Nacogdoches (pronounced nack-a-doe-chis) is a city located in Nacogdoches
County, Texas. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of
29,914. It is the county seat of Nacogdoches County6 and is situated in East
Texas.
Nacogdoches entered the news in February, 2003, as one of the East Texas
towns that received much of the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster debris.
Geography
Nacogdoches is located at 31°36'32" North, 94°39'3" West (31.608855,
-94.650862). Its location is approsimately 140 miles NNE of Houston, 120
miles SE of Dallas and 80 miles W of Shreveport.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of
65.5 km˛ (25.3 mi˛). 65.3 km˛ (25.2 mi˛) of it is land and 0.2 km˛ (0.1 mi˛)
of it is water. The total area is 0.24% water. The city center is located
just to the north of the fork of two creeks, the LaNana and Banita.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 29,914 people, 11,220 households, and
5,935 families residing in the city. The population density is 457.8/km˛
(1,185.9/mi˛). There are 12,329 housing units at an average density of
188.7/km˛ (488.7/mi˛). The racial makeup of the city is 65.98% White, 25.06%
African American, 0.34% Native American, 1.13% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander,
5.84% from other races, and 1.55% from two or more races. 10.82% of the
population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 11,220 households out of which 25.3% have children under the age
of 18 living with them, 35.7% are married couples living together, 13.7%
have a female householder with no husband present, and 47.1% are non-families.
33.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.6% have someone
living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is
2.30 and the average family size is 3.04.
In the city the population is spread out with 20.2% under the age of 18,
30.9% from 18 to 24, 22.3% from 25 to 44, 15.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who
are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 24 years. For every 100
females there are 87.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there
are 84.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $22,700, and the median
income for a family is $37,020. Males have a median income of $28,933 versus
$22,577 for females. The per capita income for the city is $14,546. 32.3% of
the population and 20.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the
total people living in poverty, 38.4% are under the age of 18 and 13.3% are
65 or older.
History
Nacogdoches claims to be one of the oldest towns in Texas. Evidence of
settlement on the same site dates back to 10,000 years ago. It was the
location of a Caddo settlement starting around 700 BC, and was one of the
european settlements in the region. The city has been under more flags than
the state of Texas, claiming up to 9 flags. In addition to the Six Flags of
Texas, it also flew under these flags: The Magee-Gutierrez Republic, The
Long Republic, and The Fredonia Republic.
Today, Nacogdoches is considered a very progressive city, and is home to
Stephen F. Austin State University, which is an institution of about 11,000
students.
