Sulphur is a city in Murray County

Murray County, Oklahoma

Murray County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population was 12,623. Its county seat is Sulphur.-Geography:...

, Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The population was 4,794 at the 2000 census

United States Census, 2000

The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...

. It is the county seat

County seat

A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

 of Murray County

Murray County, Oklahoma

Murray County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population was 12,623. Its county seat is Sulphur.-Geography:...

.

Geography

Sulphur is located at 34°30′33"N 96°58′31"W (34.509159, -96.975371).

According to the United States Census Bureau

United States Census Bureau

The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the city has a total area of 7 square miles (18.1 km²), of which, 6.8 square miles (17.6 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (2.16%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census

Census

A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 4,794 people, 1,877 households, and 1,244 families residing in the city. The population density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 703.1 people per square mile (271.4/km²). There were 2,220 housing units at an average density of 325.6 per square mile (125.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 79.45% White, 1.36% African American, 12.72% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.52% from other races

Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 4.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.80% of the population.

There were 1,877 households out of which 100.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% were married couples

Marriage

Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 20.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,236, and the median income for a family was $35,000. Males had a median income of $28,712 versus $19,438 for females. The per capita income

Per capita income

Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the city was $15,691. About 7.9% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.5% of those under age 18 and 13.5% of those age 65 or over.

Sulphur Public Schools

The city of Sulphur is served by the Sulphur Public School District. There is one elementary, intermediate, junior high and high school. As of October 2008, the enrollment for the district was at 1,383 students.

Athletics are a major piece of the school culture in Sulphur. Football is the most popular sport, and the Bulldogs have won State Championships in class 3A (2002) and 2A (2004). They were the state runner-up in 2003. Powerlifting, basketball and baseball are also popular sports. The Bulldogs have won state championships in both baseball (1966 and 2004) and powerlifting (2005 and 2006). There has been a long and heated rivalry between Sulphur and the neighboring town of Davis, located just 7 miles to the west, known locally as the Murray County Bedlam.

Oklahoma School for the Deaf is also located in Sulphur, Oklahoma. They provide the same education opportunities for deaf and hard-of-hearing students as hearing students. They also participate in sports: football, volleyball, track, etc.

Attractions

Chickasaw National Recreation Area

Chickasaw National Recreation Area

Chickasaw National Recreation Areais a National Recreation Area situated in the foothills of the Arbuckle Mountains in south-central Oklahoma near Sulphur.-History:...

 (originally Platt National Park), a popular destination for many regional tourists, is located just east of the town of Sulphur. Among the smallest parks in the National Park System, Chickasaw N.R.A. is very popular for its size, averaging 3-4 million visitors per year. Principal attractions in Sulphur besides the park are sulfurous springs in town that were once thought to cure ailments and other medical conditions. The pungent odor and taste are quite popular with some people. Other attractions include the Arbuckle Mountain range, just to the southwest, complete with many hiking and recreational opportunities.

Sulphur is also the home to the newly finished Chickasaw Cultural Center. The CCC is a world class museum which tells the story of the Chickasaw people in an interactive and unparalleled experience.

Famous residents

• Blues guitarist Wayne Bennett
  Wayne Bennett (blues guitarist)
  Wayne Bennett was an American blues guitarist.-Biography:He was born in Sulphur, Oklahoma, and died in New Orleans Louisiana. He worked with blues musicians such as Bobby Bland, Boxcar Willie, Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker and Elmore James, as well as with jazz musicians, including Cannonball...
  
  was born in Sulphur.
• Chris Hammons- Captain, 2000 BCS Champion OU Sooners
• Stephen Markey [Born: Liverpool, England]- International wit and raconteur

External links

• http://www.sulphurokla.com
• http://www.chickasawculturalcenter.com/
• http://www.nps.gov/chic/index.htm
• http://www.sulphurmiddleschoolk20.com/