Converse is a city in
Bexar County,
Texas
Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
, United States, northeast of
downtown San Antonio. As of the
2020 census, it had a population of 27,466.
It is part of the
San Antonio metropolitan statistical area.
History
Converse is on
Farm to Market Road 1976, thirteen miles northeast of downtown San Antonio in northeastern Bexar County. It was named for the chief engineer of the Southern Pacific Railroad, a Major Converse, who in 1877 bought a tract of land including the townsite. A post office was established in 1878, and by 1885 a population of thirty was reported. In 1896 the town had a saloon, two cotton gins, and a grocery. In 1990, the community, originally settled by German farmers, reportedly had the oldest 4-H Club in Texas. A singing society, the Salatrillo Liederkranz, had been active for many years. The population in 1946 was 175; by 1965 the town had twenty-two businesses and 900 residents. Over time, Converse has become a suburb of San Antonio. In the 1980s, an influx of middle-class African Americans most of them first-time homeowners were attracted to developing communities northeast of San Antonio. Today, Converse is a prime example of wealthy, Black suburbs in the U.S.
In 1990, the community had a population of 8,887, and in 1991 it had seventy-three businesses. In 2000 the population had grown to 11,508 with 390 businesses.
In 2017, Converse proposed the
annexation
Annexation, in international law, is the forcible acquisition and assertion of legal title over one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. In current international law, it is generally held t ...
of 12 mi
2 of territory near
Randolph Air Force Base in northeastern Bexar County. Several large commercial areas are included in the annexation. The additional land would be taken in a series of phased expansions until 2033. Once completed, the area of Converse would triple in size. Municipal services would become available to an often neglected part of the county. The San Antonio City Council has unanimously approved the annexation; now the measure goes before the Converse City Council and the county commissioners.
Geography
Converse is located in eastern Bexar County. The
Charles W. Anderson Loop highway around San Antonio passes along the eastern edge of Converse, separating it from Randolph Air Force Base. Converse is bordered by the cities of
Live Oak
Live oak or evergreen oak is any of a number of oaks in several different sections of the genus ''Quercus'' that share the characteristic of evergreen foliage. These oaks are generally not more closely related to each other than they are to o ...
and
Universal City to the north, the city of
Schertz to the southeast, and the city of San Antonio and unincorporated parts of Bexar County to the south and west.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, Converse has a total area of , of which are land and , or 1.28%, is covered by water.
Demographics
As of the
2020 United States census, there were 27,466 people, 8,435 households, and 6,176 families residing in the city. The population density was . The 4,009 housing units averaged 633.4 per square mile (244.5/km). Of the 8,435 households, 44.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.5% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.8% were not families. About 15.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.94 and the average family size was 3.26.
In the city, the population was distributed as 31.0% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 33.9% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 6.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $47,947, and for a family was $49,396. Males had a median income of $32,631 versus $25,765 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $18,949. About 4.9% of families and 6.5% 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 ...
, including 8.5% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.
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 divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
system, Converse has a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
, ''Cfa'' on climate maps.
Education
Most of Converse is in the
Judson Independent School District. A portion in the south is in the
East Central Independent School District.
[ ]
Text list
/ref> The public high school of the latter is the East Central High School.
Notable people
* NaLyssa Smith (born 2000), WNBA power forward who formally played for Indiana Fever
The Indiana Fever are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Fever compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) a member of the Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference. The team was founded for ...
. She is currently playing for the Dallas Wings. Smith was the winner of the Wade Trophy for 2020–21
See also
* List of municipalities in Texas
Texas is a U.S. state, state located in the Southern United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, 29,145,505 (93.14%) of the 31,290,831 residents of Texas lived in a Municipal corporation, municipality in the 2024 estimate.
...
Notelist
References
External links
*
{{authority control
African-American history in San Antonio
Cities in Texas
Cities in Bexar County, Texas
Greater San Antonio