Loving County, Texas - wikipedia Loving County, Texas Loving County, Texas Loving County Courthouse in Mentone Location in the U.S. state of Texas Texas 's location in the U.S. Founded 1931 Named for Oliver Loving Seat Mentone Largest community Mentone Area Total 677 sq mi ( 1,753 km ) Land 669 sq mi ( 1,733 km ) Water 7.8 sq mi ( 20 km ), 1.1 % Population ( est. ) ( 2015 ) 112 Density 0.1 / sq mi ( 0 / km2 ) Congressional district 23rd Time zone Central : UTC - 6 / - 5 Website www.lovingcountytexas.com Loving County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. With a population of 113 as of a 2016 estimate by the United States Census Bureau, Loving County is the second least populous county in the United States, being above Kalawao County, Hawaii with a population of 88. Loving County has no incorporated communities ; its county seat and only community is Mentone. The county was originally created in 1887, although after being disorganized, it was finally reorganized in 1931. Part of the Haley Ranch, founded by the father of Texas historian J. Evetts Haley, is in Loving County, with another portion in neighboring Winkler County. Contents 1 History 2 Geography 2.1 Major highways 2.2 Adjacent counties 3 Demographics 4 Politics 5 Economy 6 Education 7 Communities 7.1 Census - designated place 7.2 Ghost towns 8 In popular culture 9 See also 10 References 11 External links History Prehistorically, the area had many springs with potable water that supported wildlife and nomadic hunters. Antonio de Espejo visited the area in 1583 and crossed the Pecos River. Having surveyed the area in 1854 for a railroad company, John Pope returned in 1855 to start a camp in northwestern Loving County and establish artesian wells in the area, but the venture was unsuccessful and was abandoned in 1861. From 1837 to 1874, the area of modern Loving County was part of the Bexar land district. In 1874 it was separated from Bexar County, becoming a part of Tom Green County. Loving County is named for Oliver Loving, a cattle rancher and pioneer of the cattle drive who, along with Charles Goodnight, developed the Goodnight - Loving Trail. He was mortally wounded by members of the Comanche nation while on a cattle drive in 1867 in the vicinity of the county. Loving is the only county in Texas to be incorporated twice, first in 1893 and again in 1931. Its initial organization was effected by a canal company founded in Denver, Colorado, and appears to have been based upon fraud and willful misrepresentations made by the founders to state officials. After a local landowner hired a New York City firm to investigate alleged improprieties in county government, the company 's organizers fled, taking with them all the county records. The state legislature subsequently disincorporated Loving in 1897, attaching it to Reeves County. Oil was discovered in 1921, leading to a population increase in Loving County. By 1930, there were 195 residents, mostly living in what would become the town of Mentone, which became the county seat when Loving was reconstituted in 1931. By 1933, the population had peaked at 600, only to begin a steady decline which had continued until recently. Loving County was the home of the first elected female sheriff in Texas, Edna Reed Clayton Dewees. Dewees was appointed to the job in January 1945, then won an election to continue in the office through 1947. She never carried a firearm, and reported only two arrests during her entire term. Later she would return as a county district clerk, a job she held from 1965 to 1986. After retirement she lived on a ranch near Mentone until 22 January 2009 when she died in Del Rio. Water tower in the county Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 677 square miles ( 1,750 km ), of which 669 square miles ( 1,730 km ) is land and 7.8 square miles ( 20 km ) ( 1.1 % ) is water. The Pecos River is the county 's western boundary, forming the Red Bluff Reservoir along its northwestern border with Reeves County, Texas and Eddy County, New Mexico. The terrain of Loving County is described as flat desert, with a few low hills. Desert shrubs, range grass and cacti abound, with salt cedars along the river. Elevations vary from 2,686 to 3,311 feet ( 1,009 