Bay City, Texas

Bay City is a city in the United States. It is the county seat of Matagorda County in the state of Texas. In 2010, the city had a population of 17,614 people. By 2020, the population had grown to 18,061 people.

The city is an important place for the area, serving as the center for county government and community activities. It offers various services and amenities for its residents, making it a key location in Matagorda County.

History

Bay City became an official city in 1894 and served as the main town for Matagorda County because it was located right in the center of the county. The town was started by David Swickheimer together with some partners.

Geography

Bay City, Texas, covers a total area of 8.5 square miles (22.0 km²). Almost all of this area is land, with only a very small part covered by water.

The area around Bay City used to be called "Bay Prairie" because it has many prairies and creeks that flow into a bay. The weather there is usually hot and humid in the summer and mild or cool in the winter. This type of weather is known as a humid subtropical climate.

Demographics

As of the 2020 census, Bay City had a population of 18,061 people. The median age was 34.7 years, with 27.3% of residents under the age of 18 and 15.0% aged 65 or older. For every 100 females, there were 94.6 males, and among those aged 18 and over, there were 90.6 males for every 100 females.

Almost all residents, 99.3%, lived in urban areas, while a small part, 0.7%, lived in rural areas. There were 6,660 households, with 35.5% having children under 18. Of these households, 43.3% were married couples, 19.1% had a male householder without a spouse, and 31.5% had a female householder without a spouse. About 27.6% of households were made up of individuals, and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 or older.

There were 8,165 housing units, with 18.4% being vacant. Of the occupied units, 54.5% were owned by the residents and 45.5% were rented. The rate of vacant homes for owners was 1.8%, and for renters, it was 19.0%.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, 18,667 people lived in Bay City. The city had a population density of 2,196.0 inhabitants per square mile (847.9/km²). The racial makeup included 61.62% White, 17.26% African American, 0.74% Native American, 0.88% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 16.84% from other races, and 2.59% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos made up 34.74% of the population.

Of the 6,912 households, 37.9% had children under 18. About 49.0% were married couples living together, 16.1% had a female householder without a husband, and 31.0% were not families. Some 27.1% of households were made up of individuals, and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.66, and the average family size was 3.25.

The population was spread out, with 30.9% under 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% aged 65 or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.0 males, and for every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 91.1 males.

The median income for a household was $30,446, and for a family, it was $39,281. Males earned a median income of $38,202, while females earned $23,058. The per capita income was $15,284. About 18.3% of families and 21.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.7% of those under 18 and 14.3% of those aged 65 or older.

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1910	3,156	—
1920	3,454	9.4%
1930	4,070	17.8%
1940	6,594	62.0%
1950	9,427	43.0%
1960	11,656	23.6%
1970	13,445	15.3%
1980	17,837	32.7%
1990	18,170	1.9%
2000	18,667	2.7%
2010	17,614	−5.6%
2020	18,061	2.5%
U.S. Census Bureau

Racial composition as of the 2020 census
Race	Percent
White	45.8%
Black or African American	16.2%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.9%
Asian	1.0%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
Some other race	20.4%
Two or more races	15.7%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)	48.7%

Economy

In 2017, Bay City became home to a large new factory worth $1.8 billion. This factory, owned by Tenaris, makes special pipes used in oil drilling, like drill pipe and casing.

Bay City used to be the home of Stanley Stores, a shopping chain that gave money to the local museum.

Attractions

Bay City has a special place called the Matagorda County Birding Nature Center. It is a big area with gardens and wildlife along the Colorado River in Texas.

Other fun places in Bay City include the Matagorda County Museum, Market Days held every third Saturday, and many small shops downtown. The Bay City Art League has been updated and is helping to bring new art to the area. The Bay City Community Theatre group also puts on shows in different places around town.

Bay City Regional Airport

Businesses in Bay City

Matagorda County Museum

Downtown Bay City

Education

Bay City has schools run by the Bay City Independent School District. This includes elementary, intermediate, junior high, and high schools, such as Bay City High School. The district used to have seven schools but now has five.

Students who want to continue their education after high school can go to Wharton County Junior College, which has a campus in Bay City. The college helps students learn skills for jobs, including working in nuclear plants.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Highways

Bay City has several important roads, including Texas State Highway 35, Texas State Highway 60, and Farm to Market 2668.

Rail

The city is on the Union Pacific Railroad main line that runs close to the Texas Gulf Coast from Brownsville to near Houston. The BNSF Railway also uses this line and has a smaller track going to Wadsworth. These rail lines are only used for moving goods, not for passengers.

Air

There is an airport called Bay City Regional Airport that is owned by the city. It is located about five miles east of the main part of Bay City.

Health care

The area has a hospital called Matagorda Regional Medical Center and a group of doctors known as Matagorda Medical Group. There is also a health program called MEHOP that helps people with family doctor visits, babies, children, mental health, and dental care. MEHOP works with most insurance and makes sure everyone can get the care they need, even if they cannot pay.

Government

Bay City has important buildings like a courthouse, a city hall, and a water tower.

Media

Radio

Hot Z100 (KHVZ) is an internet-based radio station that plays popular music. It started broadcasting on December 5, 2020, and is owned by ZPR Media through Typical Media Group, working together with a Black family-owned company.

Notable people

Bay City, Texas has been home to many famous people. Some of them include Olympic gold medalists like Charles Austin and Mal Whitfield. The city has also produced many professional athletes such as football players Robert Blackmon, David Caldwell, Joe DeLoach, Mark Dennard, Alex Dixon, Hart Lee Dykes, Simon Fletcher, Ronnie Heard, Quentin Jammer, Tracy Simien, and Cedric Woodard, as well as baseball player J. B. Cox and basketball players Chandi Jones and LaBradford Smith.

Other notable individuals from Bay City include artist Forrest Bess, U.S. Representative Greg Laughlin from Texas's 14th district, retired Provisional Bishop C. Wallis Ohl, Jr. of Fort Worth, Roman Catholic Bishop Ricardo Ramírez, and Mexican-American rapper That Mexican OT.

In popular culture

Part of the 1965 movie Baby the Rain Must Fall was filmed in Bay City.

Churches

Bay City has many historic churches. The First Baptist Church began in the 1850s, but a hurricane destroyed its building in 1909. The church we see today was built in 1947. The First United Methodist Church started even earlier, in 1870. There is also a First Presbyterian Church in the city. The Cedarvale Bay City Cemetery opened in 1896 when Rufus A. Mathis, one of the town's first pioneers, was buried there.