Impact is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

in Taylor 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. The population was 22 as of the 2020 census, down from 35 at the 2010 census, making it the second least populated municipality in Texas. It is part of the

Abilene, Texas Abilene ( ) is a city in Taylor County, Texas, Taylor and Jones County, Texas, Jones counties, Texas, United States. Its population was 125,182 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene metropolitan ar ...

Metropolitan Statistical Area and is an

enclave An enclave is a territory that is entirely surrounded by the territory of only one other state or entity. An enclave can be an independent territory or part of a larger one. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is so ...

of the city of Abilene.

Geography

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 ...

, the town has a total area of , all 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 alcohol proof, high-proof liquor, traditionally made or distributed alcohol law, illegally. The name was derived from a tradition of distilling the alcohol (drug), alcohol at night to avoid detection. In the first decades of the ...

". Perkins capitalized on the potential market for legal liquor among the wets 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, there were 22 people, 13 households, and 9 families residing in the town.

2000 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 39 people, 14 households, and 9 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 16 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 58.97%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 7.69%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 30.77% from other races, and 2.56% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino 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 recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

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 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 ...

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 ...

, 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. Impact is zoned to: Stafford Elementary School, Mann Middle School, and Abilene High School. - Compare to census maps.

Notes

References

External links

{{authority control Towns in Taylor County, Texas Towns in Texas Abilene metropolitan area Abilene, Texas Enclaves in the United States