Spur is a city in Dickens County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,318 at the 2010 census, up from 1,088 at the 2000 census. A city council resolution passed July 2014 proclaimed Spur the "nation's first tiny house-friendly town." On October 9, 2009, Spur celebrated its centennial with the dedication of a giant Spur sculpture. The spur was built by local welder John Grusendorf. The event, sponsored by the Dickens County Historical Commission, was held at Dyess Park off Texas State Highway 70. On March 28, 2017, a traffic accident west of the city resulted in the deaths of three storm chasers after one vehicle disregarded a stop sign at highway speed: Kelley Williamson and Randy Yarnell, both from Cassville, Missouri, and Corbin Jaeger from Peoria, Arizona. Williamson ran through a stop sign at high speed and struck Jaeger on the drivers' side. All three men died instantly.
Geography
Spur is located in southern Dickens County at . Texas Highway 70 passes through the city, leading north to Dickens, the county seat, and southeast to Jayton. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, all land.
As of the census of 2000, 1,088 people, 472 households, and 288 families resided in the city. The population density was 673.4 people per square mile. The 641 housing units averaged 396.7 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 72.52% White, 3.40% African American, 0.83% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.37% Pacific Islander, 21.14% from other races, and 1.56% from two or more races. About 31.25% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 472 households, 22.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.5% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were not families. Around 37.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.89. In the city, the population was distributed as 22.9% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 22.3% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 25.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $24,286, and for a family was $32,772. Males had a median income of $25,972 versus $18,631 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,601. 19.8% of the population and 16.2% of families were below the poverty line. 24.8% of those under the age of 18 and 21.7% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Spur's regulations are friendly to tiny houses, so long as they have an adequate foundation and proper plumbing and electrical wiring installed. House plans must be approved. Flush toilets are required, as well as a wood or metal frame. In general, experimental strawbale houses, yurts, or underground houses are not permitted.
Aaron Latham, a Spur native, wrote the script of the 1980 filmUrban Cowboy. In the story line, the protagonist, Bud Davis, is said to have been from Spur.
