Culberson County is located in the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas. It is bordered by New Mexico to the north and by Hudspeth, Reeves, and Jeff Davis counties in Texas. Van Horn, the county seat, is approximately 120 miles east of El Paso in the southwestern part of the county. Big Country Celebration is held in Van Horn in June. With the completion of U.S. Highway 62 in 1926, the increasing viability of automobile travel, and the relative proximity of Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, Big Bend in Presidio County, and the Guadalupe Mountains in northern Culberson County, tourism has become increasingly important to the local economy. Culberson County, FIPSCODE 48109, is the 230th largest of the 254 counties in Texas, with an estimated population of 2,975 in 2000. The county consists of 3813 square miles with a 2000 population density of 0.8 residents per square mile. The average density in Texas is 79.6 persons per square mile which is the same as the national average. Rainfall in Culberson County averages 13.1 inches per year as compared to the Texas average of 28.1 inches per year.
FARMING
The average growing season in Culberson County is 224 days with the first freeze generally occurring around November 10. Texas is so climatically diverse that statewide averages are irrelevant as a means of comparison.
Farming
1987
1997
Number of Farms
74
92
Acres of Farmland
1,606,076
1,569,227
Average Size of Farm (acres)
21,704
17,057
POPULATION
According to the Census, Culberson County's population changed -13 percent from 1990 to 2000. The county's population was 3,407 in 1990 and 2,975 in 2000, an increase of -432. In 2000, the median age was 32.8 years versus a statewide average of 32.3 years and a national average of 35.3 years. The Texas Department of Human Services reported there were 48 births and 23 deaths in Culberson County in 2000.
The 2000 Census estimates for Texas show a population composition as follows:
Age Breakdown
Culberson County
Texas
Under 18
32.2%
28.2%
18-24
7.8%
10.5%
25-44
25.8%
31.1%
45-64
23.0%
20.2%
65+
11.2%
9.9%
The 2000 Census Bureau's race/ethnic distribution estimates are as follows:
Group
Culberson County
Culberson County (Percent)
Texas
Texas (Percent)
White
2,051
69%
14,799,505
71.0%
Black
21
1%
2,404,566
11.5%
Hispanic
2,149
72%
6,669,666
32.0%
Asian
17
1%
562,319
2.7%
American Indian and Alaska Native
14
0%
118,362
0.6%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
0
0%
14,434
0.1%
"Numbers may add up to more than the total population and more than 100 percent
because individuals may report more than one race."
HOUSEHOLDS
The county had approximately 1,052 households in 2000 according to the Census. This represents an average of 2.82 persons per household. The housing per square mile rate was 11.2 percent and the county's homeowner rate was 70.8 percent.
The mean travel time to work was 13.1 minutes compared to a state average of 25.4 minutes. The number of people over 16 who commuted to work was 1,262 while the number that worked at home was 45. The commuting to work breakdown was as follows: drove alone (943), carpooled (198), public transportation (14), walked (40), and other means (22).
EDUCATION
According to the Census, 888 people in Culberson County were enrolled in school in 2000. Countywide, 56.1 percent had a high school diploma or higher and 13.9 percent had a bachelor's degree or higher. The equivalent statewide figures for a high school diploma or higher and a bachelor's degree or higher were 75.7 percent and 23.2 percent, respectively.
SCHOOL ENROLLMENT Population 3 years and over enrolled in school
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
Population 25 years and over
Nursery school, preschool
36
Less than 9th grade
474
Kindergarten
69
9th to 12th grade, no diploma
307
Elementary school (grades 1-8)
417
High school graduate
492
High school (grades 9-12)
255
Some college, no degree
215
College or graduate school
111
Associate degree
46
Bachelor's degree
183
Graduate or professional degree
64
Total
888
1,781
FISCAL INFORMATION
In 1999, the Health and Human Services Commission's poverty estimates for Culberson County was 1,156 or 28.18 percent of the non-institutional population. Approximately 3,307,787 Texans or 16.54 percent of the total population fell beneath the poverty line in 1999; this exceeded the U.S. poverty rate of 11.8 percent. There were 580 people enrolled in Medicaid in April 2002 with 339 of those being under the age of 18.
The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts reported total state expenditures of $9,454,033 for Culberson County in their "State Expenditures by County 2000" report. The State spent $2,597,641 on public assistance and $1,894,814 on highway construction and maintenance in Culberson County. During the third quarter of 2001, gross sales for all industries totaled $17,362,284. Comparing the third quarter of 2000 to the third quarter of 2001, gross sales changed 1 percent (from $17,271,086). The county had 1 bank offices in 2001, as reported by the FDIC, with total deposits of $17 million. This represents 0.01 percent of total deposits in Texas ($243,390 billion).
LABOR FORCE
The county civilian labor force was 1,077 in March 2002 reflecting an increase from the March 2001 level of 1,029. According to the Texas Workforce Commission, total unemployment in March 2002 was 96 contrasted to the March 2001 total of 58. The Culberson County unemployment rate for March 2002 was 8.9 percent compared to the March 2001 rate of 5.6 percent. The statewide unemployment rate was 5.6 percent in March 2002 and 4.2 percent in March 2001.
In the first quarter of 2001, Culberson County had 959 employed persons and an average weekly wage of $369.
Industry
Jobs
Percentage
Natural Resources & Mining
130
14%
Construction
0
0%
Manufacturing
0
0%
Trade, Transportation & Utilities
236
26%
Information
0
0%
Financial Activities
0
0%
Professional & Business Services
8
1%
Education & Health Services
0
0%
Leisure & Hospitality
187
19%
Other Services
12
1%
Nonclassifiable
25
3%
Federal Government
54
6%
State Government
30
3%
Local Government
277
29%
Distances from the county seat of Van Horn (Miles)
BROOKSHIER PECAN FARM
CULBERSON COUNTY ISD
DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR
HIGH COUNTY VENTURES INC
MILWHITE INC
PILOT OIL CORPORATION
PUEBLO MARKET
QUALITY EMPLOYEES INC
TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES
VAN HORN - CITY OF
Employers are listed alphabetically with no ranking intended.
Resources
For more Texas county data visit
The Texas Association of Counties - http://www.county.org
