Utopia, Texas

Utopia, Texas
Census-designated place
Nickname(s):  "An Ideally, Perfect Place"
Location of Utopia, Texas
Coordinates: 29°37′15″N 99°30′45″W
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Uvalde
Area
• Total	3.0 sq mi (7.6 km2)
• Land	3.0 sq mi (7.6 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	1,371 ft (418 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	225
• Density	75/sq mi (30/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	78884
Area code	830
FIPS code	48-74576
GNIS feature ID	2409383
Website	www.utopiatexas.info

Utopia is a census-designated place (CDP) in Uvalde County, Texas, United States. The population was 225 at the 2020 census.

History

After the failure of the La Réunion colony in Dallas, Texas, Victor Prosper Considerant purchased 47000 acres of land in Sabinal Canyon in Uvalde County with the hopes of founding another utopian socialist settlement. That settlement never materialized.

In 1884, a survey was platted for the town of Montana, Texas in Uvalde County; upon discovering that the name Montana was already taken, the name was changed to Utopia. Utopia replaced the previous community of Waresville as the local post office; to this day the cemetery is named for Waresville.

Tourism to the city boomed after the 1979 establishment of the Lost Maples State Natural Area nearby.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 3.0 square miles (7.6 km²), all land.

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Utopia has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
2000	241		—
2010	227		−5.8%
2020	225		−0.9%
U.S. Decennial Census 1850–1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

2000 Census

As of the census of 2000, there were 241 people, 111 households, and 69 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 81.6 inhabitants per square mile (31.5/km²). There were 127 housing units at an average density of 43.0 per square mile (16.6/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 93.36% White, 0.41% Native American, 4.56% from other races, and 1.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.30% of the population.

There were 111 households, out of which 23.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.8% were non-families. 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.77.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 23.2% under the age of 18, 4.1% from 18 to 24, 21.6% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 27.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $28,281, and the median income for a family was $35,893. Males had a median income of $25,714 versus $16,667 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $18,608. About 15.5% of families and 19.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.9% of those under the age of eighteen and 21.5% of those 65 or over.

Education

Utopia is served by the Utopia Independent School District which operates Utopia High School.

Utopia in popular culture

Seven Days in Utopia (2011) was filmed primarily in Utopia as well as at the Boot Ranch golf club just north of Fredericksburg, and featuring Academy Award winner Robert Duvall and Lucas Black. It is based on the book Golf's Sacred Journey: Seven Days at the Links of Utopia.

Further reading

Valby, Karen (2010). Welcome to Utopia: Notes from a Small Town. New York: Spiegel & Grau. ISBN 978-0-385-52286-1.

External links

• funrivers.com website with photos of the Texas Hill Country and info and links to the Utopia and Frio River area