Commerce, Texas

Commerce, Texas
—  City  —
Nickname(s): The Merce or No Mercy Texas
Location of Commerce, Texas
Coordinates:
Country United States
State Texas
County Hunt
Area
 • Total 6.5 sq mi (16.9 km2)
 • Land 6.5 sq mi (16.8 km2)
 • Water 0.1 sq mi (0.1 km2)
Elevation 554 ft (169 m)
Population (2000)
 • Total 7,669
 • Density 1,183.3/sq mi (456.9/km2)
Time zone Central (CST) (UTC-6)
 • Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP codes 75428-75429
Area code(s) 903
FIPS code 48-16240[1]
GNIS feature ID 1373171[2]

Commerce is a city in Hunt County, Texas, United States, located in rural North Texas. The population was 9,250 at the 2010 census. The city is home to Texas A&M University-Commerce, and lies in the northeast corner of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.

The 1924 Texas Republican gubernatorial nominee, George C. Butte, was reared on a farm near Commerce.

Contents

Geography

Commerce is located at (33.244959, -95.899957)[3].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.5 square miles (17 km2), of which, 6.5 square miles (17 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it (0.92%) is water. Commerce is located in the Texas Blackland Prairies and the area has a mix of oak trees and lakes as well as flat blackland dirt in the rural outskirts. The upper, middle, and south Sulphur rivers all run by or around Commerce.

Climate

Commerce's climate is considered to be part of the humid subtropical region. The temperature varies greatly throughout the year. In the February 2010, there was a record near 12 inch snow storm, and in the Winter of 2011, there were various snow storms that caused havoc on the residents. The summers are generally hot and humid with several days above 90 from June through August. The rainiest time of the year is from March to May, and the driest is from July to August. The hottest time of the year is from the end of July to the beginning of August, in which there are days above 100 degrees.

Demographics

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 7,669 people, 2,881 households, and 1,524 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,183.3 people per square mile (456.9/km²). There were 3,405 housing units at an average density of 525.4 per square mile (202.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 71.07% White, 20.78% African American, 0.42% Native American, 2.59% Asian, 0.21% Pacific Islander, 3.13% from other races, and 1.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.65% of the population.

There were 2,881 households out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.0% were married couples living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.1% were non-families. 36.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 3.02.

Age demographic is spread out with 21.5% under the age of 18, 28.2% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 14.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $24,065, and the median income for a family was $37,284. Males had a median income of $26,389 versus $19,565 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,444. About 13.8% of families and 22.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.4% of those under age 18 and 14.8% of those age 65 or over.

Commerce is the birthplace of World War II General Claire Chennault.

Education

The City of Commerce is served by the Commerce Independent School District. CISD currently operates the following schools:

Elementary AC Williams Elementary 3-5 Commerce Elementary Pre-K-2

Junior High Commerce Middle School 6-8

High School Commerce High School 9-12

CHS was once known for its Varsity Football Team, considered a perennial powerhouse in Texas in Conference 3A. The Tigers won AAA Conference Championships in 1999 and 2001.

It is also home to Texas A&M University-Commerce, a fully accredited university with an enrollment of around 10,000 students, 5,500 undergraduates, and roughly 4,500 graduate students.

Economy

Due to being a rural college town with proximity to Dallas, Commerce has an economy that remained steady for years, but recently has boomed with new businesses opening and current ones being renovated. The downtown area is just miles from the University and is the hub for town festivities as well as college students. The downtown area boasts 3 Bars, one coffee shop, a miniature golf course, a frozen yogurt cafe, a fashion retailer, multiple small grill style restaurants and 4 banks.

Popular culture references

References

External links