Lamesa ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Dawson County, Texas, United States. The population was 8,674 at the 2020 census, down from 9,952 at the 2000 census. Located south of Lubbock on the Llano Estacado, Lamesa was founded in 1903. Most of its economy is based on cotton farming. The Preston E. Smith prison unit, named for the former governor of Texas, is located just outside Lamesa.
Geography
Lamesa is located in the center of Dawson County at (32.734439, –101.958190). U.S. Highway 87 (Lynn Avenue) passes through the eastern side of the city, leading north to Lubbock and southeast to Big Spring. U.S. Highway 180 passes through the center of town as 4th Street and leads west to Seminole and east to Snyder. Texas State Highway 137 passes through the city as Bryan Avenue and leads northwest to Brownfield and south to Stanton. Texas State Highway 349 branches off Highway 137 south of Lamesa and leads southwest to Midland.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which , or 0.62%, is water.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 8,674 people, 3,705 households, and 2,267 families residing in the city. The median income for a household in the city was $36,904. The per capita income for the city was $22,062. 29.4% of the population was recorded as living below the poverty line.
2000 Census
As of the census of 2000, 9,952 people, 3,696 households, and 2,679 families resided in the city. The population density was . The 4,270 housing units averaged 892.8 per square mile (344.9/km). The racial makeup of the city was 41.9% White non-Hispanic, 4.2% African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 19.51% from other races, and 2.13% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 52.96% of the population.
Of the 3,696 households, 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.5% were not families. About 25.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.20.
In the city, the population was distributed as 29.7% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,362, and for a family was $31,556. Males had a median income of $26,393 versus $16,826 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,211. About 18.1% of families and 21.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.4% of those under age 18 and 12.9% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people
Barry Corbin, actor
Steve Freeman, former Buffalo Bills defensive back and NFL referee
V. O. Key, Jr., political scientist
Lynn Morris, bluegrass musician
Steve Pearce, Former U.S. Representative from New Mexico
Bo Robinson, NFL player
Preston Smith, Governor of Texas
Jerry Taff, journalist
Don Walser, country musician
Education
Lamesa is served by the Lamesa Independent School District, which includes Lamesa High School and Lamesa Middle School, whose school mascots are the Golden Tornadoes.
A branch of Howard College, a community college in Big Spring, is located in Lamesa.
Culture
During the last weekend of April, Lamesa hosts the annual Chicken Fried Steak Festival. Lamesa has been called "the birthplace of the chicken-fried steak", but the reporter who made the designation later confessed that the claim is fictional. Nevertheless, in 2011, Governor Rick Perry declared Lamesa the home of the chicken-fried steak. In the 2013 competition, Mayor Dave Nix teamed with city councilman Greg Hughes as contestants. The community event attracted 65 sponsors and 104 booths.
La Entrada al Pacifico is an international trade corridor that begins in Topolobampo, Mexico, runs through Midland-Odessa and ends in Lamesa (according to the legal definition).