Editing Harker Heights, Texas

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                     = Harker Heights, Texas
| official_name            = City of Harker Heights
| settlement_type          = [[City]]
| motto                    = The Bright Star of Central Texas
| image_skyline            = 
| imagesize                = 
| image_caption            = 
| image_flag               = Flag of Harker Heights, Texas.svg
| image_seal               = <!-- Maps -->
| image_map                = TXMap-doton-HarkerHeights.PNG
| mapsize                  = 250px
| map_caption              = Location of Harker Heights, Texas
| image_map1               = Bell HarkerHeights.svg
| mapsize1                 = 250px
| map_caption1             = 
<!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name         = {{nowrap|{{flag|United States}}}}
| subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1        = {{flag|Texas}}
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Texas|County]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Bell County, Texas|Bell]]
<!-- Government -->
| government_footnotes     = 
| government_type          = 
| leader_title             = 
| leader_name              = 
| established_title        = 
| established_date         = 
<!-- Area -->
| unit_pref                = Imperial
| area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2019">{{cite web|title=2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_48.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 7, 2020}}</ref>
| area_magnitude           = 
| area_total_km2           = 40.55
| area_land_km2            = 40.43
| area_water_km2           = 0.12
| area_total_sq_mi         = 15.66
| area_land_sq_mi          = 15.61
| area_water_sq_mi         = 0.05
<!-- Population -->
| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
| population_footnotes     = 
| population_total         = 33097
| population_density_sq_mi = 2077.07
| population_density_km2   = 801.95
<!-- General information -->
| timezone                 = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
| utc_offset               = -6
| timezone_DST             = CDT
| utc_offset_DST           = -5
| elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft             = 817
| coordinates              = {{coord|31|03|06|N|97|37|38|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]s
| postal_code              = 76542, 76543, 76548
| area_code                = [[Area code 254|254]]
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = 48-32312<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
| blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info              = 2410701<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2410701}}</ref>
| website                  = {{URL|http://www.ci.harker-heights.tx.us/|ci.Harker-Heights.TX.us}}
| footnotes                = 
}}
'''Harker Heights''' is a city in [[Bell County, Texas|Bell County]], [[Texas]], United States. As of the [[2020 United States Census|2020 census]], 33,097 people resided in the city,<ref name="Census 2020">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/1600000US4832312| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212143039/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/1600000US4832312| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 12, 2020| title=Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2019 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Harker Heights city, Texas| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| access-date=April 10, 2014}}</ref> up from a population of 17,308 in [[2000 United States Census|2000]]. This makes Harker Heights the third-largest city in Bell County, after [[Killeen, Texas|Killeen]] and [[Temple, Texas|Temple]]. Incorporated in 1960, the city derives its name from one of the two original landowners and founder, Harley Kern. Harker Heights is part of the [[Killeen–Temple–Fort Hood metropolitan area]].

==History==
Harker Heights is located near [[Fort Cavazos]], a major [[United States Army]] post that was designated a permanent military facility in 1950. As the post expanded, the surrounding civilian population increased. Water Control and Improvement District No. 4 was established on land near the Killeen city limits and the military post in 1955, and included the land owned by Pinckney R. Cox and Harley Kern, two hog farmers. These two men subdivided their land in 1957 and began selling lots. By 1960, between 600 and 700 of the lots had been developed and new residents supplied with water and other utility services. Following a petition for an incorporation election, the city was established on September 24, 1960, and Cox was elected mayor. Kern had died before the incorporation, and the Harker in Harker Heights was a concatenation of Harley Kern's name as a tribute to one of the original landowners. The town's boundaries expanded to include Forest Hills, Highland Oaks, and Comanche Hills. Cox, Sam Garth Jr., and Barney Sissom created GIASISCO Corporation, which was meant to help expand the town from {{convert|400|to|950|acre}}.<ref>ed. Limmer, E.A. Jr. (1988). "Story of Bell County, Texas: Volume I", p. 129-130. Eakin Press, Austin.</ref>

==Geography==
Harker Heights is bordered by the city of Killeen to the west and [[Nolanville, Texas|Nolanville]] to the east. The city limits extend south to hills overlooking [[Stillhouse Hollow Lake]] on the [[Lampasas River]].

