Swisher County

Swisher County, Texas
Swisher County is in the transition area between the South Plains and the Panhandle, bordered on the east by Briscoe County, on the south by Hale and Floyd counties, on the west by Castro County, and on the north by Randall and Armstrong counties. The center of the county lies at 34°33' north latitude and 100°47' west longitude. Tulia, the county seat, is near the center of the county, seventy miles north of Lubbock and forty-five miles south of Amarillo. The area was named for James Gibson Swisher, a veteran of the Texas Revolution. Swisher County occupies 896 square miles of level plains broken only by Tule Creek and its three branches, North, Middle, and South Tule draws. These intermittent streams have no appreciable effect on the terrain until they converge into Tule Creek in the eastern part of the county. In the 1940s North Tule Draw was dammed to impound a small earthen reservoir; in 1974 Mackenzie Dam was completed on Tule Creek in the eastern part of the county, and Mackenzie Reservoir began to form. This lake, made to provide a municipal water supply for Silverton, Lockney, Tulia, and Floydada, became a major recreational facility as well. The soils of Swisher County range from alluvial silts to sandy types mixed with disintegrated rock to form an easily worked earth rich in humus. This soil supports an abundant variety of native grasses as well as wheat, corn, grain sorghum, and cotton crops. The county ranges in elevation from 3,000 to 3,600 feet above sea level, averages 18.94 inches of rain per year, and has an annual growing season averaging 205 days. The average minimum temperature is 24° F in January, and the average maximum is 93° in July. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Texas, -23° F, occurred in Tulia on February 12, 1899.
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.
Donald R. Abbe, John Leffler | © Texas State Historical Association
Swisher County at a Glance
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County Map of Texas
Swisher County
- Swisher County
Currently Exists
Yes
Place type
Swisher County is classified as a County
Altitude Range
3160 ft – 3735 ft
Places of Swisher County
Noteworthy | Place | Type |
---|---|---|
Adair | Town | |
Arby | Town | |
Auburn | Town | |
Bagley | Town | |
Center Plains | Town | |
Claytonville | Town | |
Community | Town | |
Dreka | Town | |
Eunice | Town | |
Fanchon | Town | |
Happy | Town | |
Henry | Town | |
Jackson | Town | |
Kaffir | Town | |
Kress | Town | |
Lakeview | Town | |
Liner | Town | |
Madison | Town | |
McKenzie | Town | |
Mitchell | Town | |
Nisbet | Town | |
Olga | Town | |
Pearl | Town | |
Price | Town | |
Taggart | Town | |
Tulia | Town | |
Twist | Town | |
Union Hall | Town | |
Vigo Park | Town | |
Whitfield | Town | |
Wright | Town | |
Wynne | Town | |
Zenith | Town |
Photos of Swisher County and surrounding areas

Swisher County, Texas
The Swisher County Courthouse is housed in the city of Tulia, Texas. Photograph by Larry D. Moore.

Swisher County, Texas
Map of Swisher County, Texas. Map Credit: Robert Plocheck.
Tulia, Texas
Tulia is a city in and the seat of Swisher County, Texas. Photograph by Fredlyfish4. Tulia

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Swisher County by the Numbers
Population & Civilian Labor Counts
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Population Counts
Swisher County
Pop. | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
7,397 | 2019 | United States Census Bureau |
Civilian Labor Counts
Swisher County
People | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
2,423 | 2019 | Texas Workforce Commission |
Per Capita Income
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Per Capita Income (USD) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
$41,977 | 2019 | U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis |
Property Values, Retail Sales, and Wages
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Property Values
Swisher County
USD ($) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
732,798,417 | 2019 | State Property Tax Board |
Retail Sales
Swisher County
USD ($) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
51,529,245 | 2019 | State Comptroller of Public Accounts |
Wages
Swisher County
USD ($) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
19,166,080 | 2019 | Texas Workforce Commission |
Unemployment
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Unemployment Percentage | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
5.6 | 2019 | Texas Workforce Commission |
Rainfall
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Rainfall (inches) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
21.6 | 2019 | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
Temperature Ranges
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Min. (January Average, °F) | Max. (July Average, °F) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|---|
22.0 | 91.9 | 2019 | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
Land Area & Total Area
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Land Area
Swisher County
Area (square miles) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
890.2 | 2019 | United States Census Bureau |
Total Area
Swisher County
Area (square miles) | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
900.7 | 2019 | United States Census Bureau |