Huntsville is a city and also a newly designated micropolitan area located in the U.S. state of Texas within Walker County. As of the U.S. Census 2000, the city had a total population of 35,078. Huntsville is the home of Sam Houston State University. It is the county seat of Walker County and is situated in East Texas. The city had its beginning about 1836, when Pleasant and Ephraim Gray opened a trading post on the site. Ephraim Gray became first postmaster in 1837, naming it after his former home town, Huntsville, Alabama.
Huntsville is the headquarters of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (the only state agency with headquarters outside of Austin). As such, it houses the execution chamber of the state of Texas. (Death-row inmates are no longer housed in Huntsville, due to the escape of several death-row inmates from Huntsville's Ellis Unit prison, where male death-row inmates were housed from 1965 to 1999. Male death-row inmates are now housed in Texas' Polunsky Unit in Livingston, and female death-row inmates are housed in Texas' Mountain View Unit in Gatesville. Texas death-row inmates are only brought to Huntsville shortly before their scheduled execution.).
Huntsville became the home of Sam Houston, the first President of the Republic of Texas, and later Governor of the state. Located in town are two of Houston's homes, a museum, a 66 ft statue, Sam Houston State University, and Houston's grave. The statue (which is the world's largest statue of an American hero) is the title and subject of a country music song by Merle Haggard.
Huntsville is located at 30°42'41" North, 95°32'54" West (30.711254, -95.548373).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 80.9 km2 (31.2 mi2). 80.0 km2 (30.9 mi2) of it is land and 0.9 km2 (0.3 mi2) of it is water. The total area is 1.09% water.
As of the census of 2000, there are 35,078 people, 10,266 households, and 5,471 families residing in the city. The population density is 438.3/km2 (1,135.1/mi2). There are 11,508 housing units at an average density of 143.8/km2 (372.4/mi2). The racial makeup of the city is 65.78% White, 26.14% African American, 0.33% Native American, 1.11% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 4.91% from other races, and 1.65% from two or more races. 16.22% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 10,266 households out of which 25.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.0% are married couples living together, 12.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 46.7% are non-families. 30.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.31 and the average family size is 2.97.
In the city the population is spread out with 15.1% under the age of 18, 29.3% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 16.3% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 28 years. For every 100 females there are 152.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 163.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $27,075, and the median income for a family is $40,562. Males have a median income of $27,386 versus $22,908 for females. The per capita income for the city is $13,576. 23.9% of the population and 13.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 23.9% of those under the age of 18 and 14.7% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Source:
HuntsvilleTX.com
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