Wells Branch 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

Travis County Travis County is located in Central Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,290,188. It is the fifth-most populous county in Texas. Its county seat and most populous city is Austin, the state's capital. The county was established i ...

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 14,000 at the 2020 census.

History

Wayman F. and Mary Emily Wells settled in the Wells Branch area ''circa'' 1827. Wells is recorded by the Austin History Center to have been a spy and a scout for the

Texians Texians were Anglo-American immigrants to Mexican Texas and, later, citizens of the Republic of Texas. Today, the term is used to identify early Anglo settlers of Texas, especially those who supported the Texas Revolution. Mexican settlers of tha ...

during battles in Goliad and San Antonio, when the

Republic of Texas The Republic of Texas (), or simply Texas, was a country in North America that existed for close to 10 years, from March 2, 1836, to February 19, 1846. Texas shared borders with Centralist Republic of Mexico, the Republic of the Rio Grande, an ...

declared their independence from

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

Geography

Wells Branch is located 13 miles (21 km) north of downtown

Austin Austin refers to: Common meanings * Austin, Texas, United States, a city * Austin (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin (surname), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin Motor Company, a British car manufac ...

. 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 2.5 square miles (6.6 km²), of which 2.5 square miles (6.6 km²) is land and 0.39% is water.

Demographics

Wells Branch first appeared as a

in the 1990 U.S. Census. As of the 2020 United States census, there were 14,000 people, 6,270 households, and 2,852 families residing in the CDP. 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 2010, there were officially 12,120 people, 5,490 households, and 2,580 families residing in the CDP. This number is considered low as the governing body, the Wells Branch Municipal Utility District, estimates the population in 2010 to be approximately 18,000 residents including the numerous multi-family residents on the southern side of the district. The population density was . There were 5,625 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 71.30%

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 ...

, 9.65%

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 ...

, 0.40% Native American, 9.59% Asian, 0.17%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 5.93% from other races, and 2.96% 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 16.68% of the population. There were 5,490 households, out of which 24.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.8% 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, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 53.0% were non-families. 40.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 1.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.05 and the average family size was 2.87. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 20.0% under the age of 18, 14.4% from 18 to 24, 49.3% from 25 to 44, 14.2% from 45 to 64, and 2.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.8 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $46,934, and the median income for a family was $60,530. Males had a median income of $43,645 versus $32,063 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 $27,664. About 4.1% of families and 4.5% 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 5.2% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Governance

Wells Branch is a Municipal Utility District that supplies water/wastewater service to residents as well as manages parks and other recreational facilities and programs. The District is recognized for its substantial commitment to water conservation including a significant rain water harvesting program designed into District Facilities and an irrigation well completed in September 2014. Originally governed by a Board appointed by the original developer, in 1987 residents, led by still resident Mike Howe, won a majority of the five seats on the Board. Residents have governed the District since that time allowing Wells Branch to grow into one of the most popular residential communities in the Austin area. A number of residents have been elected to the Board over the years including Ms. Donna Howe, who was elected after Mr. Howe voluntarily stepped down when he joined another governmental body in the area. Ms. Howe, who had been the leader of the Wells Branch Neighborhood Association for many years, served on the Wells Branch MUD Board for 18 - years including serving as president, opting not to run for re-election in November 2014. Over the years, the Board expanded the park system with a Park Master Plan, added a second competition pool, a Community Center, a Recreation Center, and redeveloped a former stock pond into a small lake in the middle of the park system. Taxes and water rates remain affordable, and with the amenities, Wells Branch is considered one of the most liveable communities in the U.S. The Board has also undertaken multiple projects in recent years, including adding a skate park, remodeling the recreation center, and remodeling the Willow Bend Pool. The Wells Branch Municipal Utility District provides all services to residents except Police and courts, which are provided through the Travis County Sheriff's Department and Travis County, and Fire and Fire Based EMS services, which are provided by Travis County Emergency Services District #2 (FIRE) and Travis County Emergency Services District # 17 (EMS).

Education

The CDP is divided between the

Pflugerville Independent School District Pflugerville Independent School District (PFISD) is a public school district founded in 1902 and is based in Pflugerville, Texas, Pflugerville, Texas (United States, USA). The District encompasses approximately ninety-five square miles and incl ...

and

Round Rock Independent School District Round Rock Independent School District (RRISD) is a school district headquartered in the city of Round Rock, Texas, United States. As of 2022, the school district serves over 48,000 students, prekindergarten through grade 12. District boundar ...

Three schools, including North West Elementary of Pflugerville ISD and Wells Branch Arts Integration Academy and Joe Lee Johnson Elementary of (Round Rock ISD), serve the community of Wells Branch.

Library

The Wells Branch Library district was formed in 1998 after a state law was passed to allow the establishment of library districts in areas not currently served by library systems. As a result, the library is funded by a sales tax revenue of 1/2% from Wells Branch businesses. An elected board of five manages, of which Abigail Joffrain is the president, the funds and operations of the Wells Branch Community library. The formation of the initial Library Board and construction of the Library was accomplished by local residents led by Ms. Dianne Koehler, who served as the first President of the Wells Branch Community Library. The library has over 42,000 items available for checkout, rooms for community use, and over 20 computers for patron use.

Mills Pond

Mills Pond is a reservoir for Wells Branch creek. Wells Branch creek begins in Wells Branch and is a

Tributary A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...

of Walnut Creek which travels south through the city of

Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...

and eventually empties into the Colorado River.

References

External links

Wells Branch Community Library

Wells Branch MUD
{{authority control Census-designated places in Travis County, Texas Census-designated places in Texas Census-designated places in Greater Austin