Nazareth, Texas

Nazareth, Texas
Community
Nazareth City Hall
Nazareth
Coordinates: 34°32′39″N 102°06′10″W / 34.54417°N 102.10278°W / 34.54417; -102.10278Coordinates: 34°32′39″N 102°06′10″W / 34.54417°N 102.10278°W / 34.54417; -102.10278[1]
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Castro
Region	Llano Estacado
Established	1902
Founded by	Joseph Reisdorff
Area [2]
• Total	0.36 sq mi (0.94 km2)
• Land	0.36 sq mi (0.94 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation [1]	3,760 ft (1,150 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	311
• Estimate  (2019)[3]	291
• Density	801.65/sq mi (309.36/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
ZIP code	79063
Area code	806
FIPS code	48-50496

Nazareth is a city in Castro County, Texas, United States. Its population was 311 at the 2010 census,^[4] down from 356 at the 2000 census.

Geography[]

Nazareth is located in eastern Castro County on the high plains of the Llano Estacado at

34°32′39″N 102°06′10″W / 34.54417°N 102.10278°W / 34.54417; -102.10278.^[1] It is 12 miles (19 km) east of Dimmitt, the county seat, and 20 miles (32 km) west of Tulia.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Nazareth has a total area of 0.36 sq mi (0.94 km²), all of it land.^[4]

History[]

The town of Nazareth was established through the efforts of a Catholic priest, Joseph Reisdorff, who moved to the site in 1902 with four farmers interested in purchasing land in the area. Father Reisdorff named his colony after the biblical Nazareth and advertised for settlers in several midwestern German Catholic newspapers. By September 1902, the first settlers had begun to arrive. A post office was established in 1903, and later that year, the Catholic community finished building its first church. Nazareth had 71 residents by January 1904, and the town was platted later that year. By 1905, in addition to the church, the settlement included a blacksmith shop, a store, and a school; when the community's cemetery was consecrated in 1906, it became the only Catholic cemetery in the area. For many years, local church officials supplied what little government the community required.

In 1914, Nazareth had an estimated 50 residents, and about 150 people were living there by 1927. During the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, the area was swept by huge dust storms that uprooted crops and made farming unprofitable; in 1933, the town was estimated to have only 50 residents. Agriculture in Castro County revived during the 1940s, however, and by 1941, about 200 people were living there. The population fluctuated during the 1950s and 1960, dropping to about 75 in 1955, then rising to an estimated 275 by 1964; the census found 274 people living in the town in 1970 and 299 in 1980. As late as the mid-1980s, about 85% of the town's residents were Catholics, and church activities helped to bond the community together. In 1990, the population stood at 293.^[5]

Demographics[]

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1980	299		—
1990	293		−2.0%
2000	356		21.5%
2010	311		−12.6%
2019 (est.)	291	[3]	−6.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]

As of the census^[7] of 2000, 356 people, 125 households, and 93 families were residing in the city. The population density was 1,022.1 people/sq mi (392.7/km²). The 140 housing units had an average density of 402.0/sq mi (154.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.91% White, 1.12% from other races, and 1.97% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 5.90% of the population.

Of the 125 households, 46.4% had children under 18 living with them, 68.8% were married couples living together, 2.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were not families. About 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.85, and the average family size was 3.43.

In the city, the age distribution was 34.3% under 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 16.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 114.5 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 112.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $36,875, and for a family was $46,375. Males had a median income of $28,438 versus $21,000 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,756. About 2.9% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.2% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education[]

The city of Nazareth is served by the Nazareth Independent School District.

Nazareth Swiftettes basketball teams have won 24 state championships in a 44-year span (1977-2020), a current public-school national record. In 2020, the Swiftettes won their sixth state title in 7 years, and repeated for the fifth time in school history. The Swiftettes have also represented their region in the Final Four of the Texas state tournament 29 times since 1976. A 2007 article on ESPN.com documented the town and the women's basketball team.^[8]

The Nazareth Swifts have also had tremendous success in basketball. They have, by a significant margin, more regional titles (18) and state titles (six) than any other Texas 1A team since 1983.

Climate[]

According to the Köppen climate classification, Nazareth has a semiarid climate, BSk on climate maps.^[9]

See also[]

References[]

External links[]

• Nazareth, TX from the Handbook of Texas Online
• U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Nazareth
• Other photos of the Llano Estacado