Country United States County Sterling FIPS code 48-70232 Elevation 697 m Zip code 76951 Local time Monday 1:44 PM | State Texas Time zone Central (CST) (UTC-6) GNIS feature ID 1347899 Area 250 ha Population 945 (2013) Area code 325 | |
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Weather 22°C, Wind E at 5 km/h, 33% Humidity | ||
Sterling City is a city in and the county seat of Sterling County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,081 at the 2000 census, but had dropped to 888 by 2010.
Contents
Map of Sterling City, TX 76951, USA
On May 25, 1955, 27 United States Air Force personnel, known as the Abbot 27, perished in an airplane crash near Sterling City. The airmen were members of the 40th Bomb Squadron of the 6th Bombardment Wing at Walker Air Force Base in Roswell, New Mexico. A monument in their honor was erected in 2007 at the Tom Green County Courthouse in San Angelo.
History
Most people in Sterling County reside in Sterling City, which in 1891 became the county seat. W.S. Sterling, Indian fighter and buffalo hunter, was the namesake of the town.
Land for Sterling City was donated in January 1891 by R.C. Stewart, and was platted by H.B. Tarver in February. Before the year end, the town had its own newspaper, a hotel, a post office, and several other businesses. The next year, a school was built and Sterling City had 300 citizens in another four.
Sterling City began as home to a portion of the Santa Fe Railroad in 1910, but the service was eventually abandoned. The depot is still available for visitors to see.
During World War II, the population reportedly decreased, but by 1990, it peaked at nearly 1,100 residents, but since has dropped again to 982 by 2009.
Geography
Sterling City is located at 31°50′21″N 100°59′9″W (31.839066, -100.985871).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.0 square miles (2.5 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, 1,081 people, 393 households, and 297 families resided in the city. The population density was 1,105.9 people per square mile (425.9/km²). The 467 housing units averaged 477.7 per square mile (184.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 82.05% White, 0.09% African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 14.80% from other races, and 2.59% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 33.30% of the population.
Of the 393 households, 36.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.8% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.4% were not families. About 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.18.
In the city, the population was distributed as 29.6% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,359, and for a family was $38,958. Males had a median income of $32,500 versus $18,654 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,955. About 14.3% of families and 17.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.3% of those under age 18 and 19.3% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The city of Sterling City is served by the Sterling City Independent School District and home to the Sterling City High School Eagles.