Ballinger ( ) is a city in

Runnels County Runnels County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 9,900. Its county seat is Ballinger. The county was created in 1858 and later organized in 1880. It is named for Hiram G. Runnels, a Texa ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

, United States. The population was 3,767 at the 2010 census. It is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

. Downtown Ballinger features historic 1800s buildings with shops and restaurants.

Geography

Ballinger is located at (31.7409, –99.9538). It is located in the transition zone from the Edwards Plateu to the Texas Southern Plains region of West Texas. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , of which , or 0.06%, is covered by water. Ballinger is about south of Abilene.Glenn, Mike.
Fort Bend publisher dies of cancer at 72
" ''

Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With it ...

''. July 8, 2013. Retrieved on April 7, 2014.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 3,619 people, 1,449 households, and 860 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, 4,243 people, 1,578 households, and 1,093 families resided the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 1,266.7 people per square mile (489.0/km²). The 1,879 housing units averaged 560.9 per square mile (216.6/km²). The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the city was 79.68% White, 2.14% African American, 0.71% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 14.52% from other races, and 2.50% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 31.28% of the population. Of 1,578 households, 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.7% were not families. About 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and family size was 3.10. In the city, the population was distributed as 26.9% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 20.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $26,129, and for a family was $31,393. Males had a median income of $24,207 versus $18,951 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $11,917. About 14.3% of families and 17.2% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 18.1% of those under age 18 and 25.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The city is served by the

Ballinger Independent School District Ballinger Independent School District is a public school district based in Ballinger, Texas (USA) that serves students in southern Runnels County. Finances As of the 2010–2011 school year, the appraised valuation of property in the district ...

and is home to the Ballinger High School Bearcats.

Notable people

* David W. Guion, a widely performed classical composer and arranger of American folk music * Hal Underwood, a professional golfer, won the

European Tour The European Tour (currently known as the DP World Tour for sponsorship reasons), legally the PGA European Tour is the leading men's professional golf tour in Europe. The organisation also operates the European Senior Tour (for players aged fift ...

Sports

Ballinger was home of the minor league baseball team the

Ballinger Cats The Ballinger Cats were a Longhorn League baseball team based in Ballinger, Texas, United States that played from 1947 to 1950. They were affiliated with the Cincinnati Reds in 1948. As well, they played their home games at Ballinger Rec. Park that ...

from the 1920s to its disbandment in the late 1950s. They were affiliated with the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

from 1947 to 1950, as well with the bygone

St. Louis Browns The St. Louis Browns were a Major League Baseball team that originated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the Milwaukee Brewers. A charter member of the American League (AL), the Brewers moved to St. Louis, Missouri, after the 1901 season, where they p ...

in the 1930s and early 1940s.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system, Ballinger has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

, ''Cfa'' on climate maps.Climate Summary for Ballinger, Texas
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References

External links

City of Ballinger official websiteEntry for William P. Ballinger
for whom Ballinger was named, from th
''Biographical Encyclopedia of Texas''
published 1880, hosted by th
Portal to Texas History
* {{authority control Cities in Texas Cities in Runnels County, Texas County seats in Texas