Slaton, Texas


Slaton is a city in Lubbock County, Texas, United States. Founded by German immigrants, Slaton was the westernmost German settlement in Texas. The population was 5,858 at the 2020 census, and was estimated at 5,698 in 2024. Slaton is part of the Lubbock Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Slaton was established on June 15, 1911. Slaton was named for Lubbock rancher and banker O.L. Slaton, Sr., who promoted railroad construction in Slaton.

Geography

Slaton is on the level plains of the Llano Estacado. The nearest significant geographical feature is Yellow House Canyon, which is to the northeast. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, of which is land and is water.

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Slaton has a semiarid climate, BSk on climate maps.

Demographics

According to realtor website Zillow, the average price of a home as of December 31, 2025, in Slaton is $133,798.
As of the 2023 American Community Survey, there are 2,038 estimated households in Slaton with an average of 2.81 persons per household. The city has a median household income of $54,380. Approximately 16.1% of the city's population lives at or below the poverty line. Slaton has an estimated 54.7% employment rate, with 11.5% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 82.6% holding a high school diploma. There were 2,271 housing units at an average density of.
The top five reported languages were English, Spanish, Indo-European, Asian and Pacific Islander, and Other.
The median age in the city was 33.0 years.
Race / ethnicity Pop. 1980Pop. 1990Pop. 2000Pop. 2010
White alone 3,850
3,267
2,994
2,570
2,196
Black or African American alone 602
566
467
351
301
Native American or Alaska Native alone 0
7
18
14
4
Asian alone 52
4
8
11
10
Pacific Islander alone ——0
1
4
Other race alone 0
6
0
7
21
Mixed race or multiracial ——40
65
148
Hispanic or Latino 2,300
2,228
2,582
3,102
3,174
Total6,804
6,078
6,109
6,121
5,858

2024 estimate

As of the 2024 estimate, there were 5,698 people, 2,038 households, and _ families residing in the city. The population density was. There were 2,271 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city was 66.5% White , 8.7% African American, 0.0% Native American, 0.0% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, _% from some other races and 4.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 46.8% of the population.

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 5,858 people, 2,208 households, and 1,494 families residing in the city. The population density was. There were 2,556 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city was 56.85% White, 5.79% African American, 0.61% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 15.06% from some other races and 21.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 54.18% of the population.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 6,121 people, 2,216 households, and _ families residing in the city. The population density was. There were 2,545 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city was 74.42% White, 6.36% African American, 0.51% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 16.16% from some other races and 2.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 50.68% of the population.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 6,109 people, 2,253 households, and 1,610 families residing in the city. The population density was. There were 2,565 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city was 72.35% White, 7.76% African American, 0.59% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 17.07% from some other races and 1.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 42.27% of the population.
There were 2,253 households, 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were married couples living together, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.5% were not families. About 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the city, the population was distributed as 29.0% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.7 males. For every 100 women age 18 and over, there were 83.7 men.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,915, and for a family was $31,224. Males had a median income of $26,696 versus $20,601 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,087. About 21.6% of families and 23.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.7% of those under age 18 and 16.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The City of Slaton is served by the Slaton Independent School District.

Infrastructure

Major roads and highways

A major yard of the BNSF Railway is located in Slaton. The South Plains Lamesa Railroad's railpark offers car storage and transloading for, among other commodities, wind turbine components.

Special events

The July 4th Festival takes place at the Slaton Park, where area musicians perform on an outdoor stage. The park is filled with games, rides, food, and more. The South Plains Air Show is a biannual event taking place the first weekend of June in odd-number years. Hosted by the Texas Air Museum Caprock Chapter, the show takes place at the City of Slaton/Larry T. Neal Memorial Airport. Re-enactments and aerobatic performances are scheduled . The is put on every October by . The event has been held annually since 1969.

Notable people

People born in Slaton: