Rusk, Texas
Rusk, Texas | |
|---|---|
Confederate Monument at Cherokee County Courthouse in Rusk | |
| Motto: "The Heart of East Texas" | |
Location of Rusk, Texas | |
| Coordinates: 31°47′44″N 95°09′00″W / 31.79556°N 95.15000°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Cherokee |
| Area | |
• Total | 7.26 sq mi (18.80 km2) |
| • Land | 7.23 sq mi (18.73 km2) |
| • Water | 0.027 sq mi (0.07 km2) |
| Elevation | 545 ft (166 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 5,285 |
| • Density | 774.6/sq mi (299.07/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 75785 |
| Area codes | 430, 903 |
| FIPS code | 48-63848[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2411017[2] |
| Website | City website |
Rusk is a city in and the county seat of Cherokee County, Texas, United States.[4] At the 2020 United States census, it had a population of 5,285.[5]
History
The town was established by an act of the Texas Legislature on April 11, 1846. It was named after Thomas Jefferson Rusk, signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence.[6] By 1850, Rusk reportedly had 355 residents. A post office was authorized on March 8, 1847.
The city of Rusk is no longer dry; a beer and wine local option election passed on May 9, 2009. Three years later, in 2012, another local option election was held, to consider liquor sales. It also passed.[7]
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Rusk had a population of 5,285; the median age was 38.6 years, with 18.7% of residents under the age of 18 and 13.5% of residents who were 65 years of age or older.[9][10]
For every 100 females there were 162.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 187.3 males age 18 and over.[9]
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[11]
There were 1,319 households in Rusk, of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 41.2% were married-couple households, 14.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 37.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[9]
There were 1,544 housing units, of which 14.6% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 12.7%.[9]
| Race | Number | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| White | 3,112 | 58.9% |
| Black or African American | 1,337 | 25.3% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 17 | 0.3% |
| Asian | 40 | 0.8% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 5 | 0.1% |
| Some other race | 486 | 9.2% |
| Two or more races | 288 | 5.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 790 | 14.9% |
2020 American Community Survey
At the 2020 American Community Survey, the median household income increased to $48,235 with a mean income of $63,832.[12]
2010 census
At the 2010 U.S. census, there were 5,551 people, 1,306 households, and 867 families residing in the city.[3] The population density was 745.4 inhabitants per square mile (287.8/km2). There were 1,539 housing units at an average density of 225.6 per square mile (87.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 62.71% White, 30.01% African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.96% Asian, 5.15% from other races, and 0.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.92% of the population.
2000 census
The median income for a household in the city was $27,370, and the median income for a family was $33,952. Males had a median income of $24,271 versus $22,438 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,688. About 16.2% of families and 21.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.4% of those under age 18 and 21.0% of those age 65 or over.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.3 square miles (18.8 km2), of which 0.03 square miles (0.07 km2), or 0.37%, is water.[13]
Rusk is crossed by U.S. Routes 69 and 84. US 69 leads northwest 14 miles (23 km) to Jacksonville, the largest city in Cherokee County, and southeast 43 miles (69 km) to Lufkin, while US 84 leads east 30 miles (48 km) to Mount Enterprise and west the same distance to Palestine. Rusk is approximately 160 miles (260 km) north of Houston, 125 miles (201 km) southeast of Dallas, and 40 miles (64 km) south of Tyler.
