La Ward is a city in Jackson 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 176 at the 2020 census.

Geography

La Ward is located at (28.845036, –96.465659), at the junction of State Highway 172 and FM 616 in southern Jackson County, south of Ganado and southeast of Edna, the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

. The nearest large city is

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, west of La Ward. The

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

lists the total city area at , all land.

History

The community emerged on the coastal prairie in 1904 with the arrival of the

St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway Chartered on June 6, 1903, the St. Louis, Brownsville & Mexico Railway (also known as the ''Brownie'') was a 200-mile (321 km) U.S. railroad that operated from Brownsville, Texas, to Gulf Coast Junction in Houston, Texas. It served numerous t ...

. It was named for Lafayette Ward, a local person who became a leader in introducing

Hereford Hereford ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of the ceremonial county of Herefordshire, England. It is on the banks of the River Wye and lies east of the border with Wales, north-west of Gloucester and south-west of Worcester. With ...

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, and

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cattle to Texas. By 1914, La Ward had developed into a cattle and shipping center. The community had its own independent school district and an estimated population of 200 in 1940. That number would rise to around 300 by the early 1960s. La Ward's population declined to 247 in 1970, to 218 in 1980, and to 162 in 1990. It increased to 200 in 2000, a 23 percent increase over the 1990 figure.

Demographics

As of the 2000

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 ...

there were 200 people, 63 households, and 50 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 79 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 86.00%

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, 1.00% Native American, 12.50% from other races, and 0.50% 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 32.50% of the population. There were 63 households, 42.9% of which had children age 17 or younger, 66.7% 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, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.6% were non-families. 17.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.17 and the average family size was 3.66. In the city, the population was spread out, with 32.0% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 16.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $26,250, and the median income for a family was $45,833. Males had a median income of $33,750 versus $23,750 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 $15,633. About 5.2% of families and 6.8% 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 6.5% of those under the age of eighteen and 4.9% of those 65 or over.

Education

Public education in the city of La Ward is provided by the Industrial Independent School District. The district has served La Ward since its creation in 1949.

References

{{authority control Cities in Texas Cities in Jackson County, Texas