Lovington, New Mexico
Encyclopedia
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Lea County
Lea County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*75.0% White*4.1% Black*1.2% Native American*0.5% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*2.6% Two or more races*16.5% Other races*51.1% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 9,471 at the 2000 census.
Geography
Lovington is located at 32°56′47"N 103°21′13"W (32.946459, -103.353618).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 4.8 square miles (12.4 km²), of which 4.8 square miles (12.4 km²) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) (0.42%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 9,471 people, 3,297 households, and 2,459 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,983.6 people per square mile (766.6/km²). There were 3,823 housing units at an average density of 800.7 per square mile (309.4/km²). The racial makeup 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
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 3.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 52.12% of the population.
There were 3,297 households out of which 41.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.4% were non-families. 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.29.
In the city the population was spread out with 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% who were 65 years of age 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 income for a household in the city was $26,458, and the median income for a family was $30,064. Males had a median income of $28,547 versus $19,826 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $12,752. About 20.1% of families and 22.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.1% of those under age 18 and 16.2% of those age 65 or over.
Claim to fame
Lovington is the hometown of star NFL footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player Brian Urlacher
Brian Urlacher
Brian Keith Urlacher is an American football player for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League . He attended the University of New Mexico, where he was one of the school's most decorated athletes. In addition to setting multiple university records, Urlacher earned consideration for the...
, who has lived there since early childhood (after having been born in Pasco, Washington
Pasco, Washington
Pasco is a city in and the county seat of Franklin County, Washington, United States.Pasco is one of three cities that make up the Tri-Cities region of the state of Washington...
).
Lovington is also the former home of professional golfers Ronnie Black
Ronnie Black
Ronald Jay Black is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour and Champions Tour.Black was born in Lovington, New Mexico. He attended Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, where he was a member of the golf team. He turned pro in 1981.Black won two events on the...
and Sean Murphy. Colt McCoy
Colt McCoy
Daniel "Colt" McCoy is an American football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Browns in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft...
, quarterback of the Texas Longhorns at the University of Texas and Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, was born 20 miles (32.2 km) away in Hobbs, NM. Paul L. Foster, billionaire philanthropist and President of Western Refining is also formerly from Lovington, as is former Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
basketball star Taymon Domzalski
Taymon Domzalski
Jerome Taymon Domzalski is a retired American professional basketball player and the only scholarship athlete recruited at Duke by Coach Mike Krzyzewski to attend medical school....
. Lovington is also proud of the Lovington High School Big Blue Marching Band. The band includes over 200 students this year and has received twenty seven 1st divisions at the District Marching Festival for their outstanding marching talent and playing ability. Lovington was also home of World Champion Calf Ropers, Jake McClure and Troy Fort. For several years, legendary Titanic Thompson lived in Lovington.
Lovington Wildcats Football State Championships
Lovington High School, whose mascot is the "Wildcats," has the distinction of having won a total of seventeen state championships in football. This achievement is a source of great pride for current and former residents of the city, who faithfully support the blue-and-white Wildcats. The championship years, records, and scores of the championship games are listed below:- 1951 ( 4-3-1) Lovington (NMAA point system)
- 1952 ( 8-1-0) Lovington (NMAA point system) (Co-champions with Capitan)
- 1957 ( 6-3-0) Lovington 20, Raton 6
- 1958 ( 5-4-0) Lovington 28, Santa Fe St. Michael's 6
- 1960 ( 7-2-0) Lovington 26, Aztec 7
- 1968 ( 9-2-1) Lovington 13, Aztec 12
- 1969 ( 9-3-0) Lovington 46, West Las Vegas 14
- 1970 ( 9-3-1) Lovington 29, Santa Fe St. Michael's 7
- 1986 (13-0-0) Lovington 20, Ruidoso 7
- 1987 (9-3-1) Lovington 0, Artesia 0 (Co-champions)
- 1990 (12-0) Lovington 13, Bloomfield 7
- 1995 (14-0) Lovington 24, Silver City 7
- 2000 (11-3) Lovington 42, Bayard Cobre 7
- 2001 (13-0) Lovington 59, Las Vegas Robertson 3
- 2004 (8-5) Lovington 40, Santa Fe St. Michael's 14
- 2009 (11-2) Lovington 28, Socorro 21
- 2010 (11-2) Lovington 60, Albuquerque Academy 43
In addition, the Lovington Wildcats have played in the state championship game in six other years, when they finished as runner-up. The school is currently classified as Class AAA in New Mexico. Lovington High's fight song utilizes the stirring tune of "Stars and Stripes Forever."