Pearsall ( ) is a city in and 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 ...

Frio County, Texas Frio County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 18,385. The county seat is Pearsall. The county was created in 1858 and later organized in 1871. Frio is named for the Frio River, whose na ...

, United States. The population was 9,146 at the 2010 census, up from 7,157 at the 2000 census.

Geography

Pearsall is located near the center of Frio County at (28.891458, –99.094873).

Interstate 35 Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican border ...

bypasses the city on the west side, with access from Exits 99, 101, and 104. I-35 leads northeast to

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , s ...

and south to Laredo. 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 ...

, Pearsall has a total area of , of which , or 0.27%, is covered by water. In 2003, Pearsall annexed the unincorporated neighborhood of West Pearsall, increasing the population of the town by about 350 people.

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 ...

, Pearsall 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.

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 7,325 people, 2,599 households, and 1,845 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, 7,157 people, 2,201 households, and 1,688 families were living in 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 1,694.7 people per square mile (654.8/km). The 2,470 housing units averaged 584.9/sq mi (226.0/km). 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 73.80% White, 0.39% African American 0.71% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 22.02% from other races, and 2.79% from two or more races. About 84.24% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 2,201 households, 41.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.1% were married couples living together, 18.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.3% were not families. About 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.99 and the average family size was 3.47. In the city, the age distribution was 30.6% under 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $21,602, and for a family was $23,470. Males had a median income of $21,295 versus $14,720 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 $13,383. 35.0% of the population and 30.4% of families 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 ...

. 43.2% of those under the age of 18 and 40.0% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Government and infrastructure

The

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U ...

operates the Pearsall Post Office. The

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. ICE's stated mission is to protect the United States from the cross-border crime and illegal immigration tha ...

operates the South Texas Detention Facility in an

unincorporated area An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in Frio County near Pearsall.

Education

Pearsall Independent School District Pearsall Independent School District is a public school district based in Pearsall, Texas (United States). In 2009, the school district was rated "academically acceptable" by the Texas Education Agency The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is the ...

has four schools: Ted Flores Elementary, Pearsall Intermediate, Pearsall Junior High, and Pearsall High School.

Notable people

* Alfred Allee, a 19th-century peace officer, was at one time a

deputy sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

in Pearsall * Gene Bailey, baseball player * Mary Moore, former mayor *

George Strait George Harvey Strait Sr. (born May 18, 1952) is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and music producer. Strait is considered one of the most influential and popular recording artists of all time. In the 1980s, he was credited for ...

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

singer, was born in

Poteet, Texas Poteet is a city in Atascosa County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,260 as of the 2010 census. It is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was named for its first postmaster, Francis Marion Poteet. It is best know ...

, but raised in Pearsall *

Dave Studdard David Studdard (born November 22, 1955) is a former offensive tackle who played in two National Football League (NFL) Super Bowls for the Denver Broncos. He also played for the National Championship in college football for the Texas Longhorns - ...

, professional football player, offensive lineman

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...

(1979–1988)NFL.com Player Profile
/ref> *

Brad Wright Brad Wright (born May 2, 1961) is a Canadian television producer and screenwriter. He is best known as the co-creator of the television series ''Stargate SG-1'' (with Jonathan Glassner), ''Stargate Atlantis'' (with Robert C. Cooper) and ''Stargat ...

, head football coach at

Texas State University-San Marcos Texas State University is a public research university in San Marcos, Texas. Since its establishment in 1899, the university has grown to the second largest university in the Greater Austin metropolitan area and the fifth largest university ...

from 2007 to 2010, was born in Pearsall in 1959

Gallery

File:Pearsall (TX) Town Hall IMG 0479.JPG, Pearsall Town Hall File:PearsallTexasOaks1 (1 of 1).jpg , Oaks Theater File:First United Methodist Church of Pearsall, TX IMG 0486.JPG, First

United Methodist The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelic ...

located across from the courthouse File:First Baptist Church of Pearsall, TX IMG 0489.JPG, First

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...

Church of Pearsall located at Walnut and San Marcos streets File:Best Western in Pearsall, TX IMG 0493.JPG, Best Western File:Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church Pearsall TX.jpg, Catholic Church in Pearsall, TX located on corner of Brazos and Willow File:Old Frio County Jail Wiki (1 of 1).jpg, Old Frio County Jail File:Frio County Courthouse Pearsall Wiki (1 of 1).jpg, Frio County Courthouse

References

External links

City of Pearsall official website

very brief history
Handbook of Texas Online: Pearsall, Texas
{{authority control Cities in Frio County, Texas Cities in Texas County seats in Texas