Peñitas is a U.S. city in Hidalgo 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 ...

. The population was 6,460 at the 2020 census, up from 4,403 at the 2010 census. It is part of the McAllen–Edinburg–Mission and Reynosa–McAllen metropolitan areas.

Geography

Peñitas is located in southwestern Hidalgo County at (26.231111, –98.445000). It is bordered to the west by the city of La Joya. U.S. Route 83 runs through Peñitas, leading east to McAllen and west to Rio Grande City. 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 city has a total area of , of which , or 0.08%, are water.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 6,460 people, 1,537 households, and 1,400 families residing in the city.

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 1,167 people, 319 households, and 279 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 421 housing units at an average density of . The ethnic makeup of the city was 83.29%

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 ...

, 0.09%

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 ...

, 0.09% Native American, 16.20% from other races, and 0.34% from two or more ethnicities.

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 ethnicity were 98.03% of the population. There were 319 households, out of which 48.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.7% 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, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 12.5% were non-families. 10.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.66 and the average family size was 3.99. In the city, the population was spread out, with 32.9% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $26,071, and the median income for a family was $28,355. Males had a median income of $21,932 versus $14,583 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 $8,500. About 25.4% of families and 28.2% 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 32.9% of those under age 18 and 28.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Peñitas is served by the La Joya Independent School District. Schools include JFK Elementary School, C. Chavez Middle School, and La Joya High School. In addition,

South Texas Independent School District South Texas Independent School District (STISD) is a magnet school district headquartered in Mercedes, Texas ( USA). STISD operates magnet schools that draw students from three counties: Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy. STISD covers an area o ...

operates magnet schools that serve the community.

Government and infrastructure

The

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the federal governmen ...

operates the Peñitas Post Office.Post Office Location - PENITAS
."

. Retrieved on May 9, 2010.

References

External links

City of Peñitas official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Peñitas, Texas Cities in Hidalgo County, Texas Cities in Texas