Jayton, Texas

Jayton's history begins in the 1880s. Originally known as "Jay Flat", it was established {{convert|2|mi|0}} northeast of its present location and named after a local ranching family. A post office was granted in 1886, and Daniel Jay served as the community's first postmaster. In 1907, the townsite was moved to its present location for improved proximity to rail service, and it was officially renamed "Jayton" later that same year. The community's first newspaper, the Jayton Herald, was established the following year, and the city incorporated in February 1910. By 1925, Jayton was home to 750 residents.

From the community's inception, the local economy had originally been supported mainly by the cotton industry, but the Dust Bowl of the 1930s had a dire effect on production. The community's economy was stabilized by the discovery of oil later that same decade, and while its population never exceeded 750, Jayton remained stable throughout the Great Depression. In 1954, following a lengthy and heated court battle, the city wrested the title of county seat from the declining nearby community of Clairemont, and in 1957, a courthouse was constructed. Jayton's population remained around 600 from the 1950s through the 1980 census before declining to 513 in 1990 and 441 in 2000, but a resurgence in the local oil industry led to a rebound, and the 2010 census counted 534 residents.

Jayton is located in eastern Kent County. U.S. Route 380 touches the southern border of the city; the highway leads southeast {{convert|24|mi}} to Aspermont and southwest {{convert|13|mi}} to Clairemont. Texas State Highway 70 is Jayton's Main Street and leads northwest {{convert|24|mi}} to Spur. The closest large cities are Lubbock, {{convert|93|mi}} to the northwest, and Abilene, {{convert|84|mi}} to the southeast.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Jayton has a total area of {{convert|1.7|sqmi|km2}}, all land.{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US4837468| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001), Jayton city, Texas| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| work=American FactFinder| access-date=May 8, 2019| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213071305/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US4837468| archive-date=February 13, 2020| url-status=dead}}

Kent County Airport is south of the city. The airport has one asphalt runway {{convert|3300|ft}} in length. The nearest airport with commercial service is approximately 100 miles away, in Lubbock.

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Jayton has a semiarid climate, BSk on climate maps.[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=75414&cityname=Jayton%2C+Texas%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for Jayton, Texas]

{{Weather box

| width = auto

| collapsed = yes

| single line = yes

| location = Jayton, Texas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1962–present)

