Murray County is a county located in the southern part of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,904. The county seat is Sulphur. The county was named for William H. Murray, a member and president of the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention and later a Governor of Oklahoma.
History
The area now occupied by Murray County was part of the land granted to the Choctaw Nation by the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek in 1820. The Chickasaw received part of the land under the Treaty of Doaksville in 1838. The area became part of the Chickasaw Nation in 1855. There was an extended conflict before the U.S. Civil War between the Plains Indians and the newly arrived Choctaws and Chickasaws. The U.S. Army built Fort Towson (1824), Fort Washita (1842), and Fort Arbuckle (1851) to protect the Chickasaws. After the conflict between the tribes was settled, various bands of outlaws moved in and continued to create law enforcement problems. Murray County was created when the Chickasaw Nation was disestablished immediately before Oklahoma statehood. Sulphur was declared as the county seat.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (2.0%) is water. It is the third-smallest county in Oklahoma by land area and second-smallest by total area.
| 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 13,904. Of the residents, 23.3% were under the age of 18 and 20.9% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 41.9 years. For every 100 females there were 102.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 100.3 males.
The racial makeup of the county was 69.5% White, 1.2% Black or African American, 14.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian, 2.7% from some other race, and 11.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 6.7% of the population. of 2000, there were 12,623 people, 5,003 households, and 3,587 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 6,479 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 80.76% White, 1.90% Black or African American, 11.57% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.16% from other races, and 4.26% from two or more races. 3.15% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 5,003 households, out of which 30.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.70% were married couples living together, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.30% were non-families. 25.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.20% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 25.10% from 25 to 44, 24.30% from 45 to 64, and 18.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,294, and the median income for a family was $37,303. Males had a median income of $28,381 versus $19,727 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,084. About 11.10% of families and 14.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.90% of those under age 18 and 15.10% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
{| class=wikitable
! colspan = 6 | Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of June 30, 2023
|-
! colspan = 2 | Party
! Number of Voters
! Percentage
|-
|
| Democratic
| align = center | 2,844
| align = center | 35.08%
|-
|
| Republican
| align = center | 4,084
| align = center | 50.37%
|-
|
| Others
| align = center | 1,180
| align = center | 14.55%
|-
! colspan = 2 | Total
! align = center | 8,108
! align = center | 100%
|}
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Economy
Farming and ranching were the basis of the economy during the time when the area was part of the Chickasaw Nation. The area was called "the Prairie of Eden" because its plentiful grasslands attracted abundant game, Chickasaw ranchers Noah Lael and Perry Froman operated and headquartered near Sulphur by 1881. Settlements of farmers and businesses expanded through the decade, spurred by the construction of rail lines by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway lines through to Dougherty and Davis in 1886–87. Post offices were established at Dougherty in 1887 and Davis in 1890.
- Davis Public Schools
- Elmore City-Pernell Schools
- Mill Creek Public Schools
- Roff Public Schools
- Sulphur Public Schools
- Wynnewood Public Schools
Oklahoma School for the Deaf is in Sulphur.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Murray County, Oklahoma