Editing Merkel, Texas

{{short description|City in Taylor County, Texas, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Merkel, Texas
|settlement_type          = [[City]]
|motto                    =
|image_skyline            = Merkel Street in Merkel Texas 3-15-2014.jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = Street in Merkel, March 2014
|image_map                = TXMap-doton-Merkel.PNG
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location of Merkel, Texas
|image_map1               = Taylor County Merkel.svg
|mapsize1                 = 250px
|map_caption1             =
<!-- 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        = [[Taylor County, Texas|Taylor]]
<!-- Government -->
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = Mayor
|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           = 7.25
|area_land_km2            = 7.25
|area_water_km2           = 0.00
|area_total_sq_mi         = 2.80
|area_land_sq_mi          = 2.80
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.00
<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = <ref name="Census 2020">{{Cite web |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALDP2020.DP1?g=160XX00US4847796 |title=Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2020 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Merkel town, Texas |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=February 8, 2024}}</ref>
|population_total         = 2471
|population_density_km2   = 340.98
|population_density_sq_mi = 883.13
|pop_est_as_of            = 
|pop_est_footnotes        = 
|population_est           =
<!-- 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             = 1870
|coordinates              = {{coord|32|28|12|N|100|00|12|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 79536
|area_code                = [[Area code 325|325]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 48-47796<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2412986<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2412986}}</ref>
|website                  = {{URL|http://merkeltexas.com/}}
|footnotes                = 
}}

'''Merkel''' is a [[city]] in [[Taylor County, Texas|Taylor County]], [[Texas]], United States. Its population was 2,471 at the [[2020 United States Census|2020 census]].<ref name="Census 2020"/> It is part of the [[Abilene metropolitan area]].

==Geography==
Merkel is located 17 miles west of [[Abilene, Texas|Abilene]] near [[Interstate 20 in Texas|Interstate 20]]. The town has a total area of 2.8&nbsp;square miles (7.2&nbsp;km{{sup|2}}), all  land.

===Climate===
According to the [[Köppen climate classification]], Merkel has a [[semiarid climate]], ''BSk'' on climate maps.<ref>[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=595124&cityname=Merkel%2C+Texas%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for Merkel, Texas]</ref>

{{Weather box
| width       = 77%
| collapsed   = 
| open        = 
| single line =
| trace       =
| location    = Merkel, TX (1991-2020 normals, station coordinates:{{coord|32.4096|N|100.0846|W}})
| precipitation colour    =  green
| Jan precipitation inch  =1.09
| Feb precipitation inch  =1.53
| Mar precipitation inch  =1.87
| Apr precipitation inch  =2.03
| May precipitation inch  =3.00
| Jun precipitation inch  =2.33
| Jul precipitation inch  =2.12
| Aug precipitation inch  =2.92
| Sep precipitation inch  =3.15
| Oct precipitation inch  =2.90
| Nov precipitation inch  =1.66
| Dec precipitation inch  =1.08
| year precipitation inch =
| unit precipitation days =  0.01 in
| Jan precipitation days  =3.2
| Feb precipitation days  =5.0
| Mar precipitation days  =5.9
| Apr precipitation days  =5.6
| May precipitation days  =9.0
| Jun precipitation days  =5.8
| Jul precipitation days  =4.9
| Aug precipitation days  =6.1
| Sep precipitation days  =8.1
| Oct precipitation days  =5.3
| Nov precipitation days  =4.5
| Dec precipitation days  =4.7
| year precipitation days =

| source = [[NOAA]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Station: MERKEL 5.8 SW, TX US US1TXTY0005 |url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=US1TXTY0005&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL |access-date=2025-03-24 |website=Summary of Monthly Normals for 1991-2020 |publisher=[[NCEI|National Centers for Environmental Information]] |page=1 |format=PDF}}</ref>
}}

==History==
Around 1870, when the [[Texas and Pacific Railway]] was built, the city was founded as Windmill Town. In 1881, it was renamed as Merkel in honor of the first settler in this area, S. M. Merkel, from [[Germany]]. In 1882, the first [[General store|mercantile store]] and in 1883, the first [[post office]] opened.<ref name="tsha">{{ cite web |date=1995-04-01 |title=Merkel, TX|url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/merkel-tx
|access-date=2024-11-04 |work=Handbook of Texas|author=Shelly Slyker and Angela Thomas }}</ref>

==Demographics==

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable"
|+'''Merkel racial composition'''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US4847796&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2 |access-date=May 20, 2022 |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 |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=May 18, 2022}}</ref>}}
!Race
!Number
!Percentage
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] (NH)
|1,778
|71.95%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] (NH)
|26
|1.05%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] (NH)
|9
|0.36%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] (NH)
|5
|0.2%
|-
|Some other race (NH)
|2
|0.12%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed/multracial]] (NH)
|80
|3.24%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]]
|570
|23.07%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''2,471'''
|
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], 2,471 people, 875 households, and 640 families were residing in the town.

===2000 census===
{{US Census population|align=left
|1890= 353
|1910= 2008
|1920= 1810
|1930= 1848
|1940= 2005
|1950= 2338
|1960= 2312
|1970= 2163
|1980= 2493
|1990= 2469
|2000= 2637
|2010= 2590
|2020= 2471
|estyear= 
|estimate= 
|estref= 
|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>
}}

As of the 2000 [[census]],<ref name="GR2" />  2,637 people 1,012 households, and 719 families resided in the town. The population density was {{convert|1,342.0|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The 1,202 housing units averaged 611.7 per square mile (236.8/km{{sup|2}}). The [[Race (United States Census)|racial makeup]] of the town was 89.42% White, 1.14% African American, 0.61% Native American, 0.30% Asian,  6.37% from other races, and 2.16% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 14.22% of the population.

Of the 1,012 households, 37.9% had children under 18 still living with them, 54.7% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were not families. About 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.56, and the average family size was 3.08.

In the town, the population was distributed as 28.2% under 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.2 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 80.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $29,083, and for a family was $34,250. Males had a median income of $30,000 versus $16,620 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $13,292. About 9.9% of families and 13.6% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 14.6% of those under age 18 and 14.0% of those age 65 or over.

==Education==
The City of Merkel is served by the [[Merkel Independent School District]].<ref>City of Merkel Home https://merkeltexas.com/ accessed 01/15/23</ref>

==Notable people==
* [[Cody Lambert]] (born 1961), professional rodeo cowboy, was raised in Merkel.
* [[Tommy Robison]] (born 1961), football player

==See also==
{{portal|Texas}}
* [[List of municipalities in Texas]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist|22em}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Merkel, Texas}}
* {{official website|http://merkeltexas.com/ City of Merkel}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110613142903/http://merkeltexas.com/html/chamber_of_commerce.html Merkel Chamber of Commerce]
* [https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hjm14 Merkel] in [[Handbook of Texas|The Handbook of Texas]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20121022150945/http://www.freewebs.com/merkelmuseum/ ''The Merkel Area Museum''].

{{Taylor County, Texas}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Taylor County, Texas]]
[[Category:Towns in Texas]]
[[Category:Abilene metropolitan area]]