Breckenridge (Texas)
Stephens County
48-10132
Breckenridge is the district capital ( county seat ) of the Stephens County in the U.S. state of Texas in the United States.
Geography
The city is located about 100 km north of the geographical center of Texas, at the intersection of U.S. Highways 180 and 183, about seven kilometers east of Hubbard Creek reservoir and has a total area of 10.8 km ², of which 0.1 km ² water surface. The distance to Abilene in the southwest is about 100 km, to Dallas in the east about 230 km.
History
The city was founded in 1854 under the name Picketville, according to one of the first ranchers in the area, Bill Pickett. After the formation of the county in 1876, it became the seat of county government ( County Seat) and renamed in Breckenridge, named after John Cabell Breckinridge, a U.S. Senator from Kentucky, Vice President, U.S. general and Confederate general in the American Civil War. 1877 published the first newspaper, the North West Texian and 1880 the first school was built a two-story building, the upper floor served as an opera house and church.
Demographics
According to the census of 2000, there were 5,868 people in 2,274 households and 1,546 families. The population density was 545.9 inhabitants per km ². The racial the population was composed of 83.88 % White, 2.25 % African American, 0.34 % Native American, 0.46 % Asian, 0.03 % Pacific Islander residents from the and 11.28 % from other ethnic groups. Approximately 1.76% were of mixed descent, and 20.64 % of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Of the 2,274 households out of which 36.5 % have children under the age of 18 living with them. 51.1 % were married couples living together. 12.6% were single mothers and 32.0% were non-families. 29.2 % of all households were single-person households, and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size to 3.16 persons.
30.2% of the population were under 18 years old, 8.5 % from 18 to 24, 26.0% 25-44, 20.0 % from 45 to 64, and 15.3 % who are 65 years old or were older. The average age was 34 years. For every 100 females of all ages were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, 84.3 males.
The median income for a household was $ 28,697, and the median income for a family $ 35,164. Males had a median income of $ 25,923 versus $ 20,467 for females. The per capita income was $ 14,014. 19.3 % of the population and 16.9 % of families are below the poverty line. Of which 26.9 % have children under the age of 18 and 14.4 % of those 65 or older.
Sons and daughters of the town
- Byron Katie, author and teacher of life
- Dean Smith ( born 1932 ), track and field athlete and Olympic champion