San Marcos

San Marcos is a city and the county seat of Hays County, Texas, United States. Its population was 44,894 at the 2010 census and 67,553 at the 2020 census. The area is thought to be among the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the Americas. San Marcos is home to Texas State University and the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment. In 2013 and 2014, the U.S. Census Bureau named it the fastest-growing city in the United States; it was named number nine on Business Insider's list of the "10 Most Exciting Small Cities In America" in 2013. The San Marcos Springs are the third-largest collection of springs in Texas. The city is within the Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area and on the Interstate 35 corridor between Austin and San Antonio. It is located on the banks of the San Marcos River, which was named for the Spanish explorer Alonso de Leon, who led an expedition from Mexico to the region in 1689. The town's most notable founder and early settler was Gen. Edward Burleson, a hero of the Texas Revolution and former vice president of the Republic of Texas. In 1851, a town center was laid out about a mile southwest of the headwaters of the river, and the town became a center for ginning and milling local agricultural products. The demands of World War II forced the town's industry to diversify, and with the emergence of a manufacturing and light industrial sector, the town began to experience growth. In the late 1940s, former Hollywood director Shadrack Graham produced a documentary about daily life in San Marcos.

History

Archeologists have found evidence at the San Marcos River associated with the Clovis culture, which suggests that the river has been the site of human habitation for more than 10,000 years. The San Marcos Springs are the third-largest collection of springs in Texas. The town's most notable founder and early settler was Gen. Edward Burleson, a hero of the Texas Revolution and former vice president of the Republic of Texas. Gary Air Force Base, just east of town, was opened in 1942 as San Marcos Army Airfield, renamed San Marcos Air Force base in 1947, and renamed finally in 1953 in honor of Lieutenant Arthur Edward Gary, killed at Clark Field in the Philippines on December 7, 1941. In the 1960s, with the establishment of Aquarena Springs and Wonder World as attractions, the tourist industry became a growing part of the city's economy. The city's population had grown to 28,743 by 2000, and it was 44,733 by 2010. By 2013, San Marcos had the highest rate of growth among all U.S. cities in the metropolitan statistical area of Austin, Texas, with a population of 44,894. San Marcos and Hays County were included by the S.C. Census Bureau in 1973 as part of Austin metropolitan area. By that year, the county's population grown to 25,000 citizens, along with an additional 20,000 student body of Southwest Texas State University. By 1990, the town's population reached 34,733.

Demographics

As of the 2020 U.S. census, 67,553 people, 23,769 households, and 10,635 families were residing in the city. As of the census of 2010, the population was 44,894 people. In 2000, 34,733 people, 12,660 households and 5,380 families resided in theCity. The city's population was distributed as 15.4% under 18, 41.9% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 10.7% from 45 to 64, and 7.2% who were 65 or older. The median income for a household in the City was $25,809, and for a family was $37,113. The per capita income for the city was $13,468. About 13.8%. of families and 28.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.1%. of those under age 18 and 15.1% of those age 65 or over. The population density was 1,907.5 people per square mile, (736.4/km²) in 2000. The racial makeup of the city in 2000 was 72.55% White, 5.53% African American, 0.65% Native American, 1.23% Asian,0.11% Pacific Islander, 17.03% from other races, and 2.90% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 36.50%.

Geography

San Marcos is 30 miles (48 km) southwest of Austin and 51 miles (82 km) northeast of San Antonio. It is situated on the Balcones Fault, the boundary between the Hill Country to the west and the Coastal Plains to the east. The San Marcos River and the Blanco River, part of the Guadalupe watershed, flow through the city, along with Cottonwood Creek, Purgatory Creek, Sink Creek, and Willow Springs Creek. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. Annual precipitation is about 34 inches (864 mm) According to the Köppen climate classification, San Marcos has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa on climate maps. The eastern part is Blackland Prairie. The western part consists of forested or grassy rolling hills, often marked with cacti. Interstate 35 is the main highway through it, with access from exits 199 through 208. In 2010, it had a total area of 30.3 square miles (78.6 km²), of which 0.1 squaremile (0.3 km²) was covered by water. The city is located in the Texas Hill Country, which is a mix of Hill Country and Coastal Plains terrain. It has a population of 1,072,000. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the city's population in 2010 was 1,084,000, up from 1,068,000 in 2000.

Government

In 2022, city voters approved the decriminalization of possession of misdemeanor amounts of marijuana. The decriminalization will take place in the city's downtown area. The city will also decriminalize possession of small amounts of cannabis in other parts of the city. The law will take effect in the fall of 2023, if approved by the city council and the mayor. The measure is expected to pass with a majority of votes in the City Council and the Mayor's Office of Marijuana Policy, both of which approved the measure in 2012. The City of San Francisco will then decriminalize marijuana in the downtown area in 2023. It will be the first time in city history that marijuana has been decriminalized in this way. The move will also apply to the city’s downtown area, where it is illegal to grow and sell marijuana. In the past, the city has decriminalized marijuana in its downtown areas in the summer and winter months. It is also illegal in the spring and summer to grow or sell marijuana in other areas, such as the West Side and the East Side, and in the South Side in the winter. It was legalized in the 1970s and 1980s in San Francisco and the West Coast in the 1990s, but not in the East Coast. The state has not decriminalized it in the past 10 years. The U.S. will decriminalize it in 2022, and it will be legal in the 2030s and 2040s, if it is approved by state and federal law.

Education

San Marcos is home to Texas State University, a multidisciplinary public research university that was established in 1899. The Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State is one of the four extant body farms in the United States and the largest such forensics research facility in the world. San Marcos is also home to Aquarena Center, the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, the San Marcos National Fish Hatchery and Aquatic Resource Center, and the Centro Cultural Hispano de San Marcos. The city also houses a prekindergarten school, named Bonham Pre-K. The San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District is the city's sole school district for primary and secondary education. Blanco Vista Elementary School is located within the city limits in the extreme northeastern part of the city. The Hays Consolidated independent school district is also located in San Marcos, but is located in the Hays suburb of Hays, Texas. The City of San Marcos was once known as "San Marcos, Texas" and was the site of the Texas State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, which was founded in 1883. It was later renamed San Marcos High School in 1894. The name was changed to San Marcos Academy in the 1950s. The current name of the school is San Marcos Preparatory High School, which opened in the 1970s. It is the only high school in the city, and is located on the outskirts of the town. The school district also has two middle schools, Doris Miller Middle School and Owen Goodnight Middle School.

Transportation

San Marcos Station is served by Amtrak's Texas Eagle service. San Marcos Municipal Airport serves the station. The station is also served by the Capital Area Rural Transportation System. The San Marcos station is located on the Texas Eagle's "Texas Eagle" service. The Texas Eagle serves the San Marcos Station on Amtrak's "Eagle" service, which runs from Houston to San Marcos. It also serves the Austin-San Marcos and Austin-Aransasville stations on the "Texas Eagles" service on the U.S. "Texas Star" service and the Houston- San Marcos "Eagles" on the I-35 "Texas Spur" route. It is the only station on the Amtrak Texas Eagle in the state. It was built in the 1930s and is located in the heart of San Marcos' historic downtown area. It opened in 1936 and was named after San Marcos, Texas. It has a population of 3,000. It's also served as the site of the Texas National Guard since the 1940s. The airport has an airfield, which opened in 1959. It serves as a base for the Texas State Air Force. The city also has a municipal airport, which serves the city's residents and visitors. The town is home to a number of non-profit organizations, including the Texas Institute of Technology and Texas State College of Arts and Sciences. The train station is on the National Railroad Museum's "Railroads of Texas" list of historic rail stations. It dates back to the early 20th century.

Economy

San Marcos' central location along IH-35 and strong infrastructure makes it ideal for industry. It includes business incentives, a high quality of life, regional airports and proximity to major international airports. The region has several institutions of higher education that provide a continual source of talent for the region's workforce. In June 2006, The View named the San Marcos Outlet Malls as the third-best place to shop in the world. About 14 million people visit them annually. The San Marcos River, which is naturally fed by theSan Marcos Springs, provides easy access to the many outdoor amenities in the region. The area's location within the Texas Hill Country provides easyAccess to major cities in Texas such as Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston. These institutions include the fourth-largest university in the state, Texas State University, as well as Gary Job Corps, an education and career technical training program. Many other lakes and rivers dot the local landscape, and the region is located within theTexas Hill Country, which provides easy Access to the Many outdoor amenities. The city is located in Texas' largest county, which has a population of more than 1.2 million people. It is located on the Texas-Louisiana border and is one of the largest cities in the United States, with more than 50 million people living in the area. The town is located along the San Antonio River and is located near the San Diego-Fort Worth border. It also has access to several freight routes, which run north/south and east/west, respectively.

Parks and recreation

The San Marcos and Blanco Rivers flow through the city, along with Cottonwood Creek, Purgatory Creek, Sink Creek, and Willow Springs Creek. The springs are home to several threatened or endangered species, including the Texas blind salamander, fountain darter, San Marcos gambusia, and Texas wild rice. Sewell Park is an open area along part of the San Marcos River. Because of its location on the Texas State University campus, the park is a popular spot for college students to swim, play, or just hang out. This course is the first leg of the Texas Water Safari, marketed as the "World's Toughest Canoe Race". The river begins at San Marcos Springs, rising from the Edwards Aquifer into Spring Lake. It is joined by the Blanco River after four miles, passes through Luling and near Gonzales, and flows into the Guadalupe River after 75 miles (121 km) The river is also known for being the spot where some newly graduated Texas State students jump into theSan Marcos River after their graduation ceremony. San Marcos has many areas meant for recreation, but one of the most popular is Sewell park, which is located on the campus of Texas State. The city also has several parks or nature preserves with hiking trails along the rivers and creeks, such as Cottonwood and Purgatory Creeks, as well as Willow Springs and Sink Creeks. The San Marcos river rises from the SanMarcos Springs.

Sports

The Texas State Bobcats football team won the NCAA Division II National Championships in 1982 and 1983. The Bobcats play home games in Bobcat Stadium, seating over 33,000 fans. Basketball and volleyball games are played at Strahan Arena. Baseball games are Played at Bobcat Ballpark. Texas State is a member of the Sun Belt Conference and plays in the FBS Division I level. The school's mascot is the Bobcat and the school's colors are blue and white. The football team is known as the "Bobcats" and the basketball team is called the "Bears" The football program competes in NCAA Division I (FBS) and FBS (D2) football. The baseball team plays in a different division, the "Baseball and Softball League", and has its own ballpark. The basketball team plays its home games at the St. Louis Cardinals Stadium, which has a capacity of 2,500. The volleyball team plays at the Texas State Arena, which holds a total of 1,500 fans. The team's mascot, the Bobcats, is also known as "The Bobcat," and the team's color is blue and green. The university's football program won the Division II national championships in 1982-83 and now plays in Division I. The men's and women's basketball teams both compete in the D2 and D3 levels. The women's team plays their home matches in StrahanArena, which is located in San Marcos, Texas.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in San Marcos, Hays County, Texas = 97. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 86. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 100. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in San Marcos = 6 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 67,553 individuals with a median age of 24.9 age the population grows by 33.71% in San Marcos, Hays County, Texas population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,820.01 residents per square mile of area (702.70/km²). There are average 2.26 people per household in the 17,150 households with an average household income of $30,253 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 4.50% of the available work force and has growths 0.17% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 35.84%. The number of physicians in San Marcos per 100,000 population = 117.1.

Weather

The annual rainfall in San Marcos = 34.5 inches and the annual snowfall = 0.5 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 72. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 232. 96 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 38 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 24, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in San Marcos, Hays County, Texas which are owned by the occupant = 28.04%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 21 years with median home cost = $136,030 and home appreciation of -0.82%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $17.02 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,539 per student. There are 14.5 students for each teacher in the school, 820 students for each Librarian and 401 students for each Counselor. 3.58% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 18.56% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 11.46% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).