Four Corners is a
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...
(CDP) within the
extraterritorial jurisdiction
Extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) is the legal ability of a government to exercise authority beyond its normal boundaries.
Any authority can claim ETJ over any external territory they wish. However, for the claim to be effective in the externa ...
of
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
in
Fort Bend County
Fort Bend County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. The county was founded in 1837 and organized the next year. It is named for a blockhouse at a bend of the Brazos River. The community developed around the fort in early days.
The ...
,
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 12,103 at the 2020 census,
up from 2,954 at the 2000 census.
History
Four Corners began as a community of extended families. By 2011 it had become a rapidly suburbanizing area.
[Kever, Jeannie.]
FACING A CROSSROADS
" ''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 ...
''. June 1, 2011. Retrieved on June 3, 2011.
Geography
Four Corners is located near the northeastern border of Fort Bend County at (29.669366, -95.659147).
It is bordered to the north by the
Mission Bend CDP and to the east, south, and west by small units of the city of Houston.
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 CDP has a total area of , of which , or 0.12%, is water.
The original community was centered on the four-way intersection of Boss Gaston, Old Richmond, and Richmond Gaines roads. The
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...
as of 2011 includes the crossroads and several new houses west of
Texas State Highway 6
State Highway 6 (SH 6) runs from the Red River, the Texas–Oklahoma state line, to northwest of Galveston, where it is known as the Old Galveston Highway. In Sugar Land and Missouri City, it is known as Alvin-Sugarland Road and runs per ...
, north of McKaskle Road, and south of Riverside Grove Drive and Stanbridge Drive. Journalist Jeannie Kever said that the community, once "isolated", had become "something bigger and harder to define, its aging small frame houses and mobile homes engulfed by the omnivorous spoils of growth."
Carmen Martinez, the president of the Fort Bend Freshwater Supply District No. 2 and a Four Corners resident who lived there since 1966, said in a ''
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 ...
'' article that at one time residents had to go to Houston or
Rosenberg to get groceries. As of 2011 residents can go to local area stores to shop.
Demographics
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 12,103 people, 3,012 households, and 2,908 families residing in the CDP.
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, there were 2,954 people, 775 households, and 702 families residing in the CDP. 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 1,038.2 people per square mile (400.2/km
2). There were 824 housing units at an average density of 289.6/sq mi (111.6/km
2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 42.76%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 18.96%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.64%
Native American, 15.94%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.03%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 18.82% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 2.84% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 41.16% of the population.
There were 775 households, out of which 57.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.3% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 9.4% were non-families. 7.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.81 and the average family size was 4.02.
In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 36.7% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 4.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.8 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $63,534, and the median income for a family was $65,200. Males had a median income of $34,821 versus $40,272 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 CDP was $19,826. About 12.1% of families and 16.3% 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 23.4% of those under age 18 and 15.0% of those age 65 or over.
From the 2000 census to the 2010 census, the population increased to 12,382, about four times the population in 2000. As of 2011 90% of the residents are
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry (including naturalized Americans who are immigrants from specific regions in Asia and descendants of such immigrants). Although this term had historically been used for all the indigenous people ...
s,
African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
s, and
Latino American
Hispanic and Latino Americans ( es, Estadounidenses hispanos y latinos; pt, Estadunidenses hispânicos e latinos) are Americans of Spanish and/or Latin American ancestry. More broadly, these demographics include all Americans who identify as ...
s. Between the 2000 and 2010 censuses, the number of
White American
White Americans are Americans who identify as and are perceived to be white people. This group constitutes the majority of the people in the United States. As of the 2020 Census, 61.6%, or 204,277,273 people, were white alone. This represented ...
s increased while the percentage of Whites decreased. Jeannie Kever of the ''
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 ...
'' said that "not all of the newcomers identify with the old neighborhood and its inhabitants, even those living just a block away."
Karl Eschbach, a former demographer for the state of Texas, said that many people moved from Houston neighborhoods and communities with distinct racial and socioeconomic identities, like the
East End
The East End of London, often referred to within the London area simply as the East End, is the historic core of wider East London, east of the Roman and medieval walls of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It does not have uni ...