m ) above sea level. Loving is the smallest county by area in the Permian Basin region. Major highways State Highway 302 Ranch to Market Road 652 Adjacent counties Lea County, New Mexico ( north ) Winkler County ( east ) Ward County ( southeast ) Reeves County ( southwest ) Eddy County, New Mexico ( northwest ) Demographics Historical population Census Pop. % ± 1890 -- 1900 33 1,000.0 % 1910 249 654.5 % 1920 82 − 67.1 % 1930 195 137.8 % 1940 285 46.2 % 1950 227 − 20.4 % 1960 226 − 0.4 % 1970 164 − 27.4 % 1980 91 − 44.5 % 107 17.6 % 2000 67 − 37.4 % 82 22.4 % Est. 2016 113 37.8 % U.S. Decennial Census 1850 -- 2010 2010 -- 2014 As of the census of 2000, there were 67 people, 31 households, and 19 families living in the county. The population density was 0.1 people per square mile ( 0.03 / km ). There were 70 housing units at an average density of 0.1 per square mile ( 0.04 / km ). Of the 67 residents, 60 identified as White, no person identified themselves as Black, African American, Native American, Asian, or Pacific Islander. 6 identified as `` some other race '', and 1 person identified as belonging to two or more races. In addition, 7 people identified as being of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin of any race. It is one of only a few counties in the U.S. -- outside of the Northeast -- where the largest self - identified ancestry group is Irish American. There were 31 households out of which 5 had children under the age of 18 living with them, 17 were married couples living together, 2 had a female householder with no husband present, and 11 were non-families. Ten households were made up of individuals and 2 consisted of someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. Average household size was 2.16, while the average family size was 2.65. In the county, the population was spread out with 13 people under the age of 18, one between 18 and 24, 18 from 25 to 44, 24 from 45 to 64, and 11 who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 10 females there are 11.61 males. For every 10 females age 18 and over, there are 12.50 males. The median income for a household in the county was $40,000, and the median income for a family was $53,750. Males had a median income of $25,833 versus $0 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,084. Owing partly to its small and dispersed population, it also has the highest median per capita and household income of any county in Texas. Loving County was the only county in the United States with no people below the poverty line as of 2000. However, as of 2010, this is no longer true. The county had been the least populous county in the United States, with a 2010 census population of only 82 persons ( an increase of 22.4 % over the 2000 figure of 67 residents ), but the 2015 estimate by the US Census Bureau places it as the second least populous county in the US. With an average of only 0.0646 inhabitants / km ( 0.167 / sq mi ) as of 2015, the county is also the least densely populated county outside of Alaska. ( Lake and Peninsula Borough and North Slope Borough in Alaska are both lower, as is the Yukon - Koyukuk Census Area, which is not a county. ) The County is also unique for having the lowest percentage of people with college degrees ( Bachelors, Masters, Doctorate etc ) of any county in the US - 2.6 percent ( Graphiq.com ) Politics Presidential Elections Results Year Republican Democratic Third Parties 2016 89.2 % 58 6.2 % 4 4.6 % 3 2012 84.4 % 54 14.1 % 9 1.6 % 1 2008 84.8 % 67 15.2 % 12 81.3 % 65 15.0 % 12 3.8 % 3 2000 79.5 % 124 18.6 % 29 1.9 % 3 62.3 % 48 18.2 % 14 19.5 % 15 32.3 % 31 20.8 % 20 46.9 % 45 70.1 % 54 29.9 % 23 1984 78.1 % 57 21.9 % 16 1980 69.4 % 50 30.6 % 22 1976 54.7 % 47 40.7 % 35 4.7 % 4 1972 88.7 % 55 11.3 % 7 1968 28.4 % 23 22.2 % 18 49.4 % 40 1964 40.5 % 32 58.2 % 46 1.3 % 1 1960 44.2 % 42 48.4 % 46 7.4 % 7 1956 60.4 % 55 39.6 % 36 1952 74.7 % 71 25.3 % 24 1948 30.5 % 29 65.3 % 62 4.2 % 4 1944 21.4 % 18 71.4 % 60 7.1 % 6 1940 17.7 % 21 82.4 % 98 1936 12.9 % 21 72.4 % 118 14.7 % 24 1932 12.6 % 27 87.0 % 187 0.5 % 1 1928 37.5 % 6 62.5 % 10 1924 14.3 % 2 85.7 % 12 Loving County has voted for the Republican candidate in every presidential election since 1972, except in 1992 