Bailey County is a county in Texas, United States, on the New Mexico border in the west-central part of the state, part of the flat farmland region locals call the South Plains. It had a population of 6,904 people at the 2020 census and covers 827 square miles (2,140 km2), of which 0.7 square miles (1.8 km2) is water, centred near 34°04′N 102°50′W.
Muleshoe is the county seat, and its postal code is 79347. The county has one incorporated city and roughly ten smaller unincorporated communities. Bailey County observes Central Time and carries FIPS code 48017.
Towns & Villages in Bailey County
Only Muleshoe is incorporated; every other place on the list below is an unincorporated community or rural crossroads. Muleshoe accounts for the large majority of the county’s population.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muleshoe | City · seat | — | 79347 |
| Baileyboro | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bula | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Circle Back | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Enochs | Unincorp. | — | 79324 |
| Fairview | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Goodland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Maple | Unincorp. | — | 79344 |
| Needmore | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Progress | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stegall | Unincorp. | — | — |
Circleback appears on older lists as one word; the community’s standard name is Circle Back. The old page also duplicated Goodland — it is listed once here.
ZIP Codes
- 79347 — Muleshoe (also serves Baileyboro, Bula, Goodland, Needmore, Progress and Stegall)
- 79324 — Enochs
- 79344 — Maple
Fairview and Circle Back have no dedicated post office and draw mail from the nearest Muleshoe or Enochs ZIP.
Geography
Bailey County sits on the Llano Estacado, the flat high-plains tableland that stretches across the Texas Panhandle-South Plains into eastern New Mexico. Elevation runs close to 3,700 feet, drainage is shallow and intermittent (the Blackwater Draw crosses the county), and the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge, the oldest federal wildlife refuge in Texas, sits south of the county seat.
Bailey County borders Parmer County to the north, Lamb County to the east, Hockley County to the southeast and Cochran County to the south, with Roosevelt County, New Mexico and Curry County, New Mexico to the west across the state line.
Demographics
Bailey County’s 2020 census population was 6,904, most of it concentrated in Muleshoe. Hispanic or Latino residents make up roughly two-thirds of the county, the largest share of any group. Median household income runs well below the Texas median of $75,780, reflecting the county’s agriculture-dependent, sparsely populated economy. Population density is under 8.5 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture drives Bailey County’s economy — irrigated cotton, corn, wheat and sorghum on the Llano Estacado tableland, along with cattle feedlots and dairies typical of the wider South Plains. Groundwater from the Ogallala Aquifer underlies most of the county’s center-pivot irrigation, and grain elevators and cotton gins in Muleshoe remain the main local employers outside of the school district and county government. Muleshoe leans into its name with mule-themed civic branding, and the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge draws birdwatchers each winter for its sandhill crane migration.
History
The Texas Legislature created Bailey County in 1876, naming it for Peter James Bailey, who died defending the Alamo in 1836, but the county was not organized until 1919 once enough settlers had arrived under the Panhandle land-boom era of ranch subdivision. Muleshoe grew up along the Pecos and Northern Texas Railway and became the seat at organization, later taking its name from a nearby ranch’s mule-shoe brand. Like much of the South Plains, the county’s small unincorporated communities — Bula, Enochs, Needmore, Progress — trace to early-1900s rail sidings, school districts and cotton gins rather than platted townsites, and several have shrunk to a handful of residents as farming consolidated over the 20th century.
Getting There
- Clovis, New Mexico — about 30 miles west
- Lubbock — about 75 miles southeast
- Plainview — about 45 miles east
- Amarillo — about 100 miles north
US Highway 84 and US Highway 70 both run through Muleshoe. The nearest commercial airport is Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Bailey County, Texas?
It is on the New Mexico border in the west-central part of Texas, part of the South Plains region.
What is the population of Bailey County?
6,904 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Bailey County?
827 square miles (2,140 km2), almost all of it dry land.
What is the county seat of Bailey County?
Muleshoe, the county’s only incorporated city.
How many towns are in Bailey County?
One incorporated city, Muleshoe, plus about ten unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Bailey County?
79347 (Muleshoe), 79324 (Enochs) and 79344 (Maple).
Why is Bailey County known for cranes?
The Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge, the oldest such refuge in Texas, hosts one of the largest wintering flocks of sandhill cranes in North America.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Texas.