County population in 2012: 10,879 (72% urban, 28% rural); it was 10,909 in 2000 County owner-occupied with a mortgage or a loan houses and condos in 2010: 1,138 County owner-occupied free and clear houses and condos in 2010: 1,919 County owner-occupied houses and condos in 2000: 3,098 Renter-occupied apartments: 938 (it was 866 in 2000)
% of renters here:
22%
State:
36%
Land area: 835 sq. mi. Water area: 0.3 sq. mi.
Population density: 13 people per square mile
(low).
Mar. 2012 cost of living index in Ward County: 77.7 (low, U.S. average is 100)
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Industries providing employment: Educational,health and social services (20.4%), Agriculture,forestry,fishing and hunting, and mining (19.4%).
Median real estate property taxes paid for housing units with mortgages in 2009: $456 (1.0%) Median real estate property taxes paid for housing units with no mortgage in 2009: $199 (0.5%)
Percentage of residents living in poverty in 2009: 14.3%
(13.0% for White Non-Hispanic residents, 10.8% for Black residents, 15.1% for Hispanic or Latino residents, 16.7% for American Indian residents, 22.9% for other race residents, 18.2% for two or more races residents) Median age of residents in 2010: 37 years old
(Males: 35 years old, Females: 37 years old)
(Median age for: White residents: 39 years old, Black residents: 26 years old, American Indian residents: 33 years old, Asian residents: 28 years old, Hispanic or Latino residents: 29 years old, Other race residents: 29 years old)
Residents with income below the poverty level in 2009:
This county:
17.9%
Whole state:
15.4%
Residents with income below 50% of the poverty level in 2009:
This county:
7.3%
Whole state:
6.7%
Fair market rent in 2006 for a 1-bedroom apartment in Ward County is $407 a month. Fair market rent for a 2-bedroom apartment is $484 a month. Fair market rent for a 3-bedroom apartment is $603 a month.
Lakes and reservoirs: Horseshoe Lake (A), Soda Lake (B), Ozark Lake (C), China Lake (D), Hackberry Lake (E), Tank on the Hill (F), The Lake (G), Division Tank (H). Display/hide their locations on the map
Current college students: 253 People 25 years of age or older with a high school degree or higher: 70.1% People 25 years of age or older with a bachelor's degree or higher: 12.4%
Number of foreign born residents: 719 (49% naturalized citizens)
Ward County:
6.6%
Whole state:
13.9%
Year of entry for the foreign-born population
1995 to March 2000: 55
1990 to 1994: 79
1985 to 1989: 122
1980 to 1984: 78
1975 to 1979: 141
1970 to 1974: 66
1970 to 1974: 58
1965 to 1969: 120
Mean travel time to work (commute): 19.3 minutes
Percentage of county residents living and working in this county: 74.0%
Housing units in structures:
One, detached: 3,509
One, attached: 118
Two: 78
3 or 4: 111
5 to 9: 72
10 to 19: 78
20 or more: 113
Mobile homes: 748
Boats, RVs, vans, etc.: 5
Housing units in Ward County with a mortgage: 945 (8 second mortgage, 24 home equity loan, 0 both second mortgage and home equity loan) Houses without a mortgage: 1,508
Here:
38.5% with mortgage
State:
64.2% with mortgage
Religion statistics:
Percentage of population affiliated with a religious congregations: 78.24%
Here
78.2%
USA
50.2%
Total adherents: 8,535 Total congregations: 32
Adherents
Breakdown of population affiliated with a religious congregations
Name
Southern Baptist Convention
Catholic Church
United Methodist Church
Churches of Christ
Non-Charismatic Churches Independent
Adherents
3,270 (38.3%)
3,005 (35.2%)
717 (8.4%)
460 (5.4%)
300 (3.5%)
Congregations
8 (25.0%)
2 (6.3%)
3 (9.4%)
7 (21.9%)
1 (3.1%)
Name
Assemblies of God
LDS (Mormon) Church
International Church of the Foursquare Gospel
Presbyterian Church (USA)
Other
Adherents
202 (2.4%)
139 (1.6%)
119 (1.4%)
110 (1.3%)
213 (2.5%)
Congregations
2 (6.3%)
1 (3.1%)
1 (3.1%)
2 (6.3%)
5 (15.6%)
Source: Jones, Dale E., et al. 2002. Congregations and Membership in the United States 2000. Nashville, TN: Glenmary Research Center.
Average size of farms: 5414 acres Average value of agricultural products sold per farm: $19,545 The value of nursery, greenhouse, floriculture, and sod as a percentage of the total market value of agricultural products sold: 0.00% Average total farm production expenses per farm: $22,080 Harvested cropland as a percentage of land in farms: 0.09% Average market value of all machinery and equipment per farm: $20,006 The percentage of farms operated by a family or individual: 93.02% Average age of principal farm operators: 57 years Average number of cattle and calves per 100 acres of all land in farms: 0.64 Land in orchards: 21 acres
Tornado activity:
Ward County historical area-adjusted tornado activity is below Texas state average. It is 1.2 times below overall U.S. average. Tornadoes in this county have caused 18 injuries recorded between 1950 and 2004. On 4/19/1977, a category 3 (max. wind speeds 158-206 mph) tornado injured 18 people and caused between $500,000 and $5,000,000 in damages.
