Fort Worth: Recreation

Sightseeing

Fort Worth and the Metroplex rank high on the list of U.S. tourist destinations. Many attractions are located in the city or within the mid-cities region of the Dallas/Fort Worth area, including Arlington, Grand Prairie, and Irving. Tourists have a wide range of diversions from which to choose.

The Stockyards National Historic District is a multiblock historic district featuring specialty shops, rodeos, saloons, and livestock auctions. Twice daily in the Stockyards, authentic cowhands drive the Fort Worth Herd, a group of Texas longhorn steer, down Exchange Avenue. Billy Bob's Texas in the Stockyards, is the world's largest honky tonk bar/entertainment center and can accommodate a crowd of 6,000 people to hear top western entertainers, play pool and video games, and shop. Sundance Square is another historic district of red-bricked streets, shops, and restaurants. Visitors to Fort Worth can walk through historic Van Zandt Cottage, Thistle Hill mansion, or the Eddleman McFarland House, an elegant Victorian residence. Tourists can also tour downtown Fort Worth and Sundance Square in a carriage. Fort Worth Water Garden Park is an impressive four blocks of concrete-terraced waterfalls, fountains, pools, and gardens. Trinity Trail consists 32 miles of paved trails for walking, biking, or rollerblading, winding from Northside Drive to Foster Park. The Tarantula Steam excursion train takes passengers between Grapevine and the Stockyards. Stockyards Station also includes retail and dining facilities, plus a children's carnival.

The Fort Worth Zoo is home to 5,000 exotic animals. Exhibits include a 2.5-acre World of Primates, African Savannah, Asian Falls, Parrot Paradise, and Texas Wild!, an exhibit that opened in 2001 which focuses on showcasing animals that are native to Texas. Nearby Log Cabin Village features 1850s-era restored cabins, a working grist mill, and pioneer craft demonstrations. Noble Planetarium in the Museum of Science and History features a Texas sky show that changes monthly. Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge in Lake Worth is a 3,400-acre habitat and National Natural Landmark. The Fort Worth Botanic Garden, including the Japanese Garden, contains acres of plants, and a pagoda, teahouse, and meditation garden. The Forest Park Miniature Railroad takes visitors on a 40-minute trip from Forest Park to Trinity Park and back. Hurricane Harbor in Arlington is a family-oriented water park. Six Flags over Texas is a large amusement park complex in Arlington. Visitors can tour American Airlines Flight Academy, Mrs. Baird's Bakery, or the Bandera Hat Company.

Arts and Culture

Cowboys and culture mix in Fort Worth. Community and commercial groups are generous and cooperative in their support of the arts. The city offers cultural experiences ranging from fine opera and ballet to knee-slapping country hoedowns. Its museums house the art and artifacts of European masters and Texas cattlemen.

The beautiful Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Performance Hall, a $67 million facility that opened in 1998, is the first-ever home of the Fort Worth Symphony, Texas Ballet Theater, and the Fort Worth Opera, as well as the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. The 2,054-seat performance hall is located in Sundance Square; it makes a grand impression with its pair of 48-foot angels gracing the entrance.

Casa Manana, a theater-in-the-round under a geodesic dome, seats 1,800 people and features Broadway touring productions, a children's playhouse series, and produces its own shows featuring local talent. The Rose Marine Theater is home to the Latin Arts Association of Fort Worth, the only Hispanic theater company in the city, and presents theater, film, and live music series. Other thriving Fort Worth-area theaters include StageWest, Circle Theater, Jubilee, and the avant-garde group Hip Pocket. A number of