Rusk is underlain by glauconite-rich sediments which, in most parts of town, have weathered to dark reddish brown fine sandy loam topsoil over dark red clay subsoil characteristic of the Nacogdoches soil series.[14]
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Rusk has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[15]
| Climate data for Rusk, Texas (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1942–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 83 (28) |
93 (34) |
94 (34) |
96 (36) |
99 (37) |
103 (39) |
107 (42) |
107 (42) |
110 (43) |
97 (36) |
89 (32) |
83 (28) |
110 (43) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 55.6 (13.1) |
59.5 (15.3) |
66.9 (19.4) |
74.0 (23.3) |
80.7 (27.1) |
87.1 (30.6) |
90.7 (32.6) |
91.7 (33.2) |
86.2 (30.1) |
76.4 (24.7) |
65.3 (18.5) |
57.5 (14.2) |
74.3 (23.5) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 46.4 (8.0) |
50.0 (10.0) |
57.1 (13.9) |
64.1 (17.8) |
71.8 (22.1) |
78.5 (25.8) |
81.4 (27.4) |
81.8 (27.7) |
76.5 (24.7) |
66.6 (19.2) |
56.1 (13.4) |
48.6 (9.2) |
64.9 (18.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 37.3 (2.9) |
40.5 (4.7) |
47.3 (8.5) |
54.3 (12.4) |
62.9 (17.2) |
69.9 (21.1) |
72.1 (22.3) |
71.9 (22.2) |
66.8 (19.3) |
56.8 (13.8) |
46.9 (8.3) |
39.8 (4.3) |
55.5 (13.1) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 0 (−18) |
−3 (−19) |
13 (−11) |
23 (−5) |
38 (3) |
46 (8) |
56 (13) |
53 (12) |
40 (4) |
26 (−3) |
15 (−9) |
−1 (−18) |
−3 (−19) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 4.36 (111) |
4.26 (108) |
4.46 (113) |
4.04 (103) |
4.58 (116) |
4.51 (115) |
3.38 (86) |
3.35 (85) |
3.67 (93) |
4.65 (118) |
3.98 (101) |
4.88 (124) |
50.12 (1,273) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 8.6 | 9.6 | 8.7 | 7.5 | 7.8 | 7.2 | 6.3 | 6.5 | 6.7 | 6.9 | 7.9 | 9.4 | 93.1 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 |
| Source: NOAA[16][17] | |||||||||||||
Parks and recreation
Jim Hogg Park and Rusk State Park are in Rusk.
The longest wooden footbridge in the nation (c. 1861) is located in Rusk.[18]
The Texas State Railroad operates between Rusk and Palestine.
The Heritage Center of Cherokee County & Cherokee Civic Theater are located in Rusk.
Education
The city of Rusk and surrounding rural areas are served by the Rusk Independent School District.
Infrastructure
Postal service
The United States Postal Service operates the Rusk Post Office.[19]
Rusk State Hospital
The Texas Department of State Health Services operates the Rusk State Hospital in Rusk.[20] At that site, the Texas Prison System previously operated the Rusk Penitentiary.[21]
Notable people
Rusk has been home to three former governors, James Stephen Hogg, Thomas M. Campbell, and John B. Kendrick (Governor of Wyoming). Rusk has also been the home to Jim Swink, Adrian Burk and Johnny Horton.
Anthony Denman, former Notre Dame All American, Most Valuable Player and former NFL player, is from Rusk. He was the first to hail from Rusk to play in the NFL.[22][23][24]
Cody Glenn, a former Nebraska standout and former NFL player, is from Rusk.[25][26]
MLB player Chris James was born in Rusk.
See also
Notes
References
- ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
- ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Rusk, Texas
- ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
- ^ "Profile for Rusk, Texas". ePodunk. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
- ^ "Rusk OKs liquor sales", Jacksonville Progress, May 12, 2012. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ a b c d "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
- ^ a b "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
- ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
- ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Rusk city, Texas". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "SoilWeb: An Online Soil Survey Browser | California Soil Resource Lab".
- ^ Climate Summary for Rusk, Texas
- ^ "NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
- ^ "Station: Rusk, TX". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
- ^ "Rusk Chamber of Commerce". Rusk Chamber of Commerce. Archived from the original on August 21, 2011. Retrieved August 9, 2012.
- ^ "Post Office Location - RUSK Archived 2011-08-16 at the Wayback Machine." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on October 6, 2010.
- ^ "Rusk State Hospital." Texas Department of State Health Services. Retrieved on October 6, 2010.
- ^ "Rusk Penitentiary (1883–1917)." Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Retrieved on October 6, 2010.
- ^ denman, anthony. "profootballarchives". www.profootballarchives.com. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
- ^ "Denman Enjoys Making a Name For Himself". www.und.com. September 11, 2000. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
- ^ "Football DB". www.footballdb.com. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
- ^ "Cody Glenn". www.247sports.com. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
- ^ "Cody Glenn of Rusk Makes It". www.gilmermirror.com. Retrieved September 4, 2020.