Editing Lometa, Texas

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Lometa, Texas
| settlement_type    = [[City]]
| image_skyline      = Lometa, Texas.JPG
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = 
| image_map          = TXMap-doton-Lometa.PNG
| mapsize            = 250px
| map_caption        = Location of Lometa, Texas
| image_map1         = Lampasas County Lometa.svg
| mapsize1           = 250px
<!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Texas]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Texas|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Lampasas County, Texas|Lampasas]]
<!-- 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|accessdate=August 7, 2020}}</ref>
| area_total_km2     = 2.17
| area_land_km2      = 2.17
| area_water_km2     = 0.00
| area_total_sq_mi   = 0.84
| area_land_sq_mi    = 0.84
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.00
<!-- Population -->
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = <ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US4843516&tid=DECENNIALSF12010.P1| title=Total Population: 2010 Census DEC Summary File 1 (P1), Lometa city, Texas| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| website=data.census.gov| accessdate=January 15, 2021}}</ref>
| population_total   = 753
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_density_sq_mi = auto
<!-- 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       = 1496
| coordinates        = {{coord|31|13|00|N|98|23|33|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code        = 76853
| area_code          = [[Area code 512|512]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 48-43516<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 2410858<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2410858}}</ref>
| website            = {{URL|www.lometatx.com}}
| footnotes          = 
}}
'''Lometa''' ({{IPAc-en|l|oʊ|ˈ|m|iː|t|ə}} {{respell|loh|MEE|tə}}) is a city in [[Lampasas County, Texas]], United States. The population was 753 at the 2020 census. It is part of the [[Killeen, Texas|Killeen]]&ndash;[[Temple, Texas|Temple]]&ndash;[[Fort Hood]] [[Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood metropolitan area|metropolitan statistical area]].

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|0.9|sqmi|km2|abbr=on}}, all  land.

===Climate===
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters.  According to the [[Köppen climate classification]], Lometa has a [[humid subtropical climate]], ''Cfa''.<ref>[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=803514&cityname=Lometa%2C+Texas%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for Lometa, Texas]</ref>

==History==
The name Lometa originates from an English transliteration of the Spanish word Lomita for "Little hill".

==Events==
The annual festivals in Lometa are a spring Diamondback Jubilee,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Diamondback Jubilee |url=https://www.lometalionsclub.org/jubilee-2020 |access-date=2023-05-23 |website=Lometa Lions Club |language=en}}</ref> an annual livestock show, and a summer junior rodeo.

Lometa has one traffic light, a recent improvement as of 2003 from the original four-way stop, in the middle of town. On the edge of town is a municipal park with camping sites and a rodeo arena and grounds.

Lometa was a {{convert|200|acre|km2|adj=on}} site platted May 17, 1886, as a railroad stop.  The town was rapidly transferred out of the nearby stagecoach stop of Senterfitt. The town had originally been called Montvale, but a change was made in 1886 when an application for a post office was made.

By 1890, the population included 150 Lometans, and four years later, the town got its first newspaper. Another weekly paper was published in 1896, and a third by 1900.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
| 1920 = 995
| 1930 = 865
| 1940 = 915
| 1950 = 951
| 1960 = 817
| 1970 = 633
| 1980 = 666
| 1990 = 625
| 2000 = 782
| 2010 = 856
| 2020 = 753
| 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|accessdate=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

===2020 census===

{| class="wikitable"
|+'''Lometa racial composition'''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US4843516&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 |access-date=2022-05-20 |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>{{Cite web|url=http://www.census.gov|title=United States Census Bureau|website=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)
|354
|47.01%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] (NH)
|11
|1.46%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] (NH)
|5
|0.66%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] (NH)
|3
|0.4%
|-
|Some Other Race (NH)
|1
|0.13%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed/Multi-Racial]] (NH)
|19
|2.52%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]]
|360
|47.81%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''753'''
|
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 753 people, 154 households, and 100 families residing in the city.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, 782 people, 291 households, and 190 families resided in the city. The [[population density]] was 866.6 people/sq mi (335.5/km{{sup|2}}). The 339 housing units averaged 375.7/sq&nbsp;mi (145.4/km{{sup|2}}). The [[Race (United States Census)|racial makeup]] of the city was 83.12% White, 2.30% African American, 1.02% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 11.51% from other races, and 1.92% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 29.80% of the population.

Of the 291 households, 28.2% had children under 18 living with them, 46.7% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.7% were not families. About 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the city, the age distribution was 33.5% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 19.7% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $21,923, and for a family was $28,125. Males had a median income of $27,917 versus $16,538 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $10,428. About 19.3% of families and 29.1% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 38.3% of those under age 18 and 18.8% of those age 65 or over.

==Transportation==

Lometa is served by two major highways, U.S. Routes [[U.S. Route 183|183]] and [[U.S. Route 190|190]]. Two railroads are located in Lometa, [[BNSF Railway]] (previously the [[Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway|Santa Fe Railway]]) and the [[Heart of Texas Railroad]] (previously the Santa Fe Railway's) branch to [[Brady, Texas]]. Until July 1968, Lometa was a night flag stop on the Santa Fe passenger train the ''California Special'' that ran from [[Clovis, New Mexico]] to [[Houston, Texas|Houston]].

==Education==
Lometa has one primary education facility covering prekindergarten through 12th grade. The school is a part of the [[Lometa Independent School District]] and the mascot is the fighting hornet; the school colors are maroon and gold.

==References==
<references />
* ''The Handbook of Texas'':  https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hll55
* Jonnie Ross Elzner, ''Relighting Lamplights of Lampasas County, Texas'' (Lampasas: Hill Country, 1974)
* Scott Hightower: ''Tin Can Tourist, Natural Trouble, Part of the Bargain''
{{notelist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|www.lometatx.com}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061027235456/http://www.chrishamiltonphotography.com/stories/RRlometa-01.html Photojournalism essay]

{{Lampasas County, Texas}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Texas]]
[[Category:Cities in Lampasas County, Texas]]
[[Category:Killeen–Temple–Fort Hood metropolitan area]]