Impact is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

in Taylor County,

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 35 at the 2010 census. It is part of the

Abilene, Texas Abilene ( ) is a city in Taylor and Jones Counties in Texas, United States. Its population was 125,182 at the 2020 census, making it the 27th-most populous city in the state of Texas. It is the principal city of the Abilene metropolitan statis ...

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

Geography

Impact is located at (32.500573, –99.744790). 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 town has a total area of 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²), all of it land.

History

The area that became known as Impact began as a poultry farm owned by advertising businessman Dallas Perkins. Prior to 1960, liquor sales were prohibited in all cities and counties surrounding Abilene.Beer and Impact, Texas
– AllBusiness.com. The prohibition of legal liquor sales encouraged bootleggers to produce illegal liquor commonly called "

moonshine Moonshine is high-proof liquor that is usually produced illegally. The name was derived from a tradition of creating the alcohol during the nighttime, thereby avoiding detection. In the first decades of the 21st century, commercial dist ...

". Perkins capitalized on the potential market for legal liquor among the

wets During the 1980s, members of the moderate wing of the British Conservative Party who opposed some of the more hard-line policies of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher were often referred to by their opponents as "wets". Thatcher coined the usage in ...

by purchasing 27 acres of land adjacent to his farm on the outskirts of Abilene and then pushing for its incorporation.Impact, Texas
– Texas Escapes Online Magazine. Calling the village "Impact" after his advertising business, 29 signatures of local residents were collected and it was incorporated in 1960.Impact, Texas
– Handbook of Texas. Soon after, the village's citizens voted 18 to 2 to permit liquor sales. Abilene lawyers immediately filed motions to oppose the town's incorporation, but a Texas Supreme Court ruling in 1963 upheld Impact's incorporation and its right to sell liquor. Two liquor stores opened in Impact in 1963. The first month's sales were $463,000 (equivalent to roughly $3.5 million in 2012). With the newfound revenues, the village's roads were paved and lighted, garbage pickup was introduced, and a policeman was hired. One of the liquor stores was Pinky's, which was owned by Perkins and his associates and used a logo of a pink elephant, thus the name.Bottled-up liquor sentiments enliven the history of Abilene
– Abilene Reporter-News, July 26, 2001. Impact remained the only wholly wet municipality in Taylor County until 1978, when Abilene voters narrowly legalized (by a 131-vote margin) liquor sales in the city. With that vote, Impact lost its reason for being. The liquor stores in Impact soon dried up and closed and the community became just another suburb of Abilene. Impact has been and still is one of the smallest incorporated communities in Texas. Its population peaked at 61 in 1970 and had declined to 39 by 2000.

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 22 people, 13 households, and 9 families residing in the town.

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, there were 39 people, 14 households, and 9 families residing in the town. 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 450.2 people per square mile (167.3/km²). There were 16 housing units at an average density of 184.7 per square mile (68.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 58.97%

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 ...

, 7.69%

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 ...

, 30.77% 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 2.56% 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 ...

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 64.10% of the population. There were 14 households, out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% 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, 21.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.6% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.30. In the village the population was spread out, with 35.9% under the age of 18, 15.4% from 18 to 24, 15.4% from 25 to 44, 15.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females, there were 129.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males. The median income for a household in the village was $23,750, and the median income for a family was $23,750. Males had a median income of $31,250 versus $18,125 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 ...

was $12,488. There were 30.0% of families and 36.4% of the population living 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 28.6% of under eighteens and 20.0% of those over 64.

Education

The Town of Impact is served by the

Abilene Independent School District Abilene Independent School District is a public school district based in Abilene, Texas, Abilene, Texas (United States, USA). The district serves the cities of Abilene and Impact, Texas, Impact in northeastern Taylor County, Texas, Taylor Count ...

References

{{authority control Towns in Taylor County, Texas Towns in Texas Abilene metropolitan area