Realitos ( ) is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

(CDP) in Duval 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 121 at the 2020 census.

History

The population of Realitos had reached a total of 400 people in 1890, four years after the first post office was established there. The population peaked as an estimated 800 were living there just two years later. The population thereupon began to decrease, with numbers such as 225 residents being reported in 1914. In the 1960s, Realitos still had a running school, but it consolidated with Benavides in the middle of the next decade. Many buildings remain in the small, unincorporated community today including a pool hall (now closed), store, and gas station.

Geography

Realitos is located in southern Duval County at (27.445491, -98.528786).

Texas State Highway 359 State Highway 359 (SH 359) is a state highway that runs from Skidmore in southeastern Texas, near Corpus Christi, southwest and west to Laredo at the international border with Mexico. History The 359 route designation was first used on May ...

leads northeastward to Benavides and to

San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

, 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 ...

, as well as southwestward to Hebbronville. 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 Realitos CDP has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2020 census

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 209 people, 77 households, and 58 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 90 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 84.21%

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 ...

, 2.87% Native American, 8.13% from other races, and 4.78% 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 92.82% of the population. There were 77 households, out of which 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.4% 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, 20.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.4% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.20. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 26.3% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 20.6% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.1 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $18,625, and the median income for a family was $17,125. Males had a median income of $18,958 versus $18,750 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 CDP was $11,221. About 41.5% of families and 51.0% 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 82.5% of those under the age of eighteen and 75.0% of those 65 or over. Realitos is the youngest city in America by median age, with the average citizen age being only just over seven years old.

Education

Realitos is served by the Benavides Independent School District.

References

{{authority control Census-designated places in Duval County, Texas Census-designated places in Texas Unincorporated communities in Duval County, Texas Unincorporated communities in Texas