Howard County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. At the 2020 census, its population was 34,860.^[1] Its county seat is Big Spring.^[2] The county was created in 1876 and organized in 1882.^[3] It is named for Volney E. Howard, a U.S. Congressman from Texas.^[4]

Parts of this article (those related to demographics) need to be updated. (March 2019)

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Howard County
County
Howard County Court House in downtown Big Spring
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 32°19′N 101°26′W
Country	United States
State	Texas
Founded	1882
Named for	Volney E. Howard
Seat	Big Spring
Largest city	Big Spring
Area
• Total	904 sq mi (2,340 km2)
• Land	901 sq mi (2,330 km2)
• Water	3 sq mi (8 km2)  0.4%
Population  (2020)
• Total	34,860
• Density	39/sq mi (15/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	19th
Website	www.co.howard.tx.us

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Howard County is included in the Big Spring, Texas micropolitan statistical area.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 904 square miles (2,340 km²), of which 901 square miles (2,330 km²) are land and 3.4 square miles (8.8 km²) (0.4%) are covered by water.^[5]

Howard County is located at the boundary between the Llano Estacado to the north and the Edwards Plateau to the south. Beals Creek, a tributary of the Colorado River, flows through the center of Big Spring and divides these two major physiographic regions.

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 can be of any race.

As the 2000 census,^[10] there were 33,627 people, 11,389 households and 7,949 families residing in the county. The population density was 37 people per square mile (14 people/km²). There were 13,589 housing units at an average density of 15 units per square mile (5.8/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 80.14% White, 4.13% Black or African American, 0.59% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 12.43% from other races, and 2.10% from two or more races. 37.46% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 11,389 households, of which 32.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.30% were married couples living together, 12.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.20% were non-families. 26.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.07.

24.20% of the population were under the age of 18, 9.00% from 18 to 24, 30.90% from 25 to 44, 21.30% from 45 to 64, and 14.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 118.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 122.50 males.

The median household income was $30,805 and the median family income was $37,262. Males had a median income of $28,971 and females $21,390. The per capita income was $15,027. About 14.50% of families and 18.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.70% of those under age 18 and 15.50% of those age 65 or over.

According to the United States Census Bureau Howard County, Texas has an estimated population of 36,459 as of July 1, 2018. That's a 4.1% increase from the 2010 census. 21.7% of the people are under 18 years old and 12.9% are older than 65 years old. Of the current population, 42.8% are female. In regards to race, 87.8% are white, 7.3% are black and 42.4% are Hispanic. The owner occupied housing rate is at 68.1%, with the median value of owner occupied housing being $85,700. High School graduates make up 82.1% of the population while only 12.9% have a Bachelor's degree or higher.^[11]

The county is served by a daily newspaper, local radio stations KBST (AM), KBST-FM, KBTS (FM), KBYG (AM), nearby stations KBXJ (FM), KPET (AM) and KWDC (FM), and the various Midland and Odessa radio and TV stations.

From 1912 through 1964, Howard County voters, in common with the Solid South, voted predominantly for the Democratic candidate in presidential elections. Since 1980, the trend has swung to voting chiefly for the Republican candidate.

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Howard County, Texas
• Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Howard County