Presidio County is in the Trans-Pecos region of southwest Texas and is named for the ancient border settlement of Presidio del Norte. Presidio County is triangular in shape and is bounded on the east by Brewster County, on the north by Jeff Davis County, and on the south and west for 135 miles by the Rio Grande and Mexico. Marfa, the county seat, is 190 miles southeast of El Paso and 150 miles southwest of Odessa. Presidio County offers clean air, rugged scenery, and historic sites. Among the attractions that contribute to the county's growing tourist industry are the Marfa Lights, hunting leases, and the nearby Big Bend National Park. Presidio County, FIPSCODE 48377, is the 186th largest of the 254 counties in Texas, with an estimated population of 7,304 in 2000. The county consists of 3856 square miles with a 2000 population density of 1.9 residents per square mile. The average density in Texas is 79.6 persons per square mile which is the same as the national average. Rainfall in Presidio County averages 15.9 inches per year as compared to the Texas average of 28.1 inches per year.
FARMING
The average growing season in Presidio County is 238 days with the first freeze generally occurring around November 13. Texas is so climatically diverse that statewide averages are irrelevant as a means of comparison.
Farming
1987
1997
Number of Farms
139
138
Acres of Farmland
1,890,612
1,690,096
Average Size of Farm (acres)
13,602
12,247
POPULATION
According to the Census, Presidio County's population changed 10 percent from 1990 to 2000. The county's population was 6,637 in 1990 and 7,304 in 2000, an increase of 667. In 2000, the median age was 32.8 years versus a statewide average of 32.3 years and a national average of 35.3 years. The Texas Department of Human Services reported there were 166 births and 48 deaths in Presidio County in 2000.
The 2000 Census estimates for Texas show a population composition as follows:
Age Breakdown
Presidio County
Texas
Under 18
32.7%
28.2%
18-24
8.3%
10.5%
25-44
24.9%
31.1%
45-64
20.2%
20.2%
65+
13.9%
9.9%
The 2000 Census Bureau's race/ethnic distribution estimates are as follows:
Group
Presidio County
Presidio County (Percent)
Texas
Texas (Percent)
White
6,205
85%
14,799,505
71.0%
Black
20
0%
2,404,566
11.5%
Hispanic
6,162
84%
6,669,666
32.0%
Asian
6
0%
562,319
2.7%
American Indian and Alaska Native
20
0%
118,362
0.6%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
1
0%
14,434
0.1%
"Numbers may add up to more than the total population and more than 100 percent
because individuals may report more than one race."
HOUSEHOLDS
The county had approximately 2,530 households in 2000 according to the Census. This represents an average of 2.85 persons per household. The housing per square mile rate was 11.2 percent and the county's homeowner rate was 70.3 percent.
The mean travel time to work was 17.3 minutes compared to a state average of 25.4 minutes. The number of people over 16 who commuted to work was 2,352 while the number that worked at home was 56. The commuting to work breakdown was as follows: drove alone (1,619), carpooled (477), public transportation (24), walked (139), and other means (37).
EDUCATION
According to the Census, 2,151 people in Presidio County were enrolled in school in 2000. Countywide, 44.7 percent had a high school diploma or higher and 11.7 percent had a bachelor's degree or higher. The equivalent statewide figures for a high school diploma or higher and a bachelor's degree or higher were 75.7 percent and 23.2 percent, respectively.
SCHOOL ENROLLMENT Population 3 years and over enrolled in school
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
Population 25 years and over
Nursery school, preschool
118
Less than 9th grade
1,809
Kindergarten
151
9th to 12th grade, no diploma
571
Elementary school (grades 1-8)
1,128
High school graduate
857
High school (grades 9-12)
590
Some college, no degree
430
College or graduate school
164
Associate degree
133
Bachelor's degree
291
Graduate or professional degree
212
Total
2,151
4,303
FISCAL INFORMATION
In 1999, the Health and Human Services Commission's poverty estimates for Presidio County was 3,089 or 36.34 percent of the non-institutional population. Approximately 3,307,787 Texans or 16.54 percent of the total population fell beneath the poverty line in 1999; this exceeded the U.S. poverty rate of 11.8 percent. There were 1,913 people enrolled in Medicaid in April 2002 with 951 of those being under the age of 18.
The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts reported total state expenditures of $23,627,683 for Presidio County in their "State Expenditures by County 2000" report. The State spent $8,195,823 on public assistance and $1,082,319 on highway construction and maintenance in Presidio County. During the third quarter of 2001, gross sales for all industries totaled $10,655,458. Comparing the third quarter of 2000 to the third quarter of 2001, gross sales changed 6 percent (from $10,055,203). The county had 3 bank offices in 2001, as reported by the FDIC, with total deposits of $60 million. This represents 0.02 percent of total deposits in Texas ($243,390 billion).
LABOR FORCE
The county civilian labor force was 3,188 in March 2002 reflecting an increase from the March 2001 level of 3,765. According to the Texas Workforce Commission, total unemployment in March 2002 was 535 contrasted to the March 2001 total of 845. The Presidio County unemployment rate for March 2002 was 16.8 percent compared to the March 2001 rate of 22.4 percent. The statewide unemployment rate was 5.6 percent in March 2002 and 4.2 percent in March 2001.
In the first quarter of 2001, Presidio County had 1,962 employed persons and an average weekly wage of $409.
AMERICAN PLUME & FANCY FEATHER CO INC
BAEZAS INCORPORATED
BARIATRIC CARE CENTER OF TEXAS INC
EL PAVO REAL INC
MARFA - CITY OF
MARFA ISD
NURSES UNLIMITED INC
PRESIDIO ISD
US DEPT OF JUSTICE
VILLAGE FARMS OF DELAWARE
Employers are listed alphabetically with no ranking intended.
Resources
For more Texas county data visit
The Texas Association of Counties - http://www.county.org