[[Interstate 14]]/[[U.S. Route 190#Texas|U.S. Highway 190]] is a four-lane freeway that passes through the city, connecting Killeen to the west with [[Interstate 35 in Texas|Interstate 35]] in [[Belton, Texas|Belton]] {{convert|12|mi}} to the east, at a point about halfway between [[Waco, Texas|Waco]] and [[Austin, Texas|Austin]].

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], Harker Heights has a total area of {{convert|39.4|km2|disp=flip}}, of which {{convert|0.1|sqkm|disp=flip|2}}, or 0.32%, is covered by water.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US4832312| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212200716/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US4832312| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 12, 2020| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Harker Heights city, Texas| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| access-date=April 10, 2014}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
| align = left
| 1970 = 4216
| 1980 = 7345
| 1990 = 12841
| 2000 = 17308
| 2010 = 26700
| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
| 2020 = 33097
| estyear = 2023
| estimate = 34447
| estref = <ref name="USCensusEst2023">{{Cite web |title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023 |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-total.html |access-date=March 24, 2024 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref>
}}

{| class="wikitable"
|+'''Harker Heights racial composition as of 2020'''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US4832312&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 |access-date=2022-05-24 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref><br /> (NH = Non-Hispanic){{efn|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.<ref>https://www.census.gov/ {{nonspecific|date=August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=About the Hispanic Population and its Origin |url=https://www.census.gov/topics/population/hispanic-origin/about.html |website=www.census.gov |access-date=18 May 2022}}</ref>}}
!Race
!Number
!Percentage
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] (NH)
|13,715
|41.44%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] (NH)
|7,198
|21.75%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] (NH)
|132
|0.4%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] (NH)
|1,522
|4.6%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] (NH)
|412
|1.24%
|-
|Some Other Race (NH)
|202
|0.61%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed/multiracial]] (NH)
|2,557
|7.73%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]]
|7,359
|22.23%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''33,097'''
|
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], 33,097 people, 11,067 households, and 8,082 families were residing in the city.

The population is heavily engaged in economic activities directly or indirectly related to the U.S. Army at nearby Fort Cavazos. The population density was {{convert|1,759.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The 10,347 housing units had 9,488 units occupied, and 859 units vacant. The racial makeup of the city was 62.9% White, 20.0% African American, 1.0% Native American, 3.90% Asian, and 0.90% Pacific Islander; Hispanics or Latinos were 18.4% of the population.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Magg |first1=Oleg |title=Home Services and Lawn Care of Killeen |url=http://www.lawnmowingkilleen.com/ |access-date=24 October 2019 |work=www.lawnmowingkilleen.com}}</ref>

Of the 6,227 households, 42.8% had children under 18 living with them, 62.8% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.7% were not families. About 18.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.0% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.76, and the average family size was 3.13.

In the city, the population was distributed as 30.5% under 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 34.8% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 7.2% who were 65 or older. The median age was 31.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $59,491. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $24,161. About 7.4% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 12.2% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.

==Climate==
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the [[Köppen climate classification]] system, Harker Heights has a [[humid subtropical climate]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=45237&cityname=Harker+Heights,+Texas,+United+States+of+America&units=|title=Harker Heights, Texas Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)|website=Weatherbase}}</ref>

==Government==
In 2022, city voters approved the decriminalization of possession of misdemeanor amounts of marijuana,<ref>{{cite news |title=Killeen, Harker Heights voters approve decriminalization of marijuana |url=https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/local/bell-county/marijuana-ordinances-likely-pass-killeen-harker-heights/500-bc3af647-0263-49f8-ab7c-e1540c340283 |access-date=10 November 2022 |work=kcentv.com |publisher=KCEN-TV |date=8 November 2022}}</ref> although it is still illegal under state law.

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{notelist}}

==External links==

{{Portal|Texas}}
*[http://www.ci.harker-heights.tx.us/ City of Harker Heights official website]
*[https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hfh01 Handbook of Texas Online – Harker Heights]

{{Bell County, Texas}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Bell County, Texas]]
[[Category:Cities in Texas]]
[[Category:Killeen–Temple–Fort Hood metropolitan area]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1957]]
[[Category:1957 establishments in Texas]]