Earthquake activity:
Ward County-area historical earthquake activity is above Texas state average. It is 90% smaller than the overall U.S. average.
On 4/14/1995 at 00:32:56, a magnitude 5.7 (5.6 MB, 5.7 MS, 5.7 MW, Depth: 11.1 mi, Class: Moderate, Intensity: VI - VII) earthquake occurred 88.2 miles away from the county center On 1/2/1992 at 11:45:35, a magnitude 5.0 (4.6 MB, 5.0 LG, Depth: 3.1 mi) earthquake occurred 56.7 miles away from the county center On 4/15/1995 at 14:33:29, a magnitude 4.0 (4.0 LG, Depth: 6.2 mi, Class: Light, Intensity: IV - V) earthquake occurred 88.1 miles away from the county center On 11/12/1995 at 17:45:59, a magnitude 3.6 (3.6 LG, Depth: 6.2 mi, Class: Light, Intensity: II - III) earthquake occurred 86.5 miles away from Ward County center On 4/15/1998 at 10:33:42, a magnitude 3.6 (3.6 LG, Depth: 6.2 mi) earthquake occurred 93.5 miles away from the county center On 6/1/1995 at 01:06:15, a magnitude 3.5 (3.5 LG, Depth: 6.2 mi) earthquake occurred 86.5 miles away from the county center Magnitude types: regional Lg-wave magnitude (LG), body-wave magnitude (MB), surface-wave magnitude (MS), moment magnitude (MW)
Most recent natural disasters:
Texas Wildfires, Incident Period: March 14, 2008 to September 1, 2008, Emergency Declared (EM-3284): March 14, 2008, FEMA Id: FEMA-EM-3284, Natural disaster type: Fire
Texas Hurricane Rita, Incident Period: September 23, 2005 to October 14, 2005, Major Disaster (Presidential) Declared (DR-1606): September 24, 2005, FEMA Id: FEMA-DR-1606, Natural disaster type: Hurricane
Texas Hurricane Rita, Incident Period: September 20, 2005 to October 14, 2005, Emergency Declared (EM-3261): September 21, 2005, FEMA Id: FEMA-EM-3261, Natural disaster type: Hurricane
Texas Hurricane Katrina, Incident Period: August 29, 2005 to October 1, 2005, Emergency Declared (EM-3216): September 2, 2005, FEMA Id: FEMA-EM-3216, Natural disaster type: Hurricane
Texas Extreme Fire Hazards, Incident Period: August 1, 1999 to December 10, 1999, Emergency Declared (EM-3142): September 1, 1999, FEMA Id: FEMA-EM-3142, Natural disaster type: Fire
The number of natural disasters in Ward County (5) is smaller than the US average (12). Major Disasters (Presidential) Declared: 1 Emergencies Declared: 4
Material moving workers except laborers and material movers, hand (7%)
Vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics, installers, and repairers (6%)
Extraction workers (5%)
Laborers and material movers, hand (5%)
Electrical equipment mechanics and other installation, maintenance, and repair occupations including supervisors (5%)
Law enforcement workers including supervisors (4%)
Preschool, kindergarten, elementary and middle school teachers (8%)
Cashiers (6%)
Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides (5%)
Other office and administrative support workers including supervisors (5%)
Registered nurses (5%)
Information and record clerks except customer service representatives (5%)
Other management occupations except farmers and farm managers (4%)
Most common places of birth for the foreign-born residents (%):
Mexico (95%)
Canada (2%)
Sweden (1%)
Germany (1%)
Other Australian and New Zealand Subregion (0%)
Panama (0%)
Most common first ancestries reported in Ward County (%):
United States or American (13%)
German (7%)
Irish (6%)
English (5%)
Scotch-Irish (2%)
French (except Basque) (1%)
Dutch (1%)
Means of transportation to work:
Drove a car alone: 3,009 (78%)
Carpooled: 616 (16%)
Motorcycle: 2 (0%)
Bicycle: 28 (1%)
Walked: 72 (2%)
Other means: 57 (1%)
Worked at home: 60 (2%)
Owners and renters by unit type in %
Breakdown of mean house values by ages of householders
People in group quarters in Ward County, Texas in 2000:
232 people in training schools for juvenile delinquents
72 people in local jails and other confinement facilities (including police lockups)
54 people in nursing homes
6 people in homes for the mentally retarded
5 people in agriculture workers' dormitories on farms
People in group quarters in Ward County, Texas in 2010:
54 people in local jails and other municipal confinement facilities
54 people in nursing facilities/skilled-nursing facilities
17 people in correctional facilities intended for juveniles
Average gross adjusted income of non-migrant taxpayers in this county in 2005 was $44,857.
8.20% of this county's 2006 resident taxpayers lived in other counties in 2005 ($30,637 average adjusted gross income)
Here:
8.20%
Texas average:
8.37%
10 or fewer of this county's residents moved from foreign countries.
6.25% relocated from other counties in Texas ($23,779 average AGI)
1.96% relocated from other states ($6,858 average AGI)
Ward County:
1.96%
Texas average:
3.06%
Percentage of residents relocating from other counties or countries
Top counties from which taxpayers relocated into this county between 2005 and 2006:
8.39% of this county's 2005 resident taxpayers moved to other counties in 2006 ($31,747 average adjusted gross income)
Here:
8.39%
Texas average:
7.44%
10 or fewer of this county's residents moved to foreign countries.
7.23% relocated to other counties in Texas ($27,688 average AGI)
1.17% relocated to other states ($4,056 average AGI)
Ward County:
1.17%
Texas average:
2.17%
Percentage of residents relocating to other counties or countries
Top counties to which taxpayers relocated from this county between 2005 and 2006:
Births per 1000 population from 1990 to 1999: 14.4 Births per 1000 population from 2000 to 2006: 14.8
Births per 1000 population in Ward County
Deaths per 1000 population from 1990 to 1999: 8.9 Deaths per 1000 population from 2000 to 2006: 10.1
Deaths per 1000 population in Ward County
Infant deaths per 1000 live births from 1990 to 1999: 6.8 Infant deaths per 1000 live births from 2000 to 2006: 4.8
Infant deaths per 1000 live births in Ward County
Persons enrolled in hospital insurance and/or supplemental medical insurance (Medicare) in July 1, 2003: 1,778 (1,516 aged, 262 disabled) Population without health insurance coverage in 2000: 19% Children under 18 without health insurance coverage in 2000: 19%
Short term general hospitals per 100,000 population in 2004: 9.65 Short term general hospital admissions per 100,000 population in 2004: 4846.500 Short term general hospital beds per 100,000 population in 2004: 241.360 Emergency room visits per 100,000 population in 2004: 44931.45
General practice office based MDs per 100,000 population in 2005: 1582.490 Medical specialist MDs per 100,000 population in 2005: 986.620 Dentists per 100,000 population in 1998: 19.54
Total births per 100,000 population, July 2005 - July 2006 : 16.95 Total deaths per 100,000 population, July 2005 - July 2006: 97.68
Household type by relationship:
Households: 10,533
In family households: 9,220 (2,024 male householders, 821 female householders)
2,082 spouses, 3,223 children (2,861 natural, 102 adopted, 260 stepchildren), 459 grandchildren, 83 brothers or sisters, 86 parents, 120 other relatives, 241 non-relatives
In nonfamily households: 1,313 (556 male householders (469 living alone)), 594 female householders (547 living alone)), 163 nonrelatives
In group quarters: 125 (all institutionalized)
Size of family households: 1,188 2-persons, 631 3-persons, 501 4-persons, 320 5-persons, 136 6-persons, 69 7-or-more-persons.
63.9% of residents of Ward County speak English at home.
35.5% of residents speak Spanish at home (63% speak English very well, 22% speak English well, 9% speak English not well, 6% don't speak English at all).
0.5% of residents speak other Indo-European language at home (92% speak English very well, 8% speak English not well).
In fiscal year 2004:
Federal Government expenditure: $60,696,000 ($5860 per capita) Department of Defense expenditure: $1,360,000 Federal direct payments to individuals for retirement and disability: $25,403,000 Federal other direct payments to individuals: $14,515,000 Federal direct payments not to individuals: $405,000 Federal grants: $17,942,000 Federal procurement contracts: $1,101,000 ($772,000 Department of Defense) Federal salaries and wages: $1,330,000 ($0,000 Department of Defense) Federal Government direct loans: $7,000 Federal guaranteed/insured loans: $2,396,000 Federal Government insurance: $140,000
Population change from April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2005:
Births: 765
Here:
75 per 1000 residents
State:
85 per 1000 residents
Deaths: 524
Here:
51 per 1000 residents
State:
35 per 1000 residents
Net international migration: +23
Here:
+2 per 1000 residents
State:
+29 per 1000 residents
Net internal migration: -912
Here:
-89 per 1000 residents
State:
+10 per 1000 residents
Population growth in Ward County
Total withdrawal of fresh water for public supply: 7.94 millions of gallons per day (all from ground)
60% of Ward County residents lived in the same house 5 years ago. Out of people who lived in different houses, 54% lived in this county. Out of people who lived in different counties, 83% lived in Texas.
Ward County:
60.3%
State average:
51.6%
Place of birth for U.S.-born residents:
This state: 8523
Northeast: 102
Midwest: 363
South: 553
West: 616
Median price asked for vacant for-sale houses in 2000: $11,700
Housing units lacking complete plumbing facilities: 5%
Housing units lacking complete kitchen facilities: 7%
Year Householders Moved Into Unit:
Most commonly used house heating fuel in Ward County
37.0 years
33.0 years
(51.1%)
(48.9%)
, Ector County 
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, Reeves County 
, Winkler County 
.