| Jan record high F = 87

| Feb record high F = 93

| Mar record high F = 99

| Apr record high F = 108

| May record high F = 111

| Jun record high F = 116

| Jul record high F = 114

| Aug record high F = 112

| Sep record high F = 110

| Oct record high F = 105

| Nov record high F = 91

| Dec record high F = 86

| year record high F =

|Jan avg record high F = 77.6

|Feb avg record high F = 81.8

|Mar avg record high F = 89.0

|Apr avg record high F = 94.6

|May avg record high F = 99.9

|Jun avg record high F = 102.8

|Jul avg record high F = 104.2

|Aug avg record high F = 103.7

|Sep avg record high F = 99.1

|Oct avg record high F = 93.6

|Nov avg record high F = 84.2

|Dec avg record high F = 77.7

|year avg record high F = 106.6

| Jan high F = 56.6

| Feb high F = 60.7

| Mar high F = 69.1

| Apr high F = 78.1

| May high F = 85.6

| Jun high F = 92.9

| Jul high F = 96.5

| Aug high F = 95.8

| Sep high F = 87.8

| Oct high F = 78.3

| Nov high F = 66.2

| Dec high F = 57.2

| year high F = 77.1

| Jan mean F = 42.2

| Feb mean F = 45.9

| Mar mean F = 54.2

| Apr mean F = 62.7

| May mean F = 71.7

| Jun mean F = 79.9

| Jul mean F = 83.6

| Aug mean F = 82.7

| Sep mean F = 74.8

| Oct mean F = 64.0

| Nov mean F = 52.1

| Dec mean F = 43.2

| year mean F = 63.1

| Jan low F = 27.9

| Feb low F = 31.1

| Mar low F = 39.2

| Apr low F = 47.3

| May low F = 57.8

| Jun low F = 66.9

| Jul low F = 70.7

| Aug low F = 69.6

| Sep low F = 61.8

| Oct low F = 49.8

| Nov low F = 38.0

| Dec low F = 29.2

| year low F = 49.1

|Jan avg record low F = 14.2

|Feb avg record low F = 16.9

|Mar avg record low F = 22.5

|Apr avg record low F = 31.5

|May avg record low F = 42.3

|Jun avg record low F = 57.4

|Jul avg record low F = 63.1

|Aug avg record low F = 62.2

|Sep avg record low F = 48.0

|Oct avg record low F = 32.8

|Nov avg record low F = 21.7

|Dec avg record low F = 15.2

|year avg record low F = 10.2

| Jan record low F = -2

| Feb record low F = -6

| Mar record low F = 6

| Apr record low F = 24

| May record low F = 31

| Jun record low F = 44

| Jul record low F = 54

| Aug record low F = 54

| Sep record low F = 34

| Oct record low F = 16

| Nov record low F = 10

| Dec record low F = -5

| year record low F =

| precipitation colour = green

| Jan precipitation inch = 0.87

| Feb precipitation inch = 1.12

| Mar precipitation inch = 1.38

| Apr precipitation inch = 1.77

| May precipitation inch = 3.12

| Jun precipitation inch = 3.28

| Jul precipitation inch = 2.46

| Aug precipitation inch = 2.13

| Sep precipitation inch = 2.63

| Oct precipitation inch = 2.12

| Nov precipitation inch = 1.42

| Dec precipitation inch = 0.98

| year precipitation inch = 23.28

| unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

| Jan precipitation days = 2.2

| Feb precipitation days = 3.1

| Mar precipitation days = 3.2

| Apr precipitation days = 3.1

| May precipitation days = 4.9

| Jun precipitation days = 5.1

| Jul precipitation days = 4.0

| Aug precipitation days = 3.7

| Sep precipitation days = 4.3

| Oct precipitation days = 3.5

| Nov precipitation days = 2.4

| Dec precipitation days = 2.3

| year precipitation days = 41.8

| Jan snow inch = 0.7

| Feb snow inch = 1.9

| Mar snow inch = 0.1

| Apr snow inch = 0.0

| May snow inch = 0.0

| Jun snow inch = 0.0

| Jul snow inch = 0.0

| Aug snow inch = 0.0

| Sep snow inch = 0.0

| Oct snow inch = 0.0

| Nov snow inch = 0.8

| Dec snow inch = 0.6

| year snow inch = 4.1

| unit snow days = 0.1 in

| Jan snow days = 0.4

| Feb snow days = 0.6

| Mar snow days = 0.1

| Apr snow days = 0.0

| May snow days = 0.0

| Jun snow days = 0.0

| Jul snow days = 0.0

| Aug snow days = 0.0

| Sep snow days = 0.0

| Oct snow days = 0.1

| Nov snow days = 0.3

| Dec snow days = 0.4

| year snow days = 1.9

| source = NOAA{{cite web

|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=lub

|title = NOWData – NOAA Online Weather Data

|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|access-date = December 25, 2023}}{{cite web

|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00414570&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL

|title = Summary of Monthly Normals 1991–2020

|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|access-date = December 25, 2023}}

}}

{{US Census population

| 1910 = 314

| 1930 = 623

| 1940 = 770

| 1950 = 635

| 1960 = 649

| 1970 = 703

| 1980 = 638

| 1990 = 608

| 2000 = 513

| 2010 = 534

| 2020 = 511

| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}

}}

Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race. https://www.census.gov/ {{nonspecific|date=August 2022}}{{cite web |title=About the Hispanic Population and its Origin |url=https://www.census.gov/topics/population/hispanic-origin/about.html |website=www.census.gov |access-date=18 May 2022}}

class="wikitable" |+Jayton racial composition{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US4837468&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 |access-date=2022-05-18 |website=data.census.gov}} (NH = Non-Hispanic) !Race !Number !Percentage

White (NH) |437 |85.52%

Black or African American (NH) |2 |0.39%

Native American or Alaska Native (NH) |3 |0.59%

Some Other Race (NH) |3 |0.59%

Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) |5 |0.98%

Hispanic or Latino |61 |11.94%

Total |511 |

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 511 people, 207 households, and 108 families residing in the city.

As of the census of 2000, 513 people, 209 households, and 144 families resided in the city. The population density was {{convert|301.6|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The 277 housing units averaged 162.9/sq mi (62.9/km{{sup|2}}). The racial makeup of the city was 96.69% White, 0.19% African American, 0.39% Native American, 2.53% from other races, and 0.19% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 10.92% of the population.

Of the 209 households, 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.3% were married couples living together, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.1% were not families. About 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.81.

In the city, the population was distributed as 19.7% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 20.7% from 25 to 44, 27.9% from 45 to 64, and 26.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $32,396, and for a family was $39,375. Males had a median income of $25,000 versus $21,875 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,314. About 9.6% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.5% of those under age 18 and 1.0% of those age 65 or over.

The city is served by the Jayton-Girard Independent School District,{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st48_tx/schooldistrict_maps/c48263_kent/DC20SD_C48263.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Kent County, TX|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=2024-09-22}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st48_tx/schooldistrict_maps/c48263_kent/DC20SD_C48263_SD2MS.txt Text list] and the local high school is Jayton High School.

The Texas Legislature designated the county as being in the Western Texas College District.{{cite web|url=https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.130.htm|title=Sec. 130.210. WESTERN TEXAS COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.|access-date=2024-09-22}}

• Jim W. Corder (1929–1998), a scholar of rhetoric.
• Weldon Myrick (1938-2014), American Steel Guitar player.

{{Reflist}}

{{Kent County, Texas}}

{{Texas county seats}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Cities in Texas

Category:Cities in Kent County, Texas

Category:County seats in Texas

Category:1880s establishments in Texas