Harper County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,272, making it the third-least populous county in Oklahoma. The county seat is Buffalo. It was created in 1907 from the northwestern part of Woodward County, and named for Oscar Green Harper, who was clerk of the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention.

History

During the late 19th century, the area now known as Harper County was part of the Cherokee Outlet, reserved for use by the Cherokee Nation by treaties in 1828 and 1835, The U.S. government opened the outlet for settlement by non-Indians in 1893. The area was divided into counties after the formation of what is now the state of Oklahoma. Harper County was created in 1907. It was named for Oscar Green Harper, who was a local resident, school teacher, and served as clerk of the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention. The county is drained by the Cimarron River and the Beaver River.

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| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census<br />1790-1960 1900-1990<br />1990-2000 2010

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, the county had a population of 3,272. Of the residents, 25.2% were under the age of 18 and 22.0% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 42.2 years. For every 100 females there were 100.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 97.4 males.

The racial makeup of the county was 76.0% White, 0.1% Black or African American, 1.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, none Asian, 14.3% from some other race, and 7.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 22.4% of the population. of 2000, there were 3,562 people, 1,509 households, and 1,030 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 1,863 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 95.87% White, 0.03% Black or African American, 0.93% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 2.36% from other races, and 0.70% from two or more races. 5.64% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,509 households, out of which 28.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.60% were married couples living together, 6.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.70% were non-families. 29.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.30% under the age of 18, 6.40% from 18 to 24, 23.40% from 25 to 44, 25.20% from 45 to 64, and 21.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 96.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $33,705, and the median income for a family was $40,907. Males had a median income of $27,896 versus $20,784 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,011. About 7.10% of families and 10.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.90% of those under age 18 and 4.00% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

At the presidential level, Harper County is one of the most overwhelmingly Republican counties in Oklahoma, with more than 85% of the vote going to the Republican candidate in each of the past four presidential elections. Democrats have not won the county at the presidential level since Harry Truman in 1948. This dominance is also reflected in the large voter registration advantage that Republicans have in the county.

{| class=wikitable

! colspan = 6 | Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of June 30, 2023

|-

! colspan = 2 | Party

! Number of Voters

! Percentage

|-

|

| Democratic

| align = center | 263

| align = center | 13.81%

|-

|

| Republican

| align = center | 1,469

| align = center | 77.11%

|-

|

| Others

| align = center | 173

| align = center | 9.08%

|-

! colspan = 2 | Total

! align = center | 1,905

! align = center | 100%

|}

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Communities

Towns

  • Buffalo (county seat)
  • Laverne
  • May
  • Rosston

Unincorporated communities

  • Doby Springs (ghost town)
  • Selman (also a census-designated place)

See also

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Harper County, Oklahoma

References

  • Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Harper County
  • Harper County Oklahoma Tourism Website
  • Oklahoma Digital Maps: Digital Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory