Love County is a county on the southern border of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,146. Its county seat is Marietta. The county was created at statehood in 1907 and named for Overton Love, a prominent Chickasaw farmer, entrepreneur and politician.

For tourism purposes, the Oklahoma Department of Tourism includes Love County in 'Chickasaw Country'. Love County is also part of the Texoma region.

History

The Louisiana Purchase, effected in 1803, included all of the present state of Oklahoma except the Panhandle. Explorers and traders began travelling extensively through the area, intending to find trade routes to Santa Fe. The Quapaw were the principal Native Americans living south of the Canadian River. The Quapaws ceded their land to the American government in 1818, and were replaced by the Choctaws in the early 1830s. The Chickasaws were assigned land in the middle of Choctaw territory during 1837–8. It is the fifth-smallest county in Oklahoma by land area.

Love County is within the Red River Plains physiographic region, with a rolling to hilly topography. The Red River and its tributaries Simon Creek, Walnut Bayou, Hickory Creek and Mud Creek drain the county. Lake Murray is on the northeastern border and Lake Texoma is on the southern border.

| align-fn = center

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

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 10,146. Of the residents, 22.9% were under the age of 18 and 21.3% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 41.9 years. For every 100 females there were 99.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.3 males.

The racial makeup of the county was 71.0% White, 2.0% Black or African American, 6.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% Asian, 8.8% from some other race, and 11.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 16.6% of the population. of 2000, there were 8,831 people, 3,442 households, and 2,557 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 4,066 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 84.15% White, 2.19% Black or African American, 6.41% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 3.58% from other races, and 3.41% from two or more races. 7.01% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,442 households, out of which 31.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.40% were married couples living together, 10.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.70% were non-families. 22.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.70% under the age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 25.40% from 25 to 44, 25.70% from 45 to 64, and 16.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.90 males.

The county's median household income was $32,558, and the median family income was $38,212. Males had a median income of $30,024 versus $20,578 for females. The county's per capita income was $16,648. About 8.80% of families and 11.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.40% of those under age 18 and 13.80% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

{| class=wikitable

! colspan = 6 | Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of January 15, 2023

|-

! colspan = 2 | Party

! Number of Voters

! Percentage

|-

|

| Democratic

| align = center | 2,063

| align = center | 33.20%

|-

|

| Republican

| align = center | 3,007

| align = center | 48.39%

|-

|

| Others

| align = center | 1,111

| align = center | 17.88%

|-

! colspan = 2 | Total

! align = center | 6,214

! align = center | 100%

|}

<!-- PresRow should be -->

Economy

Love County is home to Winstar World Casino, across the Red River from the Texas-Oklahoma border. The casino is operated by the Chickasaw Nation, and is the county's largest private employer. Agriculture and ranching have been important to the county economy since its inception. Leading non-agricultural employers include the Marietta Bakery, Murray Biscuit Company, Marietta Sportswear, Robertson Hams, Rapistan Systems, Earth Energy Systems, and the Joe Brown Company. The county also produces natural gas and its co-products propane and butanes.

  • Jimtown
  • Orr
  • Overbrook
  • Rubottom

Other Population Divisions

Census-designated places

  • Burneyville
  • Greenville

School districts

Political Precincts

Zip Codes

73448

73463

73456

73430

73453

73441

Area Code(s)

See also

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

References

  • Pictures of Marietta
  • Oklahoma Digital Maps: Digital Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory