Gaines County

Gaines County, Texas
Gaines County, on the southern High Plains of West Texas, is bordered on the west by New Mexico, on the south by Andrews County, on the east by Dawson County, and on the north by Yoakum and Terry counties. Its center point is at 32°45' north latitude and 102°57' west longitude, about eighty miles southwest of Lubbock. The county was named for James Gaines, a merchant who signed the Texas Declaration of Independence. Gaines County covers 1,489 square miles of rolling land that drains to scattered playas and draws. Sandy loam and sandy soils lie over the county's red-clay subsoil and support a growth of mesquite, shinnery, and catclaw. Cedar Lake (called Laguna Salinas by the Spanish), in northeastern Gaines County, is the largest salt lake on the Texas plains. The county's elevation ranges from 3,000 to 3,600 feet above sea level, and its annual average rainfall is 15.83 inches. The average minimum temperature in January is 16° F; the average maximum in July is 94°. The county has a 210-day growing season. The agricultural components of the local economy earn about $92 million annually from cotton (Gaines County ranks second among cotton-producing counties in Texas), sorghums, vegetables, peanuts, sunflowers, peaches, pecans, cattle, sheep, and hogs. Irrigated land amounts to about 400,000 acres. Gaines County is also one of the state's leading oil counties; it produced 42,810,261 barrels in 1990.
Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.
William R. Hunt | © Texas State Historical Association
Gaines County at a Glance
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County Map of Texas
Gaines County
- Gaines County
Currently Exists
Yes
Place type
Gaines County is classified as a County
Altitude Range
2935 ft – 3695 ft
Places of Gaines County
Noteworthy | Place | Type |
---|---|---|
Ashmore | Town | |
Bessie | Town | |
Blue Goose | Town | |
Blythe | Town | |
Caput | Town | |
Cedar Lake | Town | |
Craddock | Town | |
Eclipse | Town | |
Fairview | Town | |
Hatchton | Town | |
Higginbotham | Town | |
Ida | Town | |
Logsdon | Town | |
Loop | Town | |
Loop | Town | |
Parkinson | Town | |
Paynes Corner | Town | |
Seagraves | Town | |
Seminole | Town | |
Stanley | Town | |
State Line | Town | |
Trixie | Town | |
White City | Town | |
Wyly | Town | |
Yoca | Town |
Photos of Gaines County and surrounding areas

Gaines County, Texas
Gaines County Courthouse in Seminole, the seat of Gaines County, Texas. Photograph by Carol M. Highsmith.

Gaines County, Texas
Map of Gaines County, Texas. Map Credit: Robert Plocheck.

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Gaines County by the Numbers
Population & Civilian Labor Counts
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Population Counts
Gaines County
Pop. | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
21,492 | 2019 | United States Census Bureau |
Civilian Labor Counts
Gaines County
People | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
9,416 | 2019 | Texas Workforce Commission |
Per Capita Income
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Per Capita Income (USD) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
$36,009 | 2019 | U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis |
Property Values, Retail Sales, and Wages
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Property Values
Gaines County
USD ($) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
3,931,885,655 | 2019 | State Property Tax Board |
Retail Sales
Gaines County
USD ($) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
305,335,950 | 2019 | State Comptroller of Public Accounts |
Wages
Gaines County
USD ($) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
95,128,618 | 2019 | Texas Workforce Commission |
Unemployment
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Unemployment Percentage | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
6.7 | 2019 | Texas Workforce Commission |
Rainfall
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Rainfall (inches) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
18.4 | 2019 | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
Temperature Ranges
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Min. (January Average, °F) | Max. (July Average, °F) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|---|
27.7 | 93.4 | 2019 | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
Land Area & Total Area
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Land Area
Gaines County
Area (square miles) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
1,502.4 | 2019 | United States Census Bureau |
Total Area
Gaines County
Area (square miles) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
1,502.9 | 2019 | United States Census Bureau |