Crane County, Texas

7 local notes for Crane County — practical, plain-English, and pointed at the official source to confirm. West Texas / Permian / Trans-Pecos.

Money & Taxes

Property Tax

Two offices handle your property tax in Crane County

Crane County has a separate appraisal district and tax office — they do different jobs, and you may need to contact both.

Oil & Gas / Mineral Rights

Oil and gas built Crane County — mineral rights still matter here

Crane County sits in the Permian Basin, and oil production has driven the local economy since 1926 — mineral rights can be worth real money and are often sold separately from surface land.

Home & Property

Water / Groundwater

Crane County has no local groundwater conservation district

Crane County has no local groundwater district to regulate private water wells — which means fewer rules, but also less protection.

Climate & Water Supply

Crane County gets about 13 inches of rain a year — water is scarce

With roughly 13 inches of annual rainfall and high summer heat, Crane County is one of the drier parts of Texas — water supply and drought planning matter for any property here.

Outdoors

Hunting & Wildlife

Hunting in Crane County is almost entirely on private land

There is no state wildlife management area or significant block of public hunting land in Crane County — access depends on private landowner permission or a paid lease.

History & Culture

County History

Crane County went from near-empty to oil boomtown in one decade

Crane County had fewer than 100 residents in 1900, but oil discovered in 1926 brought thousands of workers almost overnight.

Historic Sites

Horsehead Crossing on the Pecos River is a historic landmark in Crane County

Horsehead Crossing, on the Pecos River near the county's southern boundary, was a key ford used by cattle drives and travelers heading west in the 1800s.