El Campo, Texas

El Campo is a city in Wharton County, Texas, United States. Its population was 12,350 at the 2020 Census, making it the largest city in Wharton County.

El Campo, Texas
City
Old business district along Monseratte Street
Location of El Campo, Texas
Coordinates: 29°11′48″N 96°16′24″W
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Wharton
Area [1]
• Total	9.78 sq mi (25.33 km2)
• Land	9.76 sq mi (25.29 km2)
• Water	0.02 sq mi (0.04 km2)
Elevation	105 ft (32 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	12,350
• Density	1,181.91/sq mi (456.35/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	77437
Area code	979
FIPS code	48-22864[2]
GNIS feature ID	1356861[3]
Website	http://www.cityofelcampo.org/

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.5 square miles (19.3 km²), all land.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1910	1,778		—
1920	1,766		−0.7%
1930	2,034		15.2%
1940	3,906		92.0%
1950	6,237		59.7%
1960	7,700		23.5%
1970	9,332		21.2%
1980	10,462		12.1%
1990	10,511		0.5%
2000	10,945		4.1%
2010	11,602		6.0%
2020	12,350		6.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[4]

American Legion Hall in El Campo

El Campo racial composition as of 2020^[5]
(NH = Non-Hispanic)^[a]

Race	Number	Percentage
White (NH)	4,328	35.04%
Black or African American (NH)	1,244	10.07%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH)	26	0.21%
Asian (NH)	63	0.51%
Some Other Race (NH)	23	0.19%
Multiracial (NH)	145	1.17%
Hispanic or Latino	6,521	52.8%
Total	12,350

As of the 2020 United States census, 12,350 people, 4,197 households, and 3,067 families resided in the city.

As of the census^[2] of 2010, 11,486 resided in the city, a change since 2010 of –1.0%

• Males: 48%
• Females: 52%
• Median resident age: 34.1 years
• Texas median age: 32.3 years

The population density was 1,400 people per square mile. The 4,491 housing units had an average density of 577.5 per square mile (223.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 70.1% White, 10.9% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 16.6% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 47.0% of the population.

Of the 3,916 households, 37.3% had children under 18 living with them, 53.1% were married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.5% were not families. About 25.8% of households were one person and 14.4% were one person 65 or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.31.

The age distribution was 29.3% under 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% 65 or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 86.8 males.

The median household income was $40,698. Males had a median income of $27,416 versus $18,872 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,464. About 16.5% of families and 23.6% of the population were below the poverty line.

Education

Education in the city of El Campo is provided by the El Campo Independent School District and a number of private schools.

Transportation

The Colorado Valley Transit Authority operates bus services within El Campo and to Wharton.^[7] El Campo is accessible by road by Texas State Highway 71 and U.S. Route 59.^[8]

Notable people

• Raul (Roy) Benavidez, a Medal of Honor recipient, was raised in El Campo from the age of seven.
• Gene Cernan, an astronaut (and the last person to have been on the Moon) lived in El Campo.
• Jeff Barosh, Texas-based country music singer-songwriter and professionally known as Jeff Chance, was born and raised in El Campo. He died in El Campo in 2008 at the age of 53.
• Joey Hunt, a former NFL player for the Seattle Seahawks, graduated from El Campo High School.
• Memo Rodriguez, a MLS player for the Houston Dynamo, was born in Wharton and raised in El Campo.^[9]
• Charles Swindoll, a Dallas-based radio minister, was born in El Campo.
• Ken Weaver, a musician, was raised in El Campo.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification, El Campo has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa on climate maps.^[10]