1. Cities of the United States
  2. The South
  3. Texas

TEXAS

Austin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 527

Dallas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 539

El Paso . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 553

Fort Worth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 567

Houston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 579

San Antonio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 593

Texas

The State in Brief

Nickname: Lone Star State

Motto: Friendship

Flower: Bluebonnet

Bird: Mockingbird

Area: 268,580 square miles (2000; U.S. rank: 2nd)

Elevation: Ranges from sea level to 8,749 feet above sea level

Climate: Semi-arid in western region and central plains; subtropical on coastal plains; continental in the panhandle

Admitted to Union: December 29, 1845

Capital: Austin

Head Official: Governor Rick Perry (R) (until 2007)

Population

1980: 14,229,000

1990: 16,986,510

2000: 20,851,820

2004 estimate: 22,490,022

Percent change, 1990–2000: 22.8%

U.S. rank in 2004: 2nd

Percent of residents born in state: 62.2% (2000)

Density: 79.6 people per square mile (2000)

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 1,130,292

Racial and Ethnic Characteristics (2000)

White: 14,799,505

Black or African American: 2,404,566

American Indian and Alaska Native: 118,362

Asian: 562,319

Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 14,434

Hispanic or Latino (may be of any race): 6,669,666

Other: 2,438,001

Age Characteristics (2000)

Population under 5 years old: 1,624,628

Population 5 to 19 years old: 4,921,608

Percent of population 65 years and over: 9.9%

Median age: 32.3 years (2000)

Vital Statistics

Total number of births (2003): 377,414

Total number of deaths (2003): 153,944 (infant deaths, 2,400)

AIDS cases reported through 2003: 30,043

Economy

Major industries: Machinery, agriculture, chemicals, food processing, oil, transportation equipment

Unemployment rate: 5.8% (December 2004)

Per capita income: $29,076 (2003; U.S. rank: 30th)

Median household income: $40,934 (3-year average, 2001-2003)

Percentage of persons below poverty level: 15.8% (3-year average, 2001-2003)

Income tax rate: None

Sales tax rate: 6.25% (food and prescription drugs are exempt)