when the county backed independent candidate Ross Perot. The county also backed a third - party candidate in 1968, supporting George Wallace. There have been allegations of voter fraud in Loving County, going back as far as the 1940s. Economy Loving County 's economy is based almost entirely upon oil and gas drilling, ranching, and county services. Education Loving County is served by the Wink - Loving Independent School District. The county 's school system was closed and consolidated into Wink 's ISD in 1972 because the enrollment had fallen to two pupils. Communities Census - designated place Mentone Ghost towns Arno Porterville Hay Flat ( partly in Winkler County ) In popular culture `` Loving County '' is the name of a song written and performed by Charlie Robison. It appears on his 1998 album Life of the Party. See also National Register of Historic Places listings in Loving County, Texas References ^ Jump up to : `` Population and Housing Unit Estimates ''. Retrieved June 9, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Find a County ''. National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011 - 06 - 07. Jump up ^ `` Texas : Individual County Chronologies ''. Texas Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2008. Retrieved May 25, 2015. Jump up ^ Gannett, Henry ( 1905 ). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 191. Jump up ^ Loving County - Handbook of Texas Jump up ^ Odessa American Includes details on Edna Dewees, first elected female sheriff in Texas Jump up ^ http://delrionewsherald.com/story.lasso?ewcd=5d7ce5b73f13a119 Jump up ^ `` 2010 Census Gazetteer Files ''. United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved May 3, 2015. Jump up ^ `` U.S. Decennial Census ''. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 3, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Texas Almanac : Population History of Counties from 1850 -- 2010 '' ( PDF ). Texas Almanac. Retrieved May 3, 2015. Jump up ^ `` State & County QuickFacts ''. United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved December 19, 2013. Jump up ^ `` SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS 2006 - 2010 American Community Survey 5 - Year Estimates ''. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012 - 11 - 25. Jump up ^ `` Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics : 2010 Demographic Profile Data ''. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2014 - 03 - 05. Retrieved 2012 - 11 - 25. Jump up ^ Fact Finder at Census.gov Jump up ^ Texas Association of Counties Jump up ^ `` County Totals Dataset : Population, Population Change and Estimated Components of Population Change : April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015 ''. Archived from the original on July 8, 2016. Retrieved July 2, 2016. Jump up ^ http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS Jump up ^ Colloff, Pamela. `` Not - So - Loving County ''. Texas Monthly ( October 1997 ). Retrieved 28 April 2017. Jump up ^ Lyrics to the song `` Loving County '' External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Loving County, Texas. Loving County from the Handbook of Texas Online Contains valuable information on early history of Loving County. Loving County Texas Almanac Page Mentone from MyWestTexas.com Brief but detailed report on life in Mentone and Loving County. Includes several videos of Mentone and interviews with the local sheriff and judge. Loving County at Davickservices.com Numerous photos and stories about Loving County and Mentone. A small picture of the `` wanted '' poster for Mssrs. Pendarvis, Emory and Duncan may also be seen here Inventory of county records, Loving County Courthouse, Mentone, Texas, hosted by the Portal to Texas History Loving County Profile Detailed information about Loving County population. Places adjacent to Loving County, Texas Eddy County, New Mexico Lea County, New Mexico Reeves County Loving County, Texas Winkler County Reeves County Ward County Municipalities and communities of Loving County, Texas, United States County seat : Mentone CDP Mentone Ghost towns Porterville Counties of Texas Anderson Andrews Angelina Aransas Archer Armstrong Atascosa Austin Bailey Bandera Bastrop Baylor Bee