Panola County, Texas


Panola County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 22,491, with its county seat in Carthage. Located in East Texas and originally developed for cotton plantations, the county's name is derived from a Choctaw word for cotton.
Until 2013, Panola County was one of about 30 entirely dry counties in Texas: the sale of alcohol was restricted or prohibited.
WWW co.panola.tx.us

History

Jonathon Anderson, a migrant from the United States and founder of Panola County, donated nearly 100 acres of land in the 1800s to get the county started. Panola County was formed in 1846 from sections of Harrison and Shelby counties. Developed for cotton plantations, it was named after a Choctaw/Chickasaw word for cotton. In the antebellum years, planters used enslaved African Americans as workers on their large plantations. After the Civil War, freedmen worked largely as tenant farmers and sharecroppers in this area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which are land and are covered by water.

Major highways

The TTC-69 component of the once-planned Trans-Texas Corridor went through Panola County.

Adjacent counties and parishes

Communities

Cities

Town

Unincorporated communities

Ghost towns

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

Race / Ethnicity Pop 2000Pop 2010% 2000% 2010
White alone 17,62917,52116,09877.47%73.63%71.58%
Black or African American alone 4,0133,8503,24417.63%16.18%14.42%
Native American or Alaska Native alone 7484960.33%0.35%0.43%
Asian alone 5372990.23%0.30%0.44%
Pacific Islander alone 1370.00%0.01%0.03%
Other Race alone 924260.04%0.10%0.12%
Mixed Race or Multiracial 1792727310.79%1.14%3.25%
Hispanic or Latino 7981,9702,1903.51%8.28%9.74%
Total22,75623,79622,491100.00%100.00%100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 22,491. The median age was 41.9 years, with 23.6% of residents under the age of 18 and 20.8% aged 65 years or older. For every 100 females there were 96.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.3 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 74.0% White, 14.5% Black or African American, 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 3.9% from some other race, and 6.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 9.7% of the population.
28.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 71.9% lived in rural areas.
There were 8,921 households in the county, of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 50.7% were married-couple households, 18.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 10,733 housing units, of which 16.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 79.1% were owner-occupied and 20.9% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 12.4%.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, 22,756 people, 8,821 households, and 6,395 families resided in the county. The population density was. The 10,524 housing units averaged. The racial makeup of the county was 78.78% White, 17.67% Black or African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 1.87% from other races, and 1.07% from two or more races. About 3.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Of the 8,821 households, 32.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.90% were married couples living together, 11.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.50% were not families; 25.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.80% 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 3.02.
In the county, the population was distributed as 25.20% under the age of 18, 9.20% from 18 to 24, 25.10% from 25 to 44, 24.60% from 45 to 64, and 15.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,909, and for a family was $37,595. Males had a median income of $31,333 versus $19,017 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,439. About 11.60% of families and 14.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.50% of those under age 18 and 16.10% of those age 65 or over.

Education

These school districts serve Panola County:
Panola College, a junior college, has operated in Carthage since 1947.
All of Panola County is in the service area of Panola College.

Notable residents

Points of Interest