Somerset, Texas

Somerset is a city in Bexar County, Texas, United States. It is located less than 20 miles south of downtown San Antonio and is part of the San Antonio–New Braunfels metropolitan area. Its population was 1,756 at the 2020 census.

Somerset, Texas
City
Location of Somerset, Texas
Coordinates: 29°13′37″N 98°39′27″W
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Bexar
Area [1]
• Total	2.00 sq mi (5.19 km2)
• Land	2.00 sq mi (5.17 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2)
Elevation [2]	646 ft (197 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,756
• Density	983.48/sq mi (379.80/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	78069
Area code	830
FIPS code	48-68708[3]
GNIS feature ID	1368603[2]
ANSI Code	2411926[4]
Website	cityofsomerset.org

History

English-speaking European settlers had already arrived in the area by the early 1800s. Somerset was named for an organized settlement that had been begun in 1848, in what is now Atascosa County, by a group of Baptist families from Somerset, Kentucky. The present site was named Somerset when the First Townsite Company was formed on the Artesian Belt Railroad right-of-way on May 25, 1909, by A. M. Pyron, Carl Kurz, and Jonas A. Kerr.

In 1913, while drilling for artesian water, Kurz discovered oil and an economic boom followed. The Somerset oilfield extended from Somerset to below Pleasanton and was the largest known shallow field in the world at that time. Two oil refineries in the field and a pipeline into San Antonio handled the high-gravity crude.

The town grew rapidly from 50 residents in 1925 to 700 in 1928; it was served by a state bank, a 10-room hotel, and several machine and blacksmith shops. A post office opened there in 1920. A nearby lignite coal mine also added to the booming economy of the area.

During the 1920s, farmers turned from cotton to dryland fruit and vegetable farming. In 1931, the Somerset Fruit Growers Exchange building was dedicated, and between truck farming, oil, and coal, the town prospered until the mid-1930s, when diminishing oil returns and the Great Depression caused a decline. In 1931, the town reported 20 businesses; by 1958, only eight remained.

In 1920, the Somerset Independent School District was formed from at least five other school districts: Wildman, Senior, Bexar, Old Rock (Old Somerset area), and Oak Island. The Somerset Police Department was created in 1972 followed by the city being incorporated in 1973. Somerset has a mayor-council form of city government.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, Somerset has a total area of 2.0 square miles (5.2 km²), all land.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1980	1,102		—
1990	1,144		3.8%
2000	1,550		35.5%
2010	1,631		5.2%
2020	1,756		7.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[5]

Somerset racial composition as of 2020^[6]
(NH = Non-Hispanic)^[a]

Race	Number	Percentage
White (NH)	324	18.45%
Black or African American (NH)	1	0.06%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH)	1	0.06%
Asian (NH)	3	0.17%
Some Other Race (NH)	4	0.23%
Mixed or multiracial (NH)	21	1.2%
Hispanic or Latino	1,402	79.84%
Total	1,756

As of the 2020 United States census, 1,756 people, 475 households, and 353 families were residing in the city.

As of the 2000 census,^[3] 1,550 people, 513 households, and 392 families were living in the city. The population density was 773.7 inhabitants per square mile (298.7/km²). The 547 housing units had an average density of 273.0 per square mile (105.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 77.16% White, 0.26% African American, 1.55% Native American, 0.19% Pacific Islander, 16.00% from other races, and 4.84% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 70.45% of the population.

Of the 513 households, 42.5% had children under 18 living with them, 54.2% were married couples living together, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.4% were not families. About 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.02 and the average family size was 3.51.

In the city, the age distribution was 32.5% under 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 16.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 93.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,268, and for a family was $31,875. Males had a median income of $27,083 versus $20,357 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,238. About 22.0% of families and 23.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.6% of those under 18 and 26.6% of those 65 or over.

Education

Residents are zoned to schools in the Somerset Independent School District.

See also

• Texas portal

• List of municipalities in Texas

Notes

1. Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.^[7][8]