Bay City, Texas Information
Bay City is a city in Matagorda County, Texas, United States. The population was 18,667 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Matagorda County[3]. The current mayor is Mark Bricker.
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Geography
Bay City is located at 28°58′51″N 95°57′52″W / 28.98083°N 95.96444°W (28.980766, -95.964459)[4]. With different municipalities and unincorporated areas surrounding it on all sides.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.5 square miles (22.0 km2), of which, 8.5 square miles (22.0 km2) of it is land and 0.12% is water. It used to be named "Bay Prairie", as the natural ecosystems that surround the town are prairies criscrossed by creeks that lead into the bay.
Downtown Bay City The First Baptist Church of Bay City dates to the 1850s. A hurricane destroyed the sanctuary in 1909. Current structure dates to 1947. First United Methodist Church of Bay City Bay City Water Tower Entrance to Cedarvale Bay City Cemetery, which dates to 1896 with the burial of Rufus A. Mathis, an early Bay City pioneer "Come Unto Me", a depiction of Jesus Christ at Cedarvale Bay City CemeteryDemographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 3,156 | — | |
| 1920 | 3,454 | 9.4% | |
| 1930 | 4,070 | 17.8% | |
| 1940 | 6,594 | 62.0% | |
| 1950 | 9,427 | 43.0% | |
| 1960 | 11,656 | 23.6% | |
| 1970 | 13,445 | 15.3% | |
| 1980 | 17,837 | 32.7% | |
| 1990 | 18,170 | 1.9% | |
| 2000 | 18,667 | 2.7% | |
| 2010 | 17,614 | −5.6% | |
| U.S. Census Bureau[5] | |||
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 18,667 people, 6,912 households, and 4,769 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,196.0 people per square mile (847.9/km²). There were 8,113 housing units at an average density of 954.4 per square mile (368.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 61.62% White, 17.26% African American, 0.74% Native American, 0.88% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 16.84% from other races, and 2.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 34.74% of the population.
There were 6,912 households out of which 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples living together, 16.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.25.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.9% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,446, and the median income for a family was $39,281. Males had a median income of $38,202 versus $23,058 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,284. About 18.3% of families and 21.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.7% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over. Minorities make up the largest ethnic portion of Bay City, Texas.
Education
Bay City is served by the Bay City Independent School District, a district of schools consisting of elementary, intermediate, junior high, and high school (Bay City High School). The district operates seven schools and is led by superintendent Keith Brown. Wharton County Junior College has a campus in Bay City.
Medical Community/Hospitals
Matagorda County is served by the Matagorda Regional Medical Center. Multiple medical and dental specialists are located in Bay City, including: nephrologists, pediatricians, and cardiologists.
Notable People From Bay City
- Brigadier General Edwin J. Arnold, Jr. (Ret), United States Army
- Forrest Bess, painter
- Robert Blackmon, NFL player
- Ira Chasnoff, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics, University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago
- J. B. Cox, professional baseball player
- Joe DeLoach, 1988 Olympic Gold Medalist (200m)
- Mark Dennard, NFL player
- Hart Lee Dykes, NFL player
- Jill Alexander Essbaum, poet
- Simon Fletcher, NFL player
- Ronnie Heard, NFL player
- William Heiligbrodt, Former President, Service Corporation International
- Carl Jackson, former running backs coach, University of Iowa
- Chandi Jones, WNBA player
- Ben Carlton Mead, illustrator
- Roland Mitchell, NFL player
- Dr. Lee R. Polk, former Professor of Communication Studies, Baylor University
- Lt. General Stephen R. Polk (Ret), USAF
- Ricardo Ramirez, CSB, Bishop of Las Cruces
- Major General Claude W. Reinke (Ret), United States Marine Corps
- Doyle Simons, CEO, Temple-Inland, Inc.
- LaBradford Smith, NBA player
- Fredricka Whitfield, journalist
- Mal Whitfield, 3-time Olympic gold medalist
- Cedric Woodard, NFL player
Attractions
Bay City is home to the Matagorda County Birding Nature Center, a 35-acre (140,000 m2) expanse of gardens and wildlife along the Colorado River of Texas.[6]
Other attractions include the Matagorda County Museum,[7] Market Days every 3rd Saturday,[8] and a variety of small shops and boutiques downtown. The Bay City Art League is also located here which has recently undergone major renovations and is currently working to revitalize the art scene in Matagorda County.
Location from Bay City
| El Campo via Highway 35 | Wharton via Highway 60 | West Columbia via Highway 35 | ||
| Markham via Highway 35 | Lake Jackson via FM 457 | |||
| Bay City | ||||
| Palacios via Highway 35 | Wadsworth, Matagorda via Highway 60 | Sargent via Highway 35 |
References
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ "Historical Decennial Census". U.S. Census Bureau. http://www.census.gov/population/www/censusdata/hiscendata.html. Retrieved 11 August 2011.
- ^ http://www.fabuloustravel.com/usa/matagorda/matagordabirding.html
- ^ "Matagorda County Museum Website". Matagorda County Museum Website. http://www.matagordacountymuseum.org/.
- ^ "Matagorda Calendar". Matagorda Calendar. http://www.matagordacalendar.com/. Retrieved 2011-08-18.
External links
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Categories: Cities in Texas | Populated places in Matagorda County, Texas | County seats in Texas | Micropolitan areas of Texas
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