Bell Bexar Blanco Borden Bosque Bowie Brazoria Brazos Brewster Briscoe Brooks Brown Burleson Burnet Caldwell Calhoun Callahan Cameron Camp Carson Cass Castro Chambers Cherokee Childress Clay Cochran Coke Coleman Collin Collingsworth Colorado Comal Comanche Concho Cooke Coryell Cottle Crane Crockett Crosby Culberson Dallam Dallas Dawson Deaf Smith Delta Denton DeWitt Dickens Dimmit Donley Duval Eastland Ector Edwards El Paso Ellis Erath Falls Fannin Fayette Fisher Floyd Foard Fort Bend Franklin Freestone Frio Gaines Galveston Garza Gillespie Glasscock Goliad Gonzales Gray Grayson Gregg Grimes Guadalupe Hale Hall Hamilton Hansford Hardeman Hardin Harris Harrison Hartley Haskell Hays Hemphill Henderson Hidalgo Hill Hockley Hood Hopkins Houston Howard Hudspeth Hunt Hutchinson Irion Jack Jackson Jasper Jeff Davis Jefferson Jim Hogg Jim Wells Johnson Jones Karnes Kaufman Kendall Kenedy Kent Kerr Kimble King Kinney Kleberg Knox La Salle Lamar Lamb Lampasas Lavaca Lee Leon Liberty Limestone Lipscomb Live Oak Llano Loving Lubbock Lynn Madison Marion Martin Mason Matagorda Maverick McCulloch McLennan McMullen Medina Menard Midland Milam Mills Mitchell Montague Montgomery Moore Morris Motley Nacogdoches Navarro Newton Nolan Nueces Ochiltree Oldham Orange Palo Pinto Panola Parker Parmer Pecos Polk Potter Presidio Rains Randall Reagan Real Red River Reeves Refugio Roberts Robertson Rockwall Runnels Rusk Sabine San Augustine San Jacinto San Patricio San Saba Schleicher Scurry Shackelford Shelby Sherman Smith Somervell Starr Stephens Sterling Stonewall Sutton Swisher Tarrant Taylor Terrell Terry Throckmorton Titus Tom Green Travis Trinity Tyler Upshur Upton Uvalde Val Verde Van Zandt Victoria Walker Waller Ward Washington Webb Wharton Wheeler Wichita Wilbarger Willacy Williamson Wilson Winkler Wise Wood Yoakum Young Zapata Zavala State of Texas Austin ( capital ) Topics Architecture Climate Cuisine Geography Government Healthcare History Languages Law Literature Media Newspapers Radio TV National Historic Landmarks Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks National Register of Historic Places Sites Sports Symbols Texans Tourist attractions Transportation Society Culture Crime Demographics Economy Education Gambling Politics Regions Ark ‐ La ‐ Tex Big Bend Blackland Prairies Brazos Valley Central Texas Coastal Bend Concho Valley Cross Timbers Deep East Texas East Texas Edwards Plateau Golden Triangle Hill Country Llano Estacado Northeast Texas North Texas Osage Plains Panhandle Permian Basin Piney Woods Rio Grande Valley Southeast Texas South Plains South Texas Texoma Trans - Pecos West Texas Metropolitan areas Abilene Amarillo Austin -- Round Rock Beaumont -- Port Arthur Brownsville -- Harlingen College Station -- Bryan Corpus Christi Dallas -- Fort Worth -- Arlington El Paso Houston -- The Woodlands -- Sugar Land Killeen -- Temple Laredo Longview Lubbock McAllen -- Edinburg -- Mission Midland Odessa San Angelo San Antonio -- New Braunfels Sherman -- Denison Texarkana Tyler Victoria Waco Wichita Falls Counties See : List of counties in Texas Coordinates : 31 ° 50 ′ N 103 ° 34 ′ W ﻿ / ﻿ 31.84 ° N 103.57 ° W ﻿ / 31.84 ; - 103.57 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Loving_County,_Texas&oldid=802531803 '' Categories : Texas counties Loving County, Texas 1931 establishments in Texas Populated places established in 1931 Hidden categories : Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2016 All articles containing potentially dated statements All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from May 2014 Coordinates on Wikidata Talk Contents About Wikipedia Languages Bân - lâm - gú Български Boarisch Cebuano Čeština Deutsch Eesti Español Euskara فارسی Français Gaeilge Հայերեն বিষ্ণুপ্রিয়া মণিপুরী Italiano Latina Magyar Mìng - dĕ̤ng - ngṳ̄ Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk پنجابی Plattdüütsch Polski Português Română Русский Shqip Simple English Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Українська اردو Tiếng Việt Winaray 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 26 September 2017, at 19 : 21. 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Question: what is the least populated county in the us
Answer: Kalawao County