Orchard is a city in western
Fort Bend County
Fort Bend County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. The county was founded in 1837 and organized the next year. It is named for a blockhouse at a bend of the Brazos River. The community developed around the fort in early days.
Th ...
,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
, United States, within the
Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The community is located along
State Highway 36 (SH 36) and the
BNSF Railway between
Rosenberg in Fort Bend County and
Wallis in
Austin County
Austin County is a rural, agricultural dominated county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 30,167. Its seat is Bellville. The county and region was settled primarily by German emigrants in the 1800s.
Austin ...
. The population was 352 at the 2010 census,
down from 408 at the 2000 census.
Geography
Orchard is located at (29.602015, –95.968821).
Most of the city is north of the BNSF Railway tracks with its streets laid out north-south and east-west. Missouri Street is the major north-south artery, intersecting SH 36 and crossing the railroad. Missouri Street goes north as far as Brazos Elementary School. Kibler Road is an important east-west artery on which the town center is situated. Kibler Road starts at
FM 1489 to the west of Orchard and ends at Long Lane to the east. FM 1489 intersects SH 36 to the west and goes south toward
Tavener and north toward
Simonton. Wallis is to the northwest on SH 36, while Rosenberg is to the southeast on the same highway.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...
, the city has a total area of , all of it land.
Demographics
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...
of 2000, there were 408 people, 147 households, and 110 families residing in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...
was 1,078.9 people per square mile (414.6/km). There were 156 housing units at an average density of 412.5/sq mi (158.5/km). The racial makeup of the city was 76.47%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 8.09%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 1.47%
Native American, 12.50% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 1.47% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any national origin were 22.55% of the population.
There were 147 households, out of which 39.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.2% were
married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.5% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% 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 3.26.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.4% under the age of 18, 11.5% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $47,000, and the median income for a family was $59,063. Males had a median income of $40,089 versus $27,396 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the city was $21,329. About 7.3% of families and 8.9% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 9.8% of those under age 18 and 17.1% of those age 65 or over.
Government and infrastructure
The
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U ...
operates the Orchard Post Office at 218 Missouri Street.
Fort Bend County does not have a
hospital district
Hospital is a Districts of Costa Rica, district of the San José (canton), San José canton, in the San José Province, San José province of Costa Rica. It is one of the four administrative units that form San José, Costa Rica, San José downtow ...
.
OakBend Medical Center serves as the county's
charity hospital
Charity may refer to:
Giving
* Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons
* Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing
* Ch ...
which the county contracts with.
File:Orchard TX Post Office.JPG, US Post Office on Missouri Street
File:Orchard TX Town Center.JPG, Orchard Town Center on Kibler Road
Education
Orchard is served by the
Brazos Independent School District
Brazos Independent School District is a public school district based in Wallis, Texas (USA). The district lies in two counties, Austin and Fort Bend. In addition to Wallis, the district also serves the city of Orchard.
History
In the 1970s ...
(formerly Wallis-Orchard Independent School District). Students attend Brazos Elementary School (in the Orchard city limits), Brazos Middle School, and
Brazos High School.
The designated community college for Brazos ISD is
Wharton County Junior College
Wharton County Junior College (WCJC) is a public community college with its main campus in Wharton, Texas. The college also has campuses in Richmond, Sugar Land, and Bay City. WCJC is accredited by the Southern Association of Colle ...
(the legislation still states "Wallis-Orchard").
Texas Education Code Sec. 130.211. WHARTON COUNTY JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.
/ref>
File:Wallis TX Brazos High School.JPG, Brazos High School, Hwy 36 in Wallis
File:Orchard TX Brazos Elem School.JPG, Brazos Elementary School in Orchard
References
External links
City of Orchard official website
*
{{authority control
Cities in Texas
Cities in Fort Bend County, Texas
Greater Houston