The Battle for One of the Richest and Smallest Counties in Texas

"Loving County, in northwest Texas, may have the highest trouble-to-resident ratio in the United States. With sixty-four inhabitants, as of the 2020 census, the county is the least populated in the country. Control of its top elected positions-sheriff, judge, constable, county clerk-can be swung by a handful of votes. Many of those vying for power are related to, and estranged from, their opponents. Election results are regularly challenged by the losing candidate, sometimes repeatedly;"

"But Mentone is situated near the center of the Permian Basin, the nation's most productive oil-and-gas field. As many as fifteen thousand oil-and-gas workers pass through the county daily, and the industry has made Loving County one of Texas's richest jurisdictions per capita, thanks in part to the fracking boom. Tax revenue amounts to roughly a million dollars per resident, and the county budget has more than doubled since 2020. Many county jobs, including paramedic, maintenance technician, and clerk, come with six-figure salaries."

Loving County, Texas, has 64 residents and elects countywide officials by margins of a handful of votes. Longstanding feuding families repeatedly challenge each other's victories, prompting election reruns and persistent legal disputes. The county sits near the Permian Basin, where as many as 15,000 oil-and-gas workers pass through daily, producing enormous tax revenue; per-resident tax receipts approach roughly one million dollars. The county budget has more than doubled since 2020, and many county positions pay six-figure salaries. Recently, followers of a hustle‑culture influencer moved into the area and began contesting local offices, intensifying power struggles.

Read at The New Yorker