McLennan County, Texas
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McLennan County is a county located in the state of Texas. As of 2000, the population is 213,517. Its county seat is Waco6. The county is named for Neil McLennan, an early settler.
Map_of_Texas_highlighting_McLennan_County.png
Image:Map of Texas highlighting McLennan County.png
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Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,746 km² (1,060 mi²). 2,698 km² (1,042 mi²) of it is land and 48 km² (18 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.73% water.
Adjacent counties
- Hill County (north)
- Limestone County (east)
- Falls County (southeast)
- Bell County (south)
- Coryell County (southwest)
- Bosque County (northwest)
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 213,517 people, 78,859 households, and 52,914 families residing in the county. The population density is 79/km² (205/mi²). There are 84,795 housing units at an average density of 31/km² (81/mi²). The racial makeup of the county is 72.17% White, 15.19% Black or African American, 0.49% Native American, 1.07% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 9.21% from other races, and 1.83% from two or more races. 17.91% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 78,859 households out of which 33.00% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.70% are married couples living together, 13.60% have a female householder with no husband present, and 32.90% are non-families. 26.00% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.70% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.59 and the average family size is 3.15.
In the county, the population is spread out with 26.60% under the age of 18, 14.60% from 18 to 24, 26.40% from 25 to 44, 19.50% from 45 to 64, and 12.90% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 32 years. For every 100 females there are 94.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 90.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county is $33,560, and the median income for a family is $41,414. Males have a median income of $30,906 versus $21,978 for females. The per capita income for the county is $17,174. 17.60% of the population and 12.40% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 20.70% of those under the age of 18 and 11.30% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Crash at Crush
Crush, Texas was a short-lived town in McLennan County, about 15 miles north of Waco. It was established to stage a publicity stunt concocted by William George Crush and the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway Company. The stunt involved the collision of two 35-ton steam locomotives. After heavy promotion, over 40,000 showed up at the site for the event on September 15, 1896. The two trains traveled a four mile track and thunderously crashed into one another. The boilers unexpectedly exploded and sent steam and flying debris into the crowd. Two or three people were killed and about six were injured. A few years later ragtime composer Scott Joplin commemorated the event with "The Great Crush Collision." Texas composer and singer, Brian Burns, wrote and recorded a song about the collision, The Crash at Crush in 2001.
Cities and towns
External links
- The Official Website of McLennan County, Texas (http://www.co.mclennan.tx.us/)
- McLennan County in Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/MM/hcm8.html) at the University of Texas
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| See also: List of Texas counties |