Collingsworth County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 2,652. Its county seat is Wellington. The county was created in 1876 and later organized in 1890. It is named for James Collinsworth, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and first chief justice of the Republic of Texas (a recording error in the bill accounts for the error in spelling, which was never corrected). Collingsworth County was one of 30 prohibition, or entirely dry, counties in Texas, but a vote in 2017 changed this law.
The county was created in 1876 from the Bexar and Young land district of Texas. Collingsworth County was organized in 1890 with Wellington as the county seat. From 1883 until 1896 the county was home to the English owned Rocking Chair Ranche.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which (0.1%) is covered by water.
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 2,652, with a median age of 42.2 years; 25.0% of residents were under 18 and 22.4% were 65 or older. For every 100 females, there were 91.5 males, and for every 100 females 18 and over, there were 89.2 males.
The racial makeup of the county was 72.7% White, 4.6% Black or African American, 1.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 10.1% from some other race, and 10.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 31.4% of the population.
About 0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while almost 100.0% lived in rural areas.
Of the 1,096 households in the county, 31.6% had children under18 living in them, 49.9% were married-couple households, 16.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 or older.
Of the 1,481 housing units, 26.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 78.2% were owner-occupied and 21.8% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 16.3%.
As of the 2000 census, 3,206 people, 1,294 households, and 916 families were residing in the county. The population density was . The 1,723 housing units had an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 79.82% White, 5.33% Black or African American, 1.62% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 10.89% from other races, and 2.15% from two or more races. About 20.43% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.
Of the 1,294 households, 29.8% had children under 18 living with them, 57.5% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.2% were not families. About 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.44, and the average family size was 2.97.
In the county, the age distribution was 26.4% under 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 22.6% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 22.0% who were 65 or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 88.0 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $25,438 and for a family was $33,323. Males had a median income of $24,808 versus $17,679 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,318. About 14.8% of families and 18.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.2% of those under 18 and 16.4% of those 65 or over.
Collingsworth County is located within District 88 of the Texas House of Representatives. Collinsworth County is located within District 28 of the Texas Senate.