Ballinger, Texas

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City in the United States

title: "Ballinger, Texas" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["ballinger,-texas", "cities-in-texas", "cities-in-runnels-county,-texas", "county-seats-in-texas"] description: "City in the United States" topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballinger,_Texas" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary City in the United States ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

Field	Value
official_name	Ballinger, Texas
settlement_type	City
motto	The Greatest Little Town in Texas
image_skyline	Ballinger Texas City Hall 2016.jpg
imagesize	280px
image_caption	Ballinger Texas City Hall
mapframe	yes
subdivision_type	Country
subdivision_name	United States
subdivision_type1	State
subdivision_name1	Texas
subdivision_type2	County
subdivision_name2	Runnels
unit_pref	Imperial
area_footnotes
area_total_km2	9.07
area_land_km2	9.06
area_water_km2	0.01
area_total_sq_mi	3.50
area_land_sq_mi	3.50
area_water_sq_mi	0.00
population_as_of	2020
population_total	3619
population_density_km2	400
population_density_sq_mi	1020
timezone	Central (CST)
utc_offset	-6
timezone_DST	CDT
utc_offset_DST	-5
elevation_footnotes
elevation_ft	1647
coordinates
postal_code_type	ZIP code
postal_code	76821
area_code	325
blank_name	FIPS code
blank_info	48-05456
blank1_name	GNIS feature ID
blank1_info	2409778
website
::

Ballinger ( ) is a city in Runnels County, Texas, United States. Its population was 3,619 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Runnels County. Downtown Ballinger features historic 1800s buildings with shops and restaurants.

History

Ballinger was founded in 1886. It was established when the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway built a railway west from Brownwood. Runnels City, the original county seat, campaigned for selection as the new railroad terminal, but the future site of Ballinger, five miles to the south, offered a better water supply.

The 1.7-square-mile area was laid out in large lots, with a courthouse square and public park set aside for future use. Santa Fe officials offered free property to anyone who would move a home from Runnels City to Ballinger and to any church that would erect a building.

The town was named in honor of William Pitt Ballinger, a Galveston attorney and stockholder of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe.

Ballinger was incorporated in 1892.

In 1911, Ballinger opened the Ballinger Carnegie Library, built with funds donated by Andrew Carnegie. By 1975, the building was in disrepair. The Ballinger Bicentennial Committee organized a renovation effort, and the library was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

Ballinger is located in the transition zone from the Edwards Plateau to the Texas Southern Plains region of West Texas.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.7 km2, of which 0.005 sqkm, or 0.06%, is covered by water.

Ballinger is about 70 mi south of Abilene and 36 mi northeast of San Angelo, Texas.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification, Ballinger has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa on climate maps.

