Elkhart, Texas


Elkhart is a town in Anderson County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,371 at the 2010 census. Elkhart is named for a friendly Native American who assisted the early settlers of the town.

Geography

Elkhart is located in southern Anderson County at . U.S. Route 287 passes through the town, leading north to Palestine, the county seat, south to Grapeland, and south to Crockett, the seat of Houston County.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of, all of it land.

History

The history of Elkhart is closely tied to nearby Fort Parker, the site of the famous Fort Parker massacre, during which Cynthia Ann Parker was abducted by the Comanche Indians. Elkhart is the "railroad village" associated with Fort Parker. The current Mayor is Jennifer McCoy.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,215 people, 473 households, and 321 families residing in the town. The population density was 783.0 people per square mile. There were 532 housing units at an average density of 342.8 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 89.05% White, 8.15% African American, 0.41% Native American, 0.82% from other races, and 1.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.05% of the population.
There were 473 households, out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.1% were non-families. 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.6% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 20.7% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 23.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 77.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $25,927, and the median income for a family was $33,977. Males had a median income of $27,841 versus $21,705 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,809. About 12.9% of families and 20.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.1% of those under age 18 and 32.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The Town of Elkhart is served by the Elkhart Independent School District.

Notable people