| Weslaco, Texas | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Hidalgo |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-Manager |
| • City Council | Mayor Dillon Diaz J. F. Ramon Pineda Carlos Martinez Rene Rodriguez, Jr. Gerardo "Jerry" Tafolla Lupe V. Rivera Joe A. Martinez |
| • City Manager | Leonardo Olivares |
| Area | |
| • Total | 12.8 sq mi (33.0 km2) |
| • Land | 12.7 sq mi (32.9 km2) |
| • Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2) |
| Elevation | 79 ft (24 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 35,670 |
| • Density | 2,123.1/sq mi (819.7/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP codes | 78596, 78599 |
| Area code(s) | 956 |
| FIPS code | 48-77272[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1349656[2] |
| Website | WeslacoTX.gov/ |
Weslaco is a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. The population was 35,670 at the 2010 census. Weslaco derives its name from the W.E. Stewart Land Company.[3] It was the hometown of Harlon Block, one of the Marines photographed raising the flag at Iwo Jima.
Streets north of the railroad tracks have Spanish names, and streets south of the railroad tracks have English ones as a consequence of a 1921 municipal ordinance which declared that land north of the tracks be reserved for Hispanic residences and businesses, and land south of the tracks be reserved for Anglo residences and businesses. During World War II, sandbag production reached a peak in Welaco, and the town declared itself the "sandbagging capital of the world."
Weslaco is part of the McAllen–Edinburg–Mission and Reynosa–McAllen metropolitan areas.
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Weslaco is located at (26.159130, -97.987374)[4].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.8 square miles (33 km2), of which, 12.7 square miles (33 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it (0.55%) is water.
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 26,935 people, 8,295 households, and 6,602 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,123.1 people per square mile (819.5/km²). There were 10,230 housing units at an average density of 806.4 per square mile (311.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 74.92% White, 0.27% African American, 0.49% Native American, 1.14% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 20.93% from other races, and 2.19% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 83.76% of the population. The estimated population of Weslaco as of now is somewhere between 36,000 and 40,000 people.
There were 8,295 households out of which 41.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.2% were married couples living together, 17.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.4% were non-families. 18.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.21 and the average family size was 3.68.
In the city the population was spread out with 31.8% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 17.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 87.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,573, and the median income for a family was $29,215. Males had a median income of $24,202 versus $19,688 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,235. About 26.5% of families and 30.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 40.6% of those under age 18 and 23.5% of those age 65 or over.
The United States Postal Service operates the Weslaco Post Office.[5]
Public education in Weslaco is provided by the Weslaco Independent School District, Idea Schools and South Texas Independent School District. There are 4 private schools: San Martin de Porres Catholic School, Valley Grande Adventist Academy, Mid-Valley Christian School, and First Christian Academy and 2 Charter schools: Horizon Montessori and Technology Education Charter High School. The city also has head start and pre-kinder programs as well as several privately owned day care centers. Continuing education facilities located within Weslaco include South Texas College, South Texas Vocational Technical Institute and Valley Grande Institute for Academic Studies. Texas A&M operates two agricultural research centers in Weslaco and the U.S. Department of Agriculture operates another.
The Weslaco Public Library serves Weslaco.[6]
Knapp Medical Center serves Weslaco’s emergency medical needs. The facility is outfitted with a Heli-Pad, Level 3 Trauma Unit and 233 hospital beds. Surrounding Knapp Medical is an unofficial Health care district featuring a concentration of physicians, medical services and pharmacies. This district draws patients from the entire Mid-Valley, however for many specialized needs Weslaco residents still must travel to McAllen or Harlingen for health care. Weslaco employs 206 doctors, 9 dentists and 1 vet. There are 11 home health care agencies and 4 nursing homes.