Weslaco, Texas
Weslaco is a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. The population was 26,935 at the 2000 census. Weslaco derives its name from the W.E. Stewart Land Company. It was the hometown of Harlon Block, one of the Marines photographed raising the flag at Iwo Jima.
Weslaco is part of the McAllen•Edinburg•Mission Metropolitan Statistical Area.
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Geography
Weslaco is located at 26°9′33″N 97°59′15″W / 26.15917°N 97.9875°W (26.159130, -97.987374)[3].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.8 square miles (33.0 km²), of which, 12.7 square miles (32.9 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (0.55%) is water.
Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 26,935 people, 8,295 households, and 6,602 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,123.1 people per square mile (819.5/km²). There were 10,230 housing units at an average density of 806.4/sq mi (311.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 74.92% White, 0.27% African American, 0.49% Native American, 1.14% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 20.93% from other races, and 2.19% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 83.76% of the population.
There were 8,295 households out of which 41.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.2% were married couples living together, 17.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.4% were non-families. 18.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.21 and the average family size was 3.68.
In the city the population was spread out with 31.8% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 17.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 87.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,573, and the median income for a family was $29,215. Males had a median income of $24,202 versus $19,688 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,235. About 26.5% of families and 30.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 40.6% of those under age 18 and 23.5% of those age 65 or over.
Government and infrastructure
The United States Postal Service operates the Weslaco Post Office.[4]
Education
Public education in Weslaco is provided by the Weslaco Independent School District, Idea Schools and South Texas Independent School District. There are 4 private schools: San Martin de Porres Catholic School, Valley Grande Adventist Academy, Mid-Valley Christian School, and First Christian Academy and 2 Charter schools: Horizon Montessori and Technology Education Charter High School. The city also has head start and pre-kinder programs as well as several privately owned day care centers. Continuing education facilities located within Weslaco include South Texas College, South Texas Vocational Technical Institute and Valley Grande Institute for Academic Studies. Texas A&M operates two agricultural research centers in Weslaco and the U.S. Department of Agriculture operates another.[citation needed]
The Wesclaco Public Library serves Weslaco.[5]
Health care
Knapp Medical Center serves Weslaco’s emergency medical needs. The facility is outfitted with a Heli-Pad, Level 3 Trauma Unit and 233 hospital beds. Surrounding Knapp Medical is an unofficial Health care district featuring a concentration of physicians, medical services and pharmacies. This district draws patients from the entire Mid-Valley, however for many specialized needs Weslaco residents still must travel to McAllen or Harlingen for health care. Weslaco employs 206 doctors, 9 dentists and 1 vet. There are 11 home health care agencies and 4 nursing homes.
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.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Post Office™ Location - WESLACO." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on May 9, 2010.
- ^ "Welcome to the Library." Weslaco Public Library. Retrieved on May 7, 2010.
External links
| Texas portal |
- City of Weslaco
- Weslaco Chamber of Commerce
- Economic Development Corporation
- Weslaco Public Library
- Knapp Medical Center
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Categories: Hidalgo County, Texas | Cities in Texas | Texas communities with Hispanic majority populations
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