Lovington is a city in, and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

of, Lea County,

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...

, United States. The population was 11,009 at the 2010 census, up from 9,471 in 2000.

Geography

Lovington is located slightly north of the center of Lea County at (32.946459, -103.353618). U.S. Route 82 passes through the center of town, leading west to Artesia and northeast to Plains, Texas. New Mexico State Road 18 leads southeast from Lovington to Hobbs, the largest city in Lea County. State Road 83 leads east to the

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

border, where Texas State Highway 83 continues east to

Denver City, Texas Denver City is a city located in Gaines County and Yoakum County in the far western portion of the U.S. state of Texas, just a short distance from the New Mexico boundary. It is named for the petroleum company Denver Productions. The population ...

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, Lovington has a total area of , of which , or 0.26%, are water.

Demographics

At the 2000 census there were 9,471 people, 3,297 households, and 2,459 families living in the city. The population density was 1,983.6 people per square mile (766.6/km). There were 3,823 housing units at an average density of 800.7 per square mile (309.4/km). The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the city was 59.85% White, 3.03% African American, 0.78% Native American, 0.48% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 32.74% from other races, and 3.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 52.12%. Of the 3,297 households 41.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.0% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.4% were non-families. 22.8% of households were one person and 11.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.29. The age distribution was 31.8% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% 65 or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.3 males. The median household income was $26,458 and the median family income was $30,064. Males had a median income of $28,547 versus $19,826 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,752. About 20.1% of families and 22.1% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 28.1% of those under age 18 and 16.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Lovington Municipal Schools is the area school district. It operates Lovington High School.

Notable people

* Ray Berry, American football player * Ronnie Black, professional golfer * Taymon Domzalski, retired professional and Duke University basketball star * Paul L. Foster, billionaire and President of Western Refining * Shirley Hooper, 18th Secretary of State of New Mexico * Sean Murphy, professional golfer *

Earlene Roberts Earlene Roberts (August 19, 1935 – August 6, 2013) was an American businesswoman and Republican politician from New Mexico. Background Roberts was born in Oklahoma on August 19, 1935. She moved to Lovington, New Mexico, where she was ...

(1935–2013), politician * Ralph Tasker, basketball coach *

Titanic Thompson Alvin Clarence Thomas (November 30, 1893 – May 19, 1974) was an American gambler, golfer and hustler better known as Titanic Thompson. Thompson traveled the country wagering at cards, dice games, golf, shooting, billiards, horseshoes and pro ...

, legendary gambler, raconteur *

Brian Urlacher Brian Urlacher (; born May 25, 1978) is an American former football linebacker who spent his entire 13-season career in the National Football League (NFL) with the Chicago Bears. He played college football for the New Mexico Lobos, where h ...

, retired NFL football player, pro football hall of fame class of 2018

References

External links

* {{authority control Cities in New Mexico Cities in Lea County, New Mexico County seats in New Mexico