Hempstead, Texas
Hempstead is a city in
Waller County,
Texas,
United States. The population was 4,691 at the 2000 census. It is the
county seat of
Waller County.
 |
Location of Hempstead, Texas |
Hempstead is located at (30.091427, -96.081252).
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.9
km² (5.0
mi²). 12.9 km² (5.0 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.40%) is water.
Hempstead, Texas is the self proclaimed Watermelon Capital of the world. In the early 20th century it was the largest shipper of watermelons in the United States.
Hempstead was incorporated in 1858 and was often colloquially referred to as "Six-Shooter Junction." Notable residents have included
Lillie Drennan (also known as "Lillie of Six-Shooter Junction," the first female licensed truck driver in the United States. Drennan died in Hempstead in 1974 and is buried in the Hempstead Cemetery,
As of the
census of 2000, there were 4,691 people, 1,663 households, and 1,124 families residing in the city. The
population density was 364.4/km² (943.8/mi²). There were 1,848 housing units at an average density of 143.6/km² (371.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 39.86%
White, 43.44%
African American, 0.15%
Native American, 0.19%
Asian, 0.02%
Pacific Islander, 14.65% from
other races, and 1.68% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 24.77% of the population.
There were 1,663 households out of which 34.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.3% were
married couples living together, 20.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.4% were non-families. 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.35.
In the city the population was spread out with 29.3% under the age of 18, 14.2% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $24,095, and the median income for a family was $29,744. Males had a median income of $26,673 versus $20,938 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $11,560. About 22.9% of families and 29.9% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 37.5% of those under age 18 and 25.5% of those age 65 or over.
The City of Hempstead is served by the
Hempstead Independent School District.
