Paint Rock is a town in and 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 ...
of
Concho 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 237 at the
2020 census.
The town's name comes from Native American
pictographs
A pictogram (also pictogramme, pictograph, or simply picto) is a graphical symbol that conveys meaning through its visual resemblance to a physical object. Pictograms are used in systems of writing and visual communication. A pictography is a wri ...
painted on cliffs overlooking the nearby
Concho River
The Concho River is a river in the U.S. state of Texas.
''Concho'' is Spanish for "shell"; the river was so named due to its abundance of freshwater mussels, such as the Tampico pearly mussel ('' Cyrtonaias tampicoensis'').
Geography
The Conc ...
. These pictographs cover nearly half a mile upstream from the town of Paint Rock. Some of the pictures painted on the rocks include animals, human figures, and handprints. A few of the pictographs there were made by the
Comanche
The Comanche (), or Nʉmʉnʉʉ (, 'the people'), are a Tribe (Native American), Native American tribe from the Great Plains, Southern Plains of the present-day United States. Comanche people today belong to the List of federally recognized tri ...
, who likely used the bluff as a camp site; they may have also fought the
Texas Rangers there. They are located on a private ranch, property of the Cambell family who protect them and organizes tours for visitors.
Geography
Paint Rock is located in northern Concho County along
U.S. Route 83.
Eden is to the south and
Ballinger is to the north via US 83, while
San Angelo
San Angelo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Tom Green County, Texas, United States. Its location is in the Concho Valley, a region of West Texas between the Permian Basin (North America), Permian Basin to the northwest, Chihuahuan Desert ...
is to the west via secondary roads.
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 of Paint Rock has a total area of , all land.
Historic literary reference
A chapter titled "An Episode of Paint Rock" is devoted to the town in the 1895 book, ''A Lone Star Bo-Peep, and Other Tales of Texan Ranch Life'' written by Howard Seely.
The chapter chronicles the week of May 5, 1883, in Paint Rock and features several local residents in the text.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the
2020 United States census, there were 237 people, 109 households, and 94 families residing in the town.
2000 census
As of the census
of 2000, 320 people, 110 households, and 83 families resided in the town. The population density was . The 126 housing units averaged 75.9 per square mile (29.3/km
2). The
racial makeup of the town was 77.19% White, 2.81% Native American, 19.69% from other races, and 0.31% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos were 28.44% of the population.
Of the 110 households, 41.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.5% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.5% were not families. About 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.45.
In the town, the population was distributed as 30.6% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $32,500, and for a family was $33,750. Males had a median income of $21,786 versus $21,250 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 town was $12,965. About 13.0% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.7% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The town is served by the
Paint Rock Independent School District.
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, Paint Rock 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.
Climate Summary for Paint Rock, Texas
/ref>
References
External links
Paint Rock in ''Handbook of Texas Online''
at the University of North Texas.
shows key Indian pictograph images with possible links to historical or astronomical events they may record
{{authority control
Towns in Concho County, Texas
Towns in Texas
County seats in Texas