Merkel (Texas)

Taylor County

48-47796

Merkel is a town in Taylor County in the U.S. state of Texas in the United States.

Geography

The city is located in the central northwestern Texas, off Interstate 20, approximately 30 km west of Abilene, in the northwest of the county and has a total area of 5.1 km ² without significant water surface.

History

The town was founded as Windmill Town around 1880, when the Texas and Pacific Railway moved its tracks here. In 1881 he was renamed Merkel, after the first settlers in this area, the German -born SM Merkel. 1882, the first general store was opened in 1883 and the first post office. The population was 25 in 1885 and 400 in 1890, when the town already had four churches and a school. From 1887 on the site for four years housed a college, from 1926 to the 1960s a hospital. Since 1890, the weekly newspaper Merkel mail appears.

Economy

Since its inception, Merkel was dominated by agriculture and animal husbandry. While agriculture continues to play an important role in many of the inhabitants are employed in the petroleum industry, or engaged in the supply of the military in the nearby Dyess Air Force Base.

Demography

Demographics

Presence

According to the census of 2000, there were 2,637 people in 1,012 households and 719 families. The population density was 519.5 inhabitants per km ². The racial the population was composed of 89.42 % White, 1.14 % African American, 0.61 % Native American, 0.30 % Asian, 0.04 % Pacific Islander residents from the and 6.33 % from other ethnic groups. Approximately 2.16% were of mixed descent, and 14.22% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 1,012 households, 37.9 % had children under the age of 18 living with them. 54.7 % were married couples living together. 13.3% were single mothers and 28.9 % were non-families. 25.9 % of all households were single-person households, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size amounted to 3.08.

28.2% of the population were under 18 years old, 8.3 % from 18 to 24, 27.0% 25-44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.8 % who were 65 years or older. The average age was 36 years. For every 100 females of all ages were 88.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, 80.3 males.

The median income for a household was $ 29,083, and the median income for a family $ 34,250. Males have a median income of $ 30,000 versus $ 16,620 for females. The per capita income was $ 13,292. 13.6 % of the population and 9.9 % of families are below the poverty line. Of which 14.6 % have children under the age of 18 and 14.0 % of those 65 or older.