# Lubbock County, Texas

Lubbock County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 census placed the population at 310,639. Its county seat and largest city is Lubbock. The county was created in 1876 and organized in 1891. It is named for Thomas Saltus Lubbock, a Confederate colonel and Texas Ranger (some sources give his first name as Thompson).
Lubbock County, along with Crosby County, and Lynn County, is part of the Lubbock Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The Lubbock MSA and Levelland Micropolitan Statistical Area, encompassing only Hockley County, form the larger Lubbock–Levelland Combined Statistical Area.

## Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 901 square miles (2,330 km$^2$), of which 896 square miles (2,320 km$^2$) are land and 5.1 square miles (13 km$^2$) (0.6%) are covered by water.

### Major highways

* Interstate 27
* U.S. Route 62/U.S. Route 82
* U.S. Route 84
* U.S. Route 87
* State Highway 114
* Loop 289

### Adjacent counties

* Hale County (north)
* Crosby County (east)
* Lynn County (south)
* Hockley County (west)
* Lamb County (northwest)
* Terry County (southwest)
* Garza County (southeast)
* Floyd County (northeast)

## Demographics

Lubbock 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) | 151,705 | 159,815 | 154,994 | 62.53% | 57.32% | 49.90% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 18,184 | 19,957 | 25,663 | 7.49% | 7.16% | 8.26% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 815 | 1,026 | 1,436 | 0.34% | 0.37% | 0.46% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 3,081 | 5,650 | 9,490 | 1.27% | 2.03% | 3.05% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 49 | 161 | 180 | 0.02% | 0.06% | 0.06% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 146 | 284 | 968 | 0.06% | 0.10% | 0.31% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 2,039 | 3,014 | 8,738 | 0.84% | 1.08% | 2.81% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 66,609 | 88,924 | 109,170 | 27.45% | 31.89% | 35.14% |
| Total | 242,628 | 278,831 | 310,639 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the census of 2000, 242,628 people, 92,516 households, and 60,135 families resided in the county. The population density was 270 people per square mile (100 people/km$^2$). The 100,595 housing units averaged 112 units per square mile (43/km$^2$). The racial makeup of the county was 74.30% White, 7.67% Black or African American, 0.59% Native American, 1.31% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 14.15% from other races, and 1.96% from two or more races. About 27.45% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Of the 92,516 households, 31.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.20% were married couples living together, 12.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.00% were not families. About 26.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the county, the population was distributed as 25.70% under the age of 18, 16.30% from 18 to 24, 27.90% from 25 to 44, 19.20% from 45 to 64, and 11.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,198, and for a family was $41,067. Males had a median income of $29,961 versus $21,591 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,323. About 12.00% of families and 17.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.60% of those under age 18 and 10.70% of those age 65 or over.

## Elected leadership

| Legislative Representation | Name | Service |
| United States Congress, District 19 | Jodey Arrington | 2017 – Present |
| State Senator, District 28 | Charles Perry | 2014 – Present |
| State Representative, District 83 | Dustin Burrows | 2015 – Present |
| State Representative, District 84 | Carl Tepper | 2023 – Present |
| County Elected Leadership | Name | Service |
| County Judge | Curtis Parrish | 2019 – present |
| County Commissioner Pct 1 | Terence Kovar | 2021 – present |
| County Commissioner Pct 2 | Jason Corley | 2019 – present |
| County Commissioner Pct 3 | Gilbert Flores | 2017 – present |
| County Commissioner Pct 4 | Jordan Rackler | 2023 – present |
| District Attorney | K. Sunshine Stanek | 2018 – present |
| District Clerk | Sara Smith | 2022 – present |
| County Clerk | Kelly Pinon | 2007 – present |
| County Sheriff | Kelly Rowe | 2009 – present |
| County Tax Assessor-collector | Ronnie Keister | 2009 – present |
| County Treasurer | Chris Winn | 2015 – present |

