Randall County, Texas

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

Randall County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 140,753.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Its county seat is Canyon.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> The county was created in 1876 and later organized in 1889.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is named for Horace Randal, a Confederate brigadier general killed at the Battle of Jenkins Ferry. The reason the county name differs from his is because the bill creating the county misspelled Randal's name.

Randall County, alongside adjacent Potter County is part of the Amarillo metropolitan statistical area.

At one time, the large JA Ranch, founded by Charles Goodnight and John George Adair, which reached into six counties, held acreage in Randall County.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert (1.2%) are covered by water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref>

Palo Duro Canyon, the second-largest canyon in the United States, is located in Randall County.

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Potter County (north)
Oldham County (northwest)
Armstrong County (east)
Carson County (northeast)
Swisher County (south)
Briscoe County (southeast)
Castro County (southwest)
Deaf Smith County (west)

National protected area

Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Demographics

Template:US Census population

**Randall 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)	89,426	94,361	95,457	85.73%	78.16%	67.82%
Black or African American alone (NH)	1,513	2,701	4,567	1.45%	2.24%	3.24%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	525	586	794	0.50%	0.49%	0.56%
Asian alone (NH)	1,048	1,625	2,604	1.00%	1.35%	1.85%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	21	29	54	0.02%	0.02%	0.04%
Other race alone (NH)	46	93	412	0.04%	0.08%	0.29%
Mixed/multiracial (NH)	1,015	1,555	5,282	0.97%	1.29%	3.75%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	10,718	19,775	31,583	10.27%	16.38%	22.44%
Total	104,312	120,725	140,753	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of the census<ref name="GR8">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2000, 104,312 people, 41,240 households, and 28,785 families resided in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. The 43,261 housing units averaged Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 90.44% White, 1.50% Black or African American, 0.65% Native American, 1.03% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 4.71% from other races, and 1.64% from two or more races. About 10.3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 41,240 households, 33.90% had children under 18 living with them, 57.50% were married couples living together, 9.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.20% were not families; 25.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49, and the average family size was 3.00.

In the county, the age distribution was 26.1% under 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 11.90% who were 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.70 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 91.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,712, and for a family was $52,420. Males had a median income of $36,333 versus $25,358 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,840. About 5.70% of families and 8.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.50% of those under age 18 and 6.60% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Although once more Democratic-leaning, the county has become solidly Republican. The Republican candidate has carried the county in every presidential election since 1952, usually by overwhelming margins.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the last thirteen elections, no Republican candidate has received less than 61% of the county's vote,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and since 2000, Randall has been the nation's most Republican "metropolitan" county outside of predominantly Mormon counties in Utah.<ref>‘100 Most Republican Counties in 2000 Presidential Election’; The American Statesman, September 17, 2004</ref>

Randall County was one of the more than 200 counties in Texas to cast the majority of its votes for Republican John McCain. McCain received 41,895 votes, which was 81% of the total, while Democrat Barack Obama received 9,461 votes, or 18% of the total, far below his national percentage.