Amarillo, formerly named Oneida, is the 12th-largest city in Texas and the 118th largest city in the United States. The biggest city in the Texas Panhandle, Amarillo serves as the seat of Potter County. Amarillo is situated in the Llano Estacado region of Texas.
As of 2000, Amarillo’s population was 173,627, but with given growth rates, the population has most likely increased to approximately 183,021. In Amarillo, 77.5% of the population are white, 5.97% are African American, 0.78% are Native American, 2.05% are Asian, 0.04% are Pacific Islander, 11.32% are from other races, and 2.34% are from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race make up 21.86% of the population. An average household size in Amarillo is 2.53, while the average family size is 3.1.
The median income for a household in Amarillo is $34,940. For a family, the median income is $42,536. The per capita income for Amarillo is $18,621. In Amarillo, 11.1% of families and 14.5% of the population live below the poverty line.
Many consider Amarillo to be the regional economic center for the Texas Panhandle as well as Eastern New Mexico and the Oklahoma Panhandle. Because one quarter of the U.S. beef supply comes from Amarillo, the meat packing industry is a major employer. The Texas Cattle Feeders Association also has their headquarters in Amarillo. The city’s largest employer is Tyson Foods, followed by the Amarillo Independent School District. Petroleum extraction is a major industry in Amarillo, as was the helium industry before the federal government privatized local operations in the late 1990s.