## Politics

At the presidential level, Lubbock County votes predominantly Republican, having voted Democratic for president only once in the past 70 years, a trend which began with native son Dwight D. Eisenhower heading the ticket in 1952 and 1956, reversing a trend typical of the Solid South. In the 2020 Presidential election, Joe Biden's percentage (a best for a Democrat since 1976), was due to Biden winning precincts within the city highway loop in Lubbock. The heavy Republican lean of the county is mostly due to Republican landslide victories in precincts located outside the city highway loop in the county.
In October 2023, Lubbock County Commissioners passed a "Sanctuary County for the Unborn" ordinance. The ordinance outlaws "the act of transporting another person along their roads for an abortion." The ordinance is of questionable constitutionality, given the right to interstate travel under the U.S. Constitution.
United States presidential election results for Lubbock County, Texas :
| Year | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Third party(ies) | Third party(ies) |
| Year | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
| 2024 | 86,547 | 69.22% | 37,148 | 29.71% | 1,343 | 1.07% |
| 2020 | 78,861 | 65.27% | 40,017 | 33.12% | 1,939 | 1.60% |
| 2016 | 65,651 | 66.31% | 28,023 | 28.30% | 5,339 | 5.39% |
| 2012 | 63,469 | 69.61% | 26,271 | 28.81% | 1,444 | 1.58% |
| 2008 | 66,304 | 67.98% | 30,486 | 31.26% | 744 | 0.76% |
| 2004 | 70,135 | 75.29% | 22,472 | 24.12% | 544 | 0.58% |
| 2000 | 56,054 | 73.75% | 18,469 | 24.30% | 1,485 | 1.95% |
| 1996 | 47,304 | 63.50% | 22,786 | 30.59% | 4,399 | 5.91% |
| 1992 | 48,847 | 58.95% | 22,240 | 26.84% | 11,771 | 14.21% |
| 1988 | 50,760 | 69.26% | 22,202 | 30.29% | 330 | 0.45% |
| 1984 | 57,151 | 74.98% | 18,793 | 24.66% | 275 | 0.36% |
| 1980 | 46,711 | 68.83% | 18,732 | 27.60% | 2,424 | 3.57% |
| 1976 | 38,478 | 60.40% | 24,797 | 38.92% | 432 | 0.68% |
| 1972 | 43,564 | 73.47% | 15,353 | 25.89% | 379 | 0.64% |
| 1968 | 25,646 | 51.13% | 15,430 | 30.77% | 9,078 | 18.10% |
| 1964 | 17,372 | 44.02% | 22,057 | 55.89% | 34 | 0.09% |
| 1960 | 20,065 | 56.35% | 15,340 | 43.08% | 202 | 0.57% |
| 1956 | 13,970 | 52.57% | 12,540 | 47.19% | 66 | 0.25% |
| 1952 | 16,137 | 57.95% | 11,650 | 41.84% | 58 | 0.21% |
| 1948 | 2,837 | 18.66% | 11,114 | 73.08% | 1,256 | 8.26% |
| 1944 | 1,169 | 10.77% | 7,654 | 70.50% | 2,033 | 18.73% |
| 1940 | 1,283 | 13.63% | 8,113 | 86.19% | 17 | 0.18% |
| 1936 | 622 | 8.81% | 6,425 | 90.97% | 16 | 0.23% |
| 1932 | 590 | 9.91% | 5,330 | 89.53% | 33 | 0.55% |
| 1928 | 3,079 | 60.79% | 1,979 | 39.07% | 7 | 0.14% |
| 1924 | 411 | 17.54% | 1,740 | 74.26% | 192 | 8.19% |
| 1920 | 204 | 14.05% | 1,180 | 81.27% | 68 | 4.68% |
| 1916 | 34 | 4.87% | 633 | 90.69% | 31 | 4.44% |
| 1912 | 16 | 3.73% | 366 | 85.31% | 47 | 10.96% |

## Communities
### Cities

* Abernathy (mostly in Hale County)
* Idalou
* Lubbock (county seat)
* Shallowater
* Wolfforth

### Towns

* New Deal
* Ransom Canyon
* Slaton

### Village

* Buffalo Springs

### Unincorporated communities

* Acuff
* Becton
* Canyon
* Estacado (partly in Crosby County)
* Hurlwood
* Liberty
* Posey
* Reese Center
* Reese Air Force Base (Defunct)
* Roosevelt
* Slide
* Woodrow

### Ghost towns

* Broadview
* Carlisle
* Heckville
* Kitalou
* Midway
* Reese Village
* Union

## Education

School districts serving the county include:
* Abernathy Independent School District
* Lubbock-Cooper Independent School District
* Frenship Independent School District
* Idalou Independent School District
* Lorenzo Independent School District
* Lubbock Independent School District
* New Deal Independent School District
* Roosevelt Independent School District
* Shallowater Independent School District
* Slaton Independent School District
* Southland Independent School District
The county is in the service area of South Plains College.
Texas Tech University is in Lubbock.