Plains, Texas
Plains is a small town on the flat, treeless High Plains of Yoakum County in far West Texas, roughly 63 miles southwest of Lubbock near the western edge of the state. The surrounding country is given over to cotton, grain, cattle ranching, and oil and gas production, the mainstays of this stretch of the Llano Estacado.
Place essentials
Official Census snapshot- Census place type
- Town
- July 2025 population
- 1,323
- Change from 2020 base
- -2.4%
- Land area
- 1.5 sq. mi.
- County footprint
- Yoakum County
Place type, county footprint, and land area use the Census Bureau's January 1, 2025 geography. Population uses Vintage 2025 estimates through July 1, 2025; change compares that estimate with the April 1, 2020 estimates base. Geography file | Population file
Property here runs through the appraisal district and tax office for Yoakum County. The homestead exemption, appraisal cap, protests, and any MUD, PID, or special districts all sit at the parcel level.
Official routes
Use the office for the parcel address; a mailing city is not always the governing city.
County context
What to know around Plains
County lines carry much of the property, land, water, and outdoors context around Plains.
County History
Yoakum County went from nearly empty rangeland to an oil and cotton center
Yoakum County was established in 1876 but had fewer than 30 residents by 1900. Oil and irrigation farming transformed it in the 20th century.
Property Tax
Who handles your property tax in Yoakum County
Two separate offices handle property taxes here. One sets your value, the other collects the bill.
Ag Valuation
Farmland can be taxed on what it produces, not what it sells for
Farm and ranch land may qualify for a lower productivity value if it is used at the local level the law requires.
Nearby
Places near Plains
Nearby counties
Local notes for nearby counties
Next steps for Plains
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