Little River-Academy is a city in Bell County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,992 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Killeen– Temple– Fort Hood Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

Little River-Academy is located southeast of the center of Bell County at (30.9851, –97.3551). The city consists of two once-distinct settlements: Little River, situated east of the

confluence In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...

of the

Leon River The Leon River is a river in the U.S. state of Texas. It has three primary forks - the North, Middle, and South Leon Rivers, which meet near Eastland and then run for around until it meets with the Lampasas River and the Salado Creek to form ...

and Lampasas River to form the Little River, a tributary of the

Brazos River The Brazos River ( , ), called the ''Río de los Brazos de Dios'' (translated as "The River of the Arms of God") by early Spanish explorers, is the 11th-longest river in the United States at from its headwater source at the head of Blackwater Dr ...

; and Academy, centered east of Little River, at the intersection of Main Street and

Texas State Highway 95 State Highway 95 (SH 95) is a state highway which connects the cities of Yoakum and Temple in the U.S. state of Texas. Route description SH 95 runs northward from Alt. US 77 at the northern edge of Yoakum. It travels through Shiner ...

. The intersection in Academy is south of the city of Temple. According to the United States Census Bureau, Little River-Academy has a total area of , of which , or 0.20%, is water.

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 1,992 people, 730 households, and 503 families residing in the city. As of the census of 2000, there were 1,645 people, 584 households, and 439 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 618 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 88.75% White, 0.36% African American, 0.36% Indigenous American, 0.55%

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 ...

, 6.81% from other races, and 3.16% from two or more races. Hispanic 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 12.22% of the population. There were 584 households, out of which 43.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.9% 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, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.7% were non-families. 20.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.29. In the city, the population was spread out, with 32.2% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 17.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $39,063, and the median income for a family was $45,625. Males had a median income of $32,500 versus $21,081 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,236. About 6.2% of families and 9.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.5% of those under age 18 and 17.5% of those age 65 or over.

History

There was a fort here, built in 1836, named Fort Griffin. Because of fights with Native Americans, early Texans settled near the fort. The railroad came to town in 1880, and the post office in 1886. By 1914, there were 250 inhabitants. The towns of Little River and Academy merged in 1989 to form Little River-Academy.

Education

Little River-Academy is served by the

Academy Independent School District Academy Independent School District is a school district based in Little River-Academy, Texas (USA). In addition to Little River-Academy, the district also serves the community of Heidenheimer. Finances As of the 2010-2011 school year, the ap ...

. AISD has four schools: Academy Early Childhood Center, Academy Elementary School, Academy Middle School, and

Academy High School Academy High School is a 3A public high school located in Little River, Texas, United States. It is part of the Academy Independent School District located in southern Bell County. In 2009, the school was rated " Recognized" by the Texas Educat ...

. Academy is also home to Bell County Alternative School, which serves Holland, Salado, Bartlett, Troy, and Rogers.

References

{{authority control Cities in Bell County, Texas Cities in Texas Populated places established in 1836 Killeen–Temple–Fort Hood metropolitan area 1836 establishments in the Republic of Texas