,
Sunnyside, and the
Third Ward, to areas too new to have racial identities. Eschbach explained that "as a large minority middle class started to emerge, Fort Bend was virgin territory that all groups could move to."
When explaining why many of the new residents were of minority groups rather than white Americans, Eschbach added, "Many minorities are looking for mixed communities, where whites might feel it's more optimal to live in a subdivision that's more homogeneous with their own group."
Kever said that in previous eras, "Four Corners has always been a multicultural mashup, its residents united by poverty and an appreciation for life in the slow lane."
By 2011 many newer residents were wealthier than the original residents.
Government and infrastructure
As of 2011 the original section of Four Corners is serviced by a water system of the Fort Bend Freshwater Supply District No. 2 and individual septic systems. Newer areas have
municipal utility district
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
s, which provide sewer and water services.
Originally residents of the original section used individual water wells. Several years prior to 2011, residents of the original section formed the Fort Bend Freshwater Supply District No. 2 and built a water system. Residents still use individual septic systems. According to Carmen Martinez, the president of the supply district, work on a sewer system will start at a later point in 2011.
Education
Four Corners is within the
Fort Bend Independent School District
The Fort Bend Independent School District, also known as Fort Bend ISD or FBISD, is a school district system in the U.S. state of Texas based in the city of Sugar Land.
The district spans covering almost all of the city of Sugar Land, the city ...
.
Elementary schools serving the Four Corners CDP and within the Four Corners CDP include
Arizona Fleming
Arizona Fleming (March 23, 1884 – January 18, 1976) was an African-American small business owner from Richmond, Texas, who became part of the Civil Rights Movement by joining a lawsuit against an all-white political club that prevented black ...
Elementary and
Mary Austin Holley
Mary Austin Holley (1784–1846) was an American historical writer best known as the author of the first known English-language history of Texas, ''Texas'' (1833), expanded in 1836 into ''History of Texas''. She was a cousin of Stephen F. Austin, ...
Elementary. Elementary schools outside of the CDP serving sections of Four Corners include Drabek and Oyster Creek. Hodges Bend Middle School, located in the CDP, serves most of Four Corners, while Garcia Middle School and Sugar Land Middle School, both outside of the CDP, serves a small portion of the area.
Austin High School,
George Bush High School
George Bush High School is a public high school located in the Mission Bend census designated place and in unincorporated Fort Bend County, Texas, serving students in grades 9-12. The school has a "Richmond, Texas" postal address but is not in ...
, and
Kempner High School
I.H. Kempner High School, better known simply as Kempner High School, is a public high school in Sugar Land, Texas and a part of the Fort Bend Independent School District.
It was named after Isaac Herbert Kempner (1873–1967), the founder of ...
, all outside of the CDP, serve sections of Four Corners.
In previous eras, Four Corners residents attended
Travis High School in
Pecan Grove, Texas
Pecan Grove is a census-designated place and master-planned community within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of Richmond in Fort Bend County, Texas, United States. The population was 22,782 at the 2020 census.
Geography
Pecan Grove is located ...
and
Dulles High School
John Foster Dulles High School, more commonly known as Dulles High School, is a high school in Sugar Land, Texas. It was the first site purchase and new build, in the 1950s, of the newly formed Fort Bend Independent School District, which held i ...
in
Sugar Land
Sugar Land is the largest city in Fort Bend County, Texas, United States, located in the southwestern part of the metropolitan area. Located about southwest of downtown Houston, Sugar Land is a populous suburban municipality centered around th ...
.
Parks and recreation
Fort Bend County operates the Four Corners Recreation Center in Four Corners. The park includes a community center, two pavilions, playground equipment, a regulation soccer and softball field, 1/2 mile walking track, and a volleyball court.
[County Owned Parks]
" Fort Bend County. Retrieved on October 11, 2009.
References
External links
*
{{authority control
Census-designated places in Fort Bend County, Texas
Census-designated places in Texas