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Midland is a city located in Texas. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 94,996. It is the county seat of Midland CountyTemplate:GR. It is the twin city to Odessa, Texas. Midland is home to Robert E. Lee High School, and the Midland Lee Rebels, a formerly distinguished Texas High School Football program; and Midland High School, whose recent successes on the gridiron, diamond, and basketball court have brought great pride to the "Tall City." Along with Odessa, Texas and Andrews, Texas, these cities form the West Texas Tri-Cities.
Midland is also home to the Midland RockHounds, a Texas League minor league baseball team.
The town received national attention when on October 14, 1987, 18-month-old Jessica McClure ("Baby Jessica") fell down an abandoned well in Midland. Her nationally televised rescue took 58 hours.
Midland is also noted as the childhood home of President George W. Bush and birthplace of Florida governor Jeb Bush; their father, former President George H. W. Bush, had started an oil business there.
George W. Bush's wife and First Lady Laura Bush was born and raised in Midland, as was former United States Army General Tommy Franks.
Midland is the birthplace of veteran right-handed pitcher Mike Timlin of the Boston Red Sox, and Cedric Benson runningback for the Chicago Bears.
Geography
Midland is located at 32°0'18" North, 102°5'57" West (32.005072, -102.099239)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 173.0 km² (66.8 mi²). 172.5 km² (66.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.5 km² (0.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.28% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 94,996 people, 35,674 households, and 25,221 families residing in the city. The population density is 550.6/km² (1,426.2/mi²). There are 39,855 housing units at an average density of 231.0/km² (598.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 75.51% White, 8.37% African American, 0.63% Native American, 1.01% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 12.49% from other races, and 1.96% from two or more races. 28.99% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 35,674 households out of which 37.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.4% are married couples living together, 11.9% have a female householder with no husband present, and 29.3% are non-families. 25.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.62 and the average family size is 3.19.
In the city the population is spread out with 29.9% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 87.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $39,320, and the median income for a family is $48,290. Males have a median income of $37,566 versus $24,794 for females. The per capita income for the city is $20,884. 12.9% of the population and 10.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 16.4% of those under the age of 18 and 8.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Midland has Midland International Airport, which serves Midland, nearby Odessa, Texas and a large region of West Texas and southeast New Mexico. The airport is considered the gateway to the Big Bend Region of Texas, and Big Bend National Park.
Culture and Economy
Culture and Economics
Many people believe that Big Spring is representative of the social rot that Republicanism has wrought upon Texas. The school system is appalling, from kindergarten through Howard College, the local community college. In the local high school, football takes precedence over any pretense of education.
The economic base of Big Spring consists largely of low-wage, unskilled and semi-skilled work. One of the major career opportunities in Big Spring is prison guard, working in one of the numerous local prisons. A high percentage of the local population lives in poverty, and would be eligible for public assistance if the Republicans had not gutted social safety net programs. Upon visiting Big Spring, the poverty and lack of medical care will be readily evident as soon as a local smiles, showing off a mouth full of the rotting stumps of what were once teeth. Obesity and diabetes are also at epidemic levels in Big Spring. The teen pregnancy rate is astounding, and in fact it is not uncommon to meet young women in Big Spring, as young as 20, who have 3 children, each with a different father. This is especially ironic considering the dedication to fundamentalist, evangelical Christianity displayed by most residents of Big Spring. There is something of a racial divide in Big Spring between the majority white population and the large hispanic population. The municipal water in Big Spring emits a quite unpleasant odor and is not recommended for actual drinking. The downtown improvement plan for Big Spring has consisted of periodically knocking down abandoned buildings, turning what was once a prosperous downtown into vacant lots overgrown with weeds and filled with trash. The city of Big Spring does not have a single general interest bookstore (non-Christian), which says quite a bit about the local literacy rates. The class structure in Big Spring is third-world like, with a small number of well connected and well off business people ruling over the 90% of the population who are poor.
There are also many positives about Big Spring. The people are the friendliest you'll meet! And if you like barbecue and Tex-Mex food Big Spring has some outstanding restaurants. Brenda’s Barbecue is highly recommended, although residents of Big Spring are quite opinionated when it comes to a discussion of barbecue or Tex-Mex food. There is one truly amazing display of Christmas lights at the Partee residence. The "Live Drive Through Nativity" is one of a kind. Housing costs are unbelievably inexpensive and many people have adapted to the arid climate by xeriscaping their lawns.
External links
City of Midland, Texas Template:Mapit-US-cityscale
Official Texas Handbook On Midland County
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