Slaton, Texas Description
About Slaton, Texas
A Slaton description would point out that in many ways, Slaton is the iconic small American town, large enough to have some nice amenities such as restaurants, shops as well as entertaining museums, but small enough that most people seem to know each other. Not just know each other but actually, be close to each other. One could picture Jimmy Steward walking down the street in “It’s a Wonderful Life” except he would most likely be wearing jeans rather than a suit. It’s also a historical town, founded by the Santa Fe Railway as a company town on June 15, 1911, utilizing many immigrant Germans, and it still retains some of its old bones.
Location
Slaton is located in Lubbock County. Relatively busy South Highway 84 skirts the edge of the city along its western and southern edges with trucks and people traveling between Lubbock and points west and Dallas so they can connect with Interstate Highway 20 in Sweetwater. It also has traffic between Post and Lubbock, as well as recreational travel to Lake Allen Henry. It’s about 16 miles southeast of Lubbock, the nearest Texas City, and 329 miles to Dallas by the highway. Dallas is a little south but mostly east of Slaton. It’s also a little less than 100 miles from the New Mexico border.
Slaton is on the Llano Estacado, a level plains area. The nearest significant geographical feature is Yellow House Canyon, which is 3 miles to the northeast. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 5.5 square miles beginning at the railway yards in the northern part of town and stretching towards the south, and ending at Highway 84 as it mostly defines the southern and western edges of the city.
Climate
According to the Köppen climate classification system, Slaton has a semiarid climate. Slaton, Texas gets 21 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year. Slaton averages 6 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year. On average, there are 260 sunny days per year in Slaton. The US average is 205 sunny days.
Slaton gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 57 days per year. Precipitation is rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground. For precipitation to be counted you have to get at least .01 inches on the ground to measure.
Weather Highlights
Summer High: the July high is around 92 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 27
Rain: averages 21 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 6 inches of snow a year
Population
The population has grown and waned according to the fortunes of the railway. In the beginning, Slaton had a very vibrant growth, but the slowed and then declined with the railway’s fortunes.
Two children enjoying a Model Train Show
Two children enjoying a Model Train Show
The owners of the 1809 Restaurant in Slaton, Texas
The owners of the 1809 Restaurant in Slaton, Texas
One of the owners of Redline
One of the owners of Redline in Slaton, Texas
Patrons enjoying a meal
Patrons enjoying a meal
Historical population
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 1,525 | — | |
| 1930 | 3,876 | 154.2% | |
| 1940 | 3,587 | −7.5% | |
| 1950 | 5,036 | 40.4% | |
| 1960 | 6,568 | 30.4% | |
| 1970 | 6,583 | 0.2% | |
| 1980 | 6,804 | 3.4% | |
| 1990 | 6,078 | −10.7% | |
| 2000 | 6,109 | 0.5% | |
| 2010 | 6,121 | 0.2% | |
| 2019 (est.) | 5,890 | −3.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Slaton racial composition (NH = Non-Hispanic)
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 2,196 | 37.49% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 301 | 5.14% |
| Native American or Alaska Native (NH) | 4 | 0.07% |
| Asian (NH) | 10 | 0.17% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 4 | 0.07% |
| Some Other Race (NH) | 21 | 0.36% |
| Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH) | 148 | 2.53% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3,174 | 54.18% |
| Total | 5,858 |
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 5,858 people, 2,090 households, and 1,472 families residing in the city.
According to the 2000 census, 6,109 people, 2,253 households, and 1,610 families resided in the city. The population density was 1,126.7 people per square mile. The 2,565 housing units averaged 473.1 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 72.35% White, 7.76% African American, 0.59% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 17.07% from other races, and 1.98% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 42.27% of the population.
Of the 2,253 households, 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were married couples living together, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.5% were not families. About 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the city, the population was distributed as 29.0% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.7 males. For every 100 women aged 18 and over, there were 83.7 men.