Woodward County, Oklahoma

Woodward County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,470. Its county seat is Woodward.

Woodward County comprises the Woodward, OK micropolitan statistical area.

Woodward County was originally known as "N" County and was composed of present-day Woodward County and portions of Harper, Ellis, and Woods County. Before its division at statehood, Woodward County, then 60 miles square, was the westernmost county of the Cherokee Outlet and adjoined Texas and the Oklahoma Panhandle on the west and Kansas on the north. Political pressure applied by William H. Murray during Oklahoma's Constitutional Convention resulted in the reduction of the size of Woodward County to its present boundaries. It is unknown exactly whom the county (and the town) is named after, but the two leading candidates are Brinton W. Woodward, a Santa Fe railway director, or Richard Woodward, a buffalo hunter.

History

In the 19th century, the county was part of a well-used military transportation corridor that was important to frontier defense. In 1868, Camp Supply, was established as a depot leading up to a campaign against the Cheyenne. The Cimarron River forms part of the northern boundary and drains the northwestern section of the county. The North Canadian River flows through the county from the northwest to the southeast. The southern part of the county drains into the Canadian River. Fort Supply Lake, on Wolf Creek, lies in Woodward County.

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| 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 20,470. Of the residents, 24.2% were under the age of 18 and 16.0% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 38.0 years. For every 100 females there were 111.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 114.4 males.

The racial makeup of the county was 78.8% White, 1.7% Black or African American, 3.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% Asian, 6.0% from some other race, and 9.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 14.7% of the population. The racial makeup of the county was 86.7% white, 1.6% black or African American, 2.8% Native American, 0.6% Asian, less than 0.1% Pacific Islander, 5.6% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. 10.6% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

In 2010, there were 7,654 households in the county, out of which 2,322 (30.3%) included children under the age of 18, 4,132 (54%) were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32% were non-families. Individuals living alone accounted for 28% of households. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3. In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.3% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 79 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $51,087, and the median income for a family was $60,684. Males had a median income of $48,228 versus $26,993 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,735. About 6.5% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16% of those under age 18 and 11.8% 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 | 1,596

| align = center | 14.57%

| Republican

| align = center | 7,662

| align = center | 69.93%

| Others

| align = center | 1,699

| align = center | 15.51%

! colspan = 2 | Total

! align = center | 10,957

! align = center | 100%

In 2015, surveys identified Woodward County as one of the most climate science doubting counties in the United States.

Economy

Agriculture and cattle production have been very important to the county income since before statehood. Grains, especially wheat, were the largest crop. However, broomcorn grew abundantly. Broom factories operated in Woodward and Mooreland. Castor beans, grown during World War I, were processed into castor oil, which was used as a lubricant for aircraft engines.