| width = auto | collapsed = yes | single line = yes | location = Ballinger, Texas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1897–present) | Jan record high F = 90 | Feb record high F = 98 | Mar record high F = 100 | Apr record high F = 104 | May record high F = 110 | Jun record high F = 116 | Jul record high F = 112 | Aug record high F = 114 | Sep record high F = 110 | Oct record high F = 105 | Nov record high F = 98 | Dec record high F = 92 | year record high F = | Jan high F = 59.0 | Feb high F = 63.1 | Mar high F = 70.5 | Apr high F = 79.4 | May high F = 85.9 | Jun high F = 92.2 | Jul high F = 95.5 | Aug high F = 95.1 | Sep high F = 88.2 | Oct high F = 79.4 | Nov high F = 68.0 | Dec high F = 59.9 | year high F = 78.0 | Jan mean F = 45.1 | Feb mean F = 49.2 | Mar mean F = 56.9 | Apr mean F = 65.1 | May mean F = 73.3 | Jun mean F = 80.3 | Jul mean F = 83.5 | Aug mean F = 83.1 | Sep mean F = 76.2 | Oct mean F = 66.0 | Nov mean F = 54.7 | Dec mean F = 46.4 | year mean F = 65.0 | Jan low F = 31.2 | Feb low F = 35.2 | Mar low F = 43.2 | Apr low F = 50.9 | May low F = 60.7 | Jun low F = 68.5 | Jul low F = 71.5 | Aug low F = 71.1 | Sep low F = 64.1 | Oct low F = 52.6 | Nov low F = 41.5 | Dec low F = 32.8 | year low F = 51.9 | Jan record low F = -6 | Feb record low F = -4 | Mar record low F = 8 | Apr record low F = 24 | May record low F = 33 | Jun record low F = 44 | Jul record low F = 46 | Aug record low F = 47 | Sep record low F = 35 | Oct record low F = 16 | Nov record low F = 8 | Dec record low F = -3 | year record low F = | precipitation colour = green | Jan precipitation inch = 1.01 | Feb precipitation inch = 1.52 | Mar precipitation inch = 1.79 | Apr precipitation inch = 1.56 | May precipitation inch = 3.08 | Jun precipitation inch = 3.07 | Jul precipitation inch = 1.67 | Aug precipitation inch = 2.41 | Sep precipitation inch = 2.57 | Oct precipitation inch = 2.20 | Nov precipitation inch = 1.45 | Dec precipitation inch = 1.04 | year precipitation inch = 23.37 | unit precipitation days = 0.01 in | Jan precipitation days = 3.8 | Feb precipitation days = 4.0 | Mar precipitation days = 5.0 | Apr precipitation days = 3.8 | May precipitation days = 6.2 | Jun precipitation days = 5.3 | Jul precipitation days = 4.0 | Aug precipitation days = 4.7 | Sep precipitation days = 5.0 | Oct precipitation days = 4.9 | Nov precipitation days = 4.0 | Dec precipitation days = 3.7 | year precipitation days = 54.4 | Jan snow inch = 0.2 | Feb snow inch = 0.2 | Mar snow inch = 0.0 | Apr snow inch = 0.0 | May snow inch = 0.0 | Jun snow inch = 0.0 | Jul snow inch = 0.0 | Aug snow inch = 0.0 | Sep snow inch = 0.0 | Oct snow inch = 0.0 | Nov snow inch = 0.0 | Dec snow inch = 0.2 | year snow inch = 0.6 | unit snow days = 0.1 in | Jan snow days = 0.1 | Feb snow days = 0.2 | Mar snow days = 0.0 | Apr snow days = 0.0 | May snow days = 0.0 | Jun snow days = 0.0 | Jul snow days = 0.0 | Aug snow days = 0.0 | Sep snow days = 0.0 | Oct snow days = 0.0 | Nov snow days = 0.1 | Dec snow days = 0.2 | year snow days = 0.6 | source = NOAA{{cite web |url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=sjt |title = NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data |publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |access-date = January 1, 2024}}{{cite web |url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00410493&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL |title = Summary of Monthly Normals 1991-2020 |publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |access-date = January 1, 2024}}

Demographics

|1900= 1128 |1910= 3536 |1920= 2767 |1930= 4187 |1940= 4472 |1950= 5302 |1960= 5043 |1970= 4203 |1980= 4207 |1990= 3975 |2000= 4243 |2010= 3767 |2020= 3619 |estref= |footnote=U.S. Decennial Census | align = right | align-fn = center

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, 3,619, 1,364 households, and 860 families resided in the city.

The median age was 42.4 years, with 23.6% of residents under 18 and 21.7% 65 or older; for every 100 females, there were 93.9 males, and for every 100 females 18 and over there were 89.6 males.

Of the 1,364 households, 32.0% had children under 18 living in them, 46.0% were married-couple households, 16.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present; 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 or older.

The city had 1,731 housing units, of which 21.2% were vacant; among occupied units, 72.7% were owner-occupied and 27.3% were renter-occupied, with a homeowner vacancy rate of 2.3% and a rental vacancy rate of 12.1%.

None of the residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

::data[format=table title="Racial composition as of the 2020 census{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=NAME%2CP1_001N%2CP1_003N%2CP1_004N%2CP1_005N%2CP1_006N%2CP1_007N%2CP1_008N%2CP1_009N%2CP2_001N%2CP2_002N%2CH1_001N%2CH1_002N&for=place%3A05456&in=state%3A48|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2021|access-date=January 17, 2026|df=mdy}}"]

Race	Percent
White	70.6%
Black or African American	2.4%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.9%
Asian	0.4%
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander	0.2%
Some other race	11.2%
Two or more races	14.3%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)	38.5%
::

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, 4,243 people, 1,578 households, and 1,093 families resided the city. The population density was 1,266.7 PD/sqmi. The 1,879 housing units averaged 560.9 per square mile (216.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 79.68% White, 2.14% African American, 0.71% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 14.52% from other races, and 2.50% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 31.28% of the population.

Of 1,578 households, 33.1% had children under 18 living with them, 53.0% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.7% were not families. About 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.1% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.53 and family size was 3.10.

In the city, the age distribution was 26.9% under 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 20.2% who were 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,129 and for a family was $31,393. Males had a median income of $24,207 versus $18,951 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,917. About 14.3% of families and 17.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.1% of those under 18 and 25.0% of those 65 or over.

Education

The city is served by the Ballinger Independent School District and is home to the Ballinger High School Bearcats.

Notable people

David W. Guion, a widely performed classical composer and arranger of American folk music
Hal Underwood, a professional golfer, won the European Tour

Sports

Ballinger was home of the minor league baseball team the Ballinger Cats from the 1920s to its disbandment in the late 1950s. They were affiliated with the Cincinnati Reds from 1947 to 1950, as well with the bygone St. Louis Browns in the 1930s and early 1940s.

Notable areas

The Olde Park Hotel is reported as haunted. According to one of the previous owners, Jeanette Findlay has identified 30 beings present in the hotel. The hotel's reputation has resulted in it appearing in paranormal television programming. As recent as 2019, it was visited by paranormal investigator and actor Chad Lindberg. The hotel was to be featured in the Travel Channel television show Fright Club, hosted by Jack Osbourne. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/OldeParkHotel2016.jpg" caption="The Olde Park Hotel" alt="An image of the Olde Park Hotel, located in Ballinger, Texas"] ::
The Ballinger Park is a 55-acre park on the north and east shores of Lake Ballinger. This park houses a multipurpose sport complex, the Mickey Corso Community Clubhouse, a 42-acre natural park area, and a boat launch. The sports complex consists of a full-length, multipurpose sports field used for baseball, softball, and soccer. The playground amenities include two play structures and picnic tables. The natural park area is a former nine-hole golf course converted to a natural area with nature trails and ponds, and is adjacent to the Interurban Trail to the west and the Lakeview Trail to the east. A master plan for this area of the park was adopted in 2015.

Gallery

Image:Runnels County Building Ballinger.jpg|County Building Image:U.S. Post Office Ballinger.jpg|Historic post office in Ballinger, Texas Image:Texas Theater Ballinger.jpg|Texas Theater Image:Downtown Ballinger 2.jpg|Downtown Ballinger Image:Downtown Ballinger 1.jpg|Downtown Ballinger Image:Ballinger City Hall.jpg|City Hall Image:Carnigie Library Ballinger.jpg|Carnigie Library Ballinger

References

"2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
"U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
{{GNIS. 2409778
"Find a County". National Association of Counties.
"Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Ballinger city, Texas". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder.
Pinkney, Kathryn. "Ballinger, TX". Texas State Historical Association.
Glenn, Mike. "[http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Fort-Bend-publisher-dies-of-cancer-at-72-4653718.php Fort Bend publisher dies of cancer at 72]." ''[[Houston Chronicle]]''. July 8, 2013. Retrieved on April 7, 2014.
[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=722632&cityname=Ballinger%2C+Texas%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for Ballinger, Texas]
(May 24, 2020). "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau.
"Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov.
(2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
(2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
(2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".

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