Search Homes For Sale

 

NIXON, TEXAS. Nixon is at the intersection of U.S. Highway 87, State Highway 97, and Farm Road 1117, on the Wilson county line twenty-six miles southwest of Gonzales in southwestern Gonzales County. It was founded when the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway built through the John T. Nixon Ranch in 1906 and the Nixon family formed a land company to sell off town lots on the site. By midyear the settlement had a cotton gin, a meat market, a barber, a doctor, a general store, a bank, and a lumberyard. The community was granted a post office under the name Nixonville in 1906, and the name was shortened to Nixon in 1908. Most of the people from the nearby community of Rancho had moved to Nixon by 1908; the Rancho school had also moved to Nixon by that year. The Rancho Baptist Church followed in 1911. Nixon incorporated in 1912 and by 1914 had 1,300 residents, three cotton gins, three general stores, an independent school district, the weekly Nixon News, and telephone service. The community received electrical service in 1916. The population of Nixon declined to 1,124 in 1920 and to 1,037 in 1930, but during the 1930s it began to grow again, reaching 1,835 in 1940, when seventy businesses were reported there. Thereafter the population level ranged between 1,750 and 2,000 and in 1990 was 1,995. Local railroad service was discontinued about 1970, and in the mid-1980s poultry processing was one of the leading industries in the community. By 2000 the population was 2,186.

 

Demographics

 

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,186 people, 686 households, and 506 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,928.1 people per square mile (746.9/km²). There were 803 housing units at an average density of 708.3/sq mi (274.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 69.99% White, 2.84% African American, 0.91% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 24.15% from other races, and 2.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race was 61.57% of the population.

 

There were 686 households out of which 42.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were married couples living together, 17.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.2% were non-families. 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.02 and the average family size was 3.53.

 

In the city the population was spread out with 31.5% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 16.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.5 males.

 

The median income for a household in the city was $22,104, and the median income for a family was $25,139. Males had a median income of $21,250 versus $15,491 for females. The per capita income for the city was $10,135. About 22.3% of families and 27.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.7% of those under age 18 and 25.0% of that age 65 or over.

 

Geography

 

Nixon is located at 29°16′14″N 97°45′45″W / 29.27056, -97.7625 (29.270443, -97.762423), primarily within Gonzales County.  According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.9 km²), all of it land.

 

Education

 

Nixon is served by the Nixon-Smiley Consolidated Independent School District.