Wheeler County, Texas

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox U.S. county

File:Wheeler County, TX, Veterans Memorial IMG 6129.JPG

Wheeler County Veterans Memorial

File:Religious sign in Shamrock, TX IMG 6137.JPG

John 14:6 sign along U.S. Route 66 in Wheeler County

Wheeler County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 4,990.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Its county seat is Wheeler.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> The county was formed in 1876 and organized in 1879.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is named for Royall Tyler Wheeler, a chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court.

Wheeler County was formerly one of 30 entirely dry counties in the state of Texas.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, circa 2010, the community of Shamrock, located in Wheeler County at the intersection of Interstate 40 and U.S. Highway 83, voted to allow liquor sales. Within the city limits of Shamrock is the only place to purchase liquor in Wheeler County.

The Pioneer West Museum, the Wheeler County historical museum, is located in Shamrock off U.S. Highway 83.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert are land and Template:Convert (0.1%) is covered by water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref>

Major highways

U.S. Highway 66 is no longer officially commissioned or signed, but has special brown historic signage at various points along its former routing.

Adjacent counties

Hemphill County (north)
Roger Mills County, Oklahoma (northeast)
Beckham County, Oklahoma (east)
Collingsworth County (south)
Gray County (west)
Donley County (southwest)
Roberts County (northwest)

Demographics

Template:US Census population

**Wheeler 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)	4,386	3,847	3,469	83.01%	71.11%	69.52%
Black or African American alone (NH)	137	112	81	2.59%	2.07%	1.62%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	29	20	33	0.55%	0.37%	0.66%
Asian alone (NH)	29	23	24	0.55%	0.43%	0.48%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	4	0	2	0.08%	0.00%	0.04%
Other race alone (NH)	0	3	12	0.00%	0.06%	0.24%
Mixed or multiracial (NH)	35	61	142	0.66%	1.13%	2.85%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	664	1,344	1,227	12.57%	24.84%	24.59%
Total	5,284	5,410	4,990	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of the census<ref name="GR8">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2000, 5,284 people, 2,152 households, and 1,487 families resided in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. The 2,687 housing units had an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 87.83% White, 2.78% Black or African American, 0.78% Native American, 0.55% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 6.64% from other races, and 1.34% from two or more races. About 12.57% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 2,152 households, 29.6% had children under 18 living with them, 58.0% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% were not families. About 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the county, the age distribution was 24.9% under 18, 6.50% from 18 to 24, 22.50% from 25 to 44, 25.20% from 45 to 64, and 20.90% who were 65 or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 87.4 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,029, and for a family was $36,989. Males had a median income of $26,790 versus $19,091 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,083. About 11.6% of families and 13.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.3% of those under 18 and 16.8% of those 65 or over.