Utopia is a
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
Uvalde County, Texas
Uvalde County ( ; ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 24,564. Its county seat is Uvalde. The county was created in 1850 and organized in 1856. It is named for Juan de Ugalde, the Spanis ...
, United States. The population was 225 at the
2020 census.
History
After the failure of the
La Réunion
LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the United States of America.
La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* La (musical note), or A, the sixth note
*"L.A.", a song by Elliott Smi ...
colony in
Dallas, Texas
Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
,
Victor Prosper Considerant
Victor Prosper Considerant (12 October 1808 – 27 December 1893) was a French utopian socialist philosopher and economist who was a disciple of Charles Fourier.
Biography
Considerant was born in Salins-les-Bains, Jura and studied at the É ...
purchased 47000 acres of land in
Sabinal Canyon in
Uvalde County
Uvalde County ( ; ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 24,564. Its county seat is Uvalde. The county was created in 1850 and organized in 1856. It is named for Juan de Ugalde, the Spanish ...
with the hopes of founding another
utopian socialist
Utopian socialism is the term often used to describe the first current of modern socialism and socialist thought as exemplified by the work of Henri de Saint-Simon, Charles Fourier, Étienne Cabet, and Robert Owen. Utopian socialism is often ...
settlement. That settlement never materialized.
In 1884, a survey was platted for the town of Montana, Texas in Uvalde County; upon discovering that the name Montana was already taken, the name was changed to Utopia. Utopia replaced the previous community of Waresville as the local post office; to this day the cemetery is named for Waresville.
Tourism to the city boomed after the 1979 establishment of the
Lost Maples State Natural Area
Lost Maples State Natural Area is a area of hills and canyons on the upper Sabinal River in the Edwards Plateau Region of Texas. It is designated a ''Natural Area'', rather than a ''State Park'', which means the primary focus is the maintenan ...
nearby.
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 CDP has a total area of 3.0 square miles (7.6 km
2), all land.
Climate
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, Utopia 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 ...
, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.
Climate Summary for Utopia, Texas
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Demographics
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 ...
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 ...
, 0.41% Native American, 4.56% from other races, and 1.66% 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 8.30% of the population.
There were 111 households, out of which 23.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.8% were non-families. 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.77.
In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 23.2% under the age of 18, 4.1% from 18 to 24, 21.6% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 27.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $28,281, and the median income for a family was $35,893. Males had a median income of $25,714 versus $16,667 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 $18,608. About 15.5% of families and 19.6% 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 16.9% of those under the age of eighteen and 21.5% of those 65 or over.
Education
Utopia is served by the Utopia Independent School District which operates Utopia High School.
Utopia in popular culture
'' Seven Days in Utopia'' (2011) was filmed primarily in Utopia as well as at the Boot Ranch golf club just north of Fredericksburg, and featuring Academy Award winner Robert Duvall
Robert Selden Duvall (; born January 5, 1931) is an American actor. With a career spanning seven decades, he is regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. He has received an Academy Awards, Academy Award, a British Academy Film Awards ...
and Lucas Black
Lucas Black (born November 29, 1982) is an American actor. He plays Sean Boswell in the films for '' Fast & Furious'', including '' The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift'' (2006), '' Furious 7'' (2015), and '' F9'' (2021). He also stars in vario ...
. It is based on the book ''Golf's Sacred Journey: Seven Days at the Links of Utopia''.
References
Further reading
External links
funrivers.com website with photos of the Texas Hill Country and info and links to the Utopia and Frio River area
{{authority control
Census-designated places in Uvalde County, Texas
Census-designated places in Texas