hnh53 |website=TSHA Online |publisher=TSHA |access-date=February 3, 2020}}</ref>

===Ghost towns===
* [[Bitter Creek, Texas|Bitter Creek]]
* [[Wastella, Texas|Wastella]]
* [http://texascemeteries.org/nolan/decker-cemetery Decker (active cemetery remaining)]<ref>Ghost Town https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hvd13 accessed November 19, 2018</ref>
* Divide (Slater's Chapel cemetery<ref>{{cite web |last1=TSHA |first1=Support |title=Divide TX (Nolan County) |url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hwd04 |website=TSHA Online |publisher=TSHA |access-date=February 3, 2020}}</ref> remaining)

==Politics==
Nolan County is part of the [[Texas's 71st House of Representatives district|71st district]] for elections to the [[Texas House of Representatives]]. The [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[Texas House of Representatives|state representative]] [[Stan Lambert]] represents the district which also covers [[Callahan County, Texas|Callahan]], [[Jones County, Texas|Jones]] and [[Taylor County, Texas|Taylor]] Counties.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lrl.state.tx.us/legeLeaders/members/memberDisplay.cfm?memberID=5641&searchparams=chamber=H~city=~countyID=0~RcountyID=~district=~first=Susan~gender=~last=King~leaderNote=~leg=~party=~roleDesc=~Committee=|title=Susan King|publisher=Texas Legislative Reference Library|access-date=March 12, 2014}}</ref>

{{PresHead|place=Nolan County, Texas|source=<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=July 28, 2018}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|4,048|1,020|54|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|4,131|1,162|74|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|3,552|1,029|276|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|3,282|1,216|77|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|3,485|1,521|57|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|3,722|1,541|26|Texas}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|3,337|1,874|101|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|2,166|2,582|643|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|1,993|2,490|1,469|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1988|Democratic|2,734|2,853|22|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|3,608|2,524|4|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1980|Democratic|2,781|2,796|118|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|2,431|3,094|20|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|3,634|1,338|4|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1968|Democratic|1,969|2,784|1,185|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|1,610|3,540|12|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1960|Democratic|2,421|3,247|7|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1956|Democratic|2,232|2,535|13|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1952|Democratic|2,907|3,123|13|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|552|3,408|109|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|322|3,071|354|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|471|3,314|9|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|268|2,913|15|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|219|2,453|3|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|1,475|1,035|0|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1924|Democratic|337|1,421|82|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1920|Democratic|175|923|56|Texas}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|91|1,048|80|Texas}}
{{PresFoot|1912|Democratic|60|655|102|Texas}}

==Education==
School districts include:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st48_tx/schooldistrict_maps/c48353_nolan/DC20SD_C48353.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Nolan County, TX|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|access-date=2024-09-22}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st48_tx/schooldistrict_maps/c48353_nolan/DC20SD_C48353_SD2MS.txt Text list]</ref>
* [[Blackwell Consolidated Independent School District]]
* [[Highland Independent School District]]
* [[Roscoe Collegiate Independent School District]]
* [[Sweetwater Independent School District]]
* [[Trent Independent School District]]

The [[Texas Legislature]] designated the county as being in the [[Western Texas College District]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.130.htm|title=Sec. 130.210.  WESTERN TEXAS COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.|access-date=2024-09-22}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Texas}}
* [[List of museums in West Texas]]
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Nolan County, Texas]]
* [[List of Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks (Mason-Rusk)#Nolan County|Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Nolan County]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [http://www.co.nolan.tx.us Nolan County Official Site]
* {{Handbook of Texas|id=hcn04|name=Nolan County}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140724234124/http://www.txcip.org/tac/census/profile.php?FIPS=48353 Nolan County Profile from the Texas Association of Counties]
* [http://waspmuseum.org The National WASP WWII Museum]
* [https://identifyus.org/cases/3945]

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = Nolan County, Texas
|North     = [[Fisher County, Texas|Fisher County]]
|Northeast =
|East      = [[Taylor County, Texas|Taylor County]]
|Southeast = [[Runnels County, Texas|Runnels County]]
|South     = [[Coke County, Texas|Coke County]]
|Southwest =
|West      = [[Mitchell County, Texas|Mitchell County]]
|Northwest =
}}

{{Nolan County, Texas}}
{{Texas counties}}
{{Texas}}
{{Wind power|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}
{{coord|32.31|-100.40|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-TX_source:UScensus1990}}

[[Category:Nolan County, Texas| ]]
[[Category:1881 establishments in Texas]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1881]]
[[Category:Micropolitan areas of Texas]]