County: Major
Region: Northwest
2000 County Population: 7,545
Labor Force within 30 Miles: 45,900

Major County was created at statehood from the southern portion of Woods County, Oklahoma Territory, and named for John C. Major, a member of the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention.

Fairview, the county seat, takes its name from its scenic location east of the Glass Mountains, a major tourist attraction in the county. Several companies manufacture products ranging from oil drilling equipment to industrial loaders and steel truck bodies.

The Major County Historical Society Museum, built to promote interest in the history of the area, is located just east of Fairview. Glass Mountain Country is a history book written about Major County.

Active civic organizations in the county include the Lion's Club, Chamber of Commerce, Ambucs and Rotary Club. Annual events of interest include Farm Appreciation Day, Wranglers Rodeo, Two-Cylinder Club - Regional Show, White Rock Chili Cook-off, Major County Free Fair, Old Time Threshing Bee, Fly-in & Air Show and Mennonite Relief Sale.

For more country information, call the county clerk's office at 580-227-4732.

Location: Major County is in northwestern Oklahoma.
Climate: The average precipitation is 33.8 inches yearly in this area. January's average temperature is 40.6 degrees Fahrenheit and July's average is 80.7 degrees Fahrenheit.
County Seat: Fairview - population 2,733 (2000 census data)
Distances: Fairview to: Enid - 40 miles Oklahoma City - 101 miles
Land Area: 957 square miles of rolling terrain and two major stream systems

POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS

The population density of the county is 8.4 persons per square mile. The median age of all persons in the county is 37.4. The female median age is 39.0 and the male median age is 35.5.

UTILITIES

Utility services are provided primarily by the following carriers:

Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority
Arkansas-Louisiana Gas Co.
Southwestern Bell Telephone Co.

LABOR FORCE

The Major County labor force was 4,010 in 1997. Participation rate in the county labor force constitutes 71.59% of males and 47.81% of females. An average annual unemployment rate of 3.4% was recorded by the county in 1998 and the per capita personal income for this county is $17,264 for 1997.

TRANSPORTATION

Major County, like other counties in Oklahoma, has the benefit of modern, quality transportation systems, facilities and services. Major highways in this county are U.S. 60 and U.S. 412.

HOUSING

The county has 3,855 housing units and of these 80.8% are owner occupied. The median home value in the county is $37,700, the median housing rental contract is $161.00 per month and statewide housing units number 1,406,499, of which 68.1% are owner occupied. The statewide median home value is $48,100

TAX STRUCTURE

There is no county tax in Major County and the state sales tax is 4.5%. Local sales tax for cities in this county can be found in the individual community profiles and the corporate tax statewide is 6%.

EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES

The county is home to the Oklahoma Northwest Area Vo-Tech. In Major County 70.9% of persons over 25 years of age have a high school diploma and 13.1% are college graduates. Statewide high school graduates in the same age range total 74.6% and the percent of college graduates over 25 years of age is 17.8%.

PRIMARY EMPLOYERS IN THE AREA

INDUSTRIAL SITES AND BUILDINGS

Data on Industrial and Building sites are available for this county. Please contact Information Management, of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce for a current printout of this Real Estate Database. Call (405) 815-5144 in Oklahoma City.

TOURISM POINTS OF INTEREST

Recreation Area - Glass Mountain State Park
Major Stream Systems - Cimarron and North Canadian rivers
Museums and Historic Sites - Charles L. Loomis Pioneer Museum

Revised May, 2,000
Oklahoma Department of Commerce,
Information Management

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