Fredericksburg is a city located in Gillespie County, Texas. As of the 2000
census, the city had a total population of 8,911. It is the county seat of
Gillespie County6. The community of Luckenbach, immortalized in country
music, is near Fredericksburg.
History
Settled largely by liberal, educated Germans fleeing the Revolution of 1848,
Gillespie County voted against secession prior to the American Civil War.
Fredericksburg was the birthplace of Admiral Chester Nimitz, Commander-in-Chief
of the U.S. Pacific Forces in World War II. The hotel owned by Nimitz's
German grandfather has been converted into a museum honoring the men and
women who served with Nimitz in the war.
The town is notable as the home of Texas German, a German dialect spoken
by the first generations of settlers who initially refused to learn English.
Geography
Fredericksburg is located at 30°16'27" North, 98°52'19" West (30.274058,
-98.871822).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of
17.2 km˛ (6.6 mi˛). 17.2 km˛ (6.6 mi˛) of it is land and none of the area is
covered with water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 8,911 people, 3,784 households, and
2,433 families residing in the city. The population density is 518.2/km˛
(1,342.1/mi˛). There are 4,183 housing units at an average density of 243.2/km˛
(630.0/mi˛). The racial makeup of the city is 93.08% White, 0.27% African
American, 0.27% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 5.09%
from other races, and 1.05% from two or more races. 17.00% of the population
are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There is a minority of Texas Germans.
There are 3,784 households out of which 23.9% have children under the age of
18 living with them, 53.2% are married couples living together, 8.5% have a
female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% are non-families.
32.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 19.6% have someone
living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is
2.24 and the average family size is 2.82.
In the city the population is spread out with 20.3% under the age of 18,
6.0% from 18 to 24, 20.8% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 30.3% who
are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 47 years. For every 100
females there are 81.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there
are 78.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $32,276, and the median
income for a family is $43,670. Males have a median income of $25,878 versus
$22,171 for females. The per capita income for the city is $18,788. 11.9% of
the population and 7.5% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the
total people living in poverty, 16.1% are under the age of 18 and 11.5% are
65 or older.
Newspaper
The local newspaper is called the Fredericksburg Standard, which has an
Internet edition which it calls Radio Post.
