Silsbee, Texas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Silsbee, Texas
Town
Panoramic view of Silsbee at night
Nickname(s):  Smoketown
Location of Silsbee, Texas
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Hardin
Area
• Total	7.73 sq mi (20.02 km2)
• Land	7.68 sq mi (19.90 km2)
• Water	0.05 sq mi (0.12 km2)
Elevation	82 ft (25 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	6,611
• Estimate  (2019)	6,617
• Density	861.25/sq mi (332.54/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	77656
Area code(s)	409
FIPS code	48-67832
GNIS feature ID	1347123

Silsbee is a town in Hardin County, Texas, United States. This city is one hundred and three miles northeast of Houston. The population was 6,611 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area.

Geography

Silsbee is located at 30°20′53″N 94°10′49″W / 30.34806°N 94.18028°W / 30.34806; -94.18028 (30.348095, -94.180220).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.5 square miles (19 km²), all land.

Historical development

Silsbee was first referred to as Mill Town when the site was first reached by the Gulf, Beaumont, and Kansas City Railway in 1894. The town was renamed in recognition of Nathaniel Silsbee, an investor from Boston, Massachusetts who helped provide funds for the railway. The railroad was a project of John Henry Kirby who would soon establish the Kirby Lumber Company in the city. This business would be the main employer and strength of the Silsbee economy from the city’s beginning.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, 6,611 people, 2,520 households, and 1,763 families resided in the city. The population density was 881.5 people per square mile (327.8/km²). The 2,790 housing units averaged 353.5 per square mile (136.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 65.8% White, 30.3% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.015% Pacific Islander, 1.4% from other races, and 01.5% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 4.0% of the population.

Of the 2,520 households, 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.1% were married couples living together, 18.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.0% were not families; 10.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the city, the population was distributed as 25.7% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 19 to 24, 23.1% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.7 years. Of the entire population, 45.9% were male and 54.1% were female. Of those individuals age 18 and over, 32.5% were male and 67.5% were female.

The median income for a household in the city was $49,121, and for a family was $51,518. About 16.6% of the population was below the poverty line; 14.0% of families were below the poverty line, while only 3.9% of married families were in poverty. Of those age 65 or over, 4.4% were below the poverty line.

Education

The city is served by the Silsbee Independent School District, with a total of four schools—Laura Reeves Elementary (Pre-K–K), Silsbee Elementary (1–5), Edwards-Johnson Memorial Silsbee Middle School (6–8), and Silsbee High School (9–12).

Notable people

• Len Garrett, football player
• Mark Henry, actor, powerlifter, Olympic weightlifter, strongman, and retired professional wrestler
• James Hunter, football player
• Brandi McCain, professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association
• Phil McDonald, musician, song writer for Punch Punch Kick
• Gary Oliver, musician, worship leader, song writer, senior pastor
• Hannah Read, indie rock musician who performs under the stage name Lomelda
• Poppy Robbie, musician, artist, member of The Koopas, Joe Jitsu, and The Box Set
• LaQuan Stallworth, professional basketball player in the FIBA and Women's National Basketball

See also

In Spanish: Silsbee (Texas) para niños