Barstow, Texas

Barstow, Texas
City
Barstow city limits
Location of Barstow, Texas
Coordinates: 31°27′45″N 103°23′44″W
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Ward
Government
• Mayor	Olga M. Abila
Area
• Total	0.66 sq mi (1.70 km2)
• Land	0.66 sq mi (1.70 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	2,566 ft (782 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	265
• Density	403.7/sq mi (155.88/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	79719
Area code	432
FIPS code	48-05720
GNIS feature ID	1351550

Barstow is a city in Ward County, in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 265 at the 2020 census.

History

Barstow was organized in 1892 by George E. Barstow, who was one of the world's leading experts on irrigation. The same year, Barstow was elected First Ward County Seat. A courthouse was built the following year, and by 1900 the city's population was over 1,000 due to the recruiting efforts of Mr. Barstow. Irrigation was successful enough that in the 1904 World's Fair, Barstow managed to win a Silver Medal for its grapes. That same year, fruit and vegetable farming was hit hard when the Pecos River Dam broke. After that droughts followed and by 1918 farming was impossible. The population in 1930 was 468—less than half of the 1910s figure of 1,219.

Geography

Barstow is located at 31°27′45″N 103°23′44″W (31.462523, –103.395426).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.7 square mile (1.7 km²), all land.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1920	490		—
1930	468		−4.5%
1940	558		19.2%
1950	683		22.4%
1960	707		3.5%
1970	614		−13.2%
1980	637		3.7%
1990	535		−16.0%
2000	406		−24.1%
2010	349		−14.0%
2020	265		−24.1%

2020 census

Barstow racial composition
(NH = Non-Hispanic)

Race	Number	Percentage
White (NH)	28	10.57%
Native American or Alaska Native (NH)	2	0.75%
Some Other Race (NH)	1	0.38%
Mixed/Multi-Racial (NH)	6	2.26%
Hispanic or Latino	228	86.04%
Total	265

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 265 people, 140 households, and 88 families residing in the city.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 406 people, 146 households, and 108 families residing in the city. The population density was 607.3 inhabitants per square mile (234.5/km²). There were 175 housing units at an average density of 261.8 per square mile (101.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 77.09% White, 0.25% African American, 0.25% Asian, 21.43% from other races, and 0.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 78.08% of the population.

There were 146 households, out of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.5% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.0% were non-families. 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.37.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.3% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 18.7% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 22.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 114.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $15,000, and the median income for a family was $23,333. Males had a median income of $25,833 versus $12,500 for females. The per capita income for the city was $7,642. About 41.7% of families and 39.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 50.0% of those under age 18 and 34.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The City of Barstow is served by the Pecos-Barstow-Toyah Independent School District.