Bellville is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Austin County. The city's population was 4,206 at the 2020 census. Bellville is on the eastern edge of the Texas-German belt, and Bellville is known for its German culture and descendants of those Germans still call Bellville home.
State Highway 36 and State Highway 159 intersect at Bellville, as do FM 529, FM 1456, and FM 2429.
History
Bellville was named for Thomas B. Bell, one of Stephen F. Austin's earliest colonists, after he and his brother donated land for the new county seat established by voters in 1846. San Felipe had been the county seat before the war for independence.
Geography
Bellville is located in Northern Austin Count. According to the United States Census Bureau, Bellville has a total area of , all of it land.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. The Köppen Climate System describes the weather as humid subtropical, and uses the abbreviation Cfa.
Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,206 people, 1,614 households, and 923 families residing in the city.
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,794 people, 1,425 households, and 966 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,566 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 81.89% White, 11.68% African American, 0.40% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 3.95% from other races, and 1.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.97% of the population.
There were 1,425 households, out of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.2% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.3% 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 3.11.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.4% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $40,806, and the median income for a family was $49,730. Males had a median income of $36,719 versus $21,685 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,671. About 4.5% of families and 8.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.9% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Bellville Independent School District serves Bellville.
Schools
Bellville High School (Grades 9–12) Bellville Junior High School (Grades 6–8) O'Bryant Intermediate School (4–5) O'Bryant Primary School (PK–3) West End Elementary School (K–5) Faith Academy of Bellville (PK–12)
Notable people
Beau Bell, Major League Baseball player
Juke Boy Bonner, blues musician
William Crump, first Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives following statehood Johnny Holland, NFL linebacker and coach Ernie Koy, Major League Baseball player Ernie Koy Jr., NFL player Ted Koy, NFL player Lucas Luetge, MLB pitcher Leo Meyer, elected as mayor of Bellville in 1895, later moved to Oklahoma where he became the first Jewish-Oklahoman elected to statewide public office Emmanuel Sanders, NFL wide receiver Doug Supernaw, country music artist
