Dumas is a city in Moore County, Texas, United States. The population was 14,691 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Moore County. Located about 40 miles north of Amarillo, the city is named for its founder, Louis Dumas. Dumas Avenue, the main thoroughfare, is also United States Highways 287 and 87. Window on the Plains Museum, which offers exhibits on Moore County and the Texas Panhandle, is located on South Dumas Avenue, the main thoroughfare. Dumas is home to Moore County Airport, a general-aviation airport 2 miles west of the central business district. The Dumas government claims, with some documentation, that the song "I'm a Ding Dong Daddy From Dumas" was written about the city. Composed in the late 1920s by Phil Baxter and Carl Moore, the song has also sometimes been claimed by Dumas in Desha County in southeastern Arkansas.
Geography
Dumas is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, of which are land and of it is covered by water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2010, 14,691 people, 4,979 households, and 3,725 families resided in the city. The population density was 2,660 people per square mile. The 5,340 housing units averaged 1047 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 74.9% White, 2% African American, 0.9% Native American, 4.7% Asian, 15.6% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latino of any race were 50.5% of the population. Of the 4,979 households, 38.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.7% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.2% were not families. About 20.9% of all households were made up of individuals living alone, and 8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.92 and the average family size was 3.40. In the city, the population was distributed as 31.4% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 15 to 19, 33.3% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 101 males. Of the population over the age of 18, for every 100 females, there were 98 males. The median income for a household in the city was $44,298, and for a family was $52,536. Males had a median income of $37,589 versus $25,498 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,614. About 8.3% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.
Government
The City of Dumas describes its government as a commission-manager government with a mayor and four commissioners all elected from the city at-large, and a city manager appointed by the commission to serve as the administrative manager of the city. The current mayor is Pat Sims.
Economy
A large meatpacking plant in Cactus is a major employer for Moore County. The plant was formerly owned by Swift, and is now owned by a Brazilian conglomerate, JBS USA. The plant processes up to 5,000 head of cattle per day, and has a predominantly immigrant workforce.
The North Plains Opportunity Center is an alternative school located within the Dumas Independent School District. The primary function of the school is to provide an alternative education for students who are at risk of dropping out of school, needing to recover lost credits, or desire to accelerate their education experiences to pursue college or career goals.
Colleges
, a two-year, fully accredited community college, has a branch campus in Dumas.
Notable people
Dumas is the home of Republican former State Representative David A. Swinford, now a lobbyist, and the birthplace of Joe "King" Carrasco. BassistTommy Shannon, who is best known as a member of Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble formed by guitarist/singer Stevie Ray Vaughan. He grew up mainly in Dumas. Shannon joined his first band, The Avengers, around age 13. The band members were Shannon on guitar, Tim Easley on vocals, Jim Love on guitar, and David Davis on drums. In high school, Shannon was in the band Ekos. Soon after high school, he moved to Dallas from Dumas and joined a soul cover band in 1966, initially called The New Breed, and later The Young Lads. Shannon recorded two 45s with this band, which featured Tim Easley on vocals and Uncle John Turner on drums.
