Reagan County, Texas

Reagan County
County
The Reagan County Courthouse in Big Lake
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 31°22′N 101°31′W
Country	United States
State	Texas
Founded	1903
Named for	John Henninger Reagan
Seat	Big Lake
Largest city	Big Lake
Area
• Total	1,176 sq mi (3,050 km2)
• Land	1,175 sq mi (3,040 km2)
• Water	0.7 sq mi (2 km2)  0.06%
Population  (2020)
• Total	3,385
• Density	2.9/sq mi (1.1/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	23rd
Website	www.reagancountytexas.us

Santa Rita No. 1 rig, used in the discovery of the Big Lake Oil Field in 1923.

Reagan County is a county on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 3,385. The county seat is Big Lake. The county is named after John Henninger Reagan (1818–1905), who was the postmaster general of the Confederate States and also a U.S. senator, U.S. representative, and first chairman of the Railroad Commission of Texas.

History

The region was first inhabited by Paleo-Indian, Suma-Jumano, Kiowa and Comanche peoples. Captains Hernán Martín and Diego del Castillo explored the region in 1650. In 1684, Juan Domínguez de Mendoza and Nicolás López reported on local indigenous groups.

Butterfield Overland Mail, which operated from 1858 to 1861, crossed through the center of the county. In 1878, Camp Grierson's Spring was established as a subpost of Fort Concho and named in honor of Col. Benjamin H. Grierson.

In 1903, Reagan County was carved from Tom Green County and named for United States Senator John Henninger Reagan. Stiles, named after local rancher William G. Stiles, became the first county seat. The Kansas City, Mexico and Orient of Texas Railway was completed in 1911.

In 1923, oil was discovered at the Big Lake Oilfield in the Permian Basin. Big Lake Oilfield, located on University of Texas System land, opened the Permian Basin to oil production and endowed the Permanent University Fund. The rig was named Santa Rita #1 for The Patron Saint of the Impossible. Big Lake was incorporated as a city. In 1924, shortly after the oil boom, the town community of Best plunged into vice and violence, necessitating the intervention of the Texas Rangers. The Rangers destroyed buildings that were being used as brothels, gambling houses, and saloons. In 1925, the county seat was moved to Big Lake by a vote. The following year, the Big Lake Oil Company established Texon for its employees and their families, with a devotion to family life.

In 1951, there was a renewed oil boom from production in the Spraberry Trend.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,176 square miles (3,050 km²), of which 1,175 square miles (3,040 km²) are land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²) (0.06%) is covered by water. The Spraberry Trend, the third-largest oil field in the United States by remaining reserves, underlies much of the county.

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 67
• State Highway 137
• Ranch to Market Road 33

Adjacent counties

• Glasscock County (north)
• Sterling County (northeast)
• Tom Green County (east)
• Irion County (east)
• Crockett County (south)
• Upton County (west)
• Midland County (northwest)

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1910	392		—
1920	377		−3.8%
1930	3,028		703.2%
1940	1,997		−34.0%
1950	3,127		56.6%
1960	3,782		20.9%
1970	3,239		−14.4%
1980	4,135		27.7%
1990	4,514		9.2%
2000	3,326		−26.3%
2010	3,367		1.2%
2020	3,385		0.5%
U.S. Decennial Census 1850–2010 2010 2020

Reagan 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.

Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	1,545	1,219	968	46.45%	36.20%	28.60%
Black or African American alone (NH)	94	65	33	2.83%	1.93%	0.97%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	10	7	12	0.30%	0.21%	0.35%
Asian alone (NH)	9	1	19	0.27%	0.03%	0.56%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	0	0	1	0.00%	0.00%	0.03%
Other race alone (NH)	0	1	6	0.00%	0.03%	0.18%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	22	23	63	0.66%	0.68%	1.86%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	1,646	2,051	2,283	49.49%	60.91%	67.44%
Total	3,326	3,367	3,385	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of the census of 2000, 3,326 people, 1,107 households, and 872 families were residing in the county. The population density was 3 inhabitants per square mile (1.2/km²). The 1,452 housing units had an average density of 1 per square mile (0.39/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 64.64% White, 3.01% African American, 0.54% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 29.56% from other races, and 1.98% from two or more races. About 49.49% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

Of the 1,107 households, 46.8% had children under 18 living with them, 68.1% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.2% were not families. About 19.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.96, and the average family size was 3.42.

In the county, the age distribution was 34.2% under 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.50 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 100.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $33,231, and for a family was $36,806. Males had a median income of $31,228 versus $18,750 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,174. About 9.3% of families and 11.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.6% of those under age 18 and 23.6% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

City

• Big Lake (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

• Best
• Texon

Ghost town

• Stiles

Politics

United States presidential election results for Reagan County, Texas

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	800	84.30%	141	14.86%	8	0.84%
2020	942	83.81%	172	15.30%	10	0.89%
2016	709	78.43%	167	18.47%	28	3.10%
2012	676	80.19%	158	18.74%	9	1.07%
2008	795	79.98%	197	19.82%	2	0.20%
2004	956	83.64%	184	16.10%	3	0.26%
2000	959	76.41%	282	22.47%	14	1.12%
1996	645	55.22%	407	34.85%	116	9.93%
1992	651	52.08%	337	26.96%	262	20.96%
1988	935	69.00%	418	30.85%	2	0.15%
1984	1,079	81.50%	243	18.35%	2	0.15%
1980	917	67.88%	414	30.64%	20	1.48%
1976	666	53.97%	563	45.62%	5	0.41%
1972	703	73.61%	244	25.55%	8	0.84%
1968	454	40.83%	370	33.27%	288	25.90%
1964	406	39.73%	614	60.08%	2	0.20%
1960	489	43.24%	621	54.91%	21	1.86%
1956	669	63.47%	384	36.43%	1	0.09%
1952	533	53.62%	460	46.28%	1	0.10%
1948	112	19.34%	444	76.68%	23	3.97%
1944	53	10.19%	426	81.92%	41	7.88%
1940	88	14.45%	520	85.39%	1	0.16%
1936	66	12.15%	477	87.85%	0	0.00%
1932	124	15.35%	681	84.28%	3	0.37%
1928	387	62.82%	229	37.18%	0	0.00%
1924	31	21.53%	111	77.08%	2	1.39%
1920	0	0.00%	49	100.00%	0	0.00%
1916	2	3.23%	59	95.16%	1	1.61%
1912	0	0.00%	34	100.00%	0	0.00%

See also

• List of Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Reagan County
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Reagan County, Texas

External links

• Reagan County from the Handbook of Texas Online
• "Reagan County Profile" from the "Texas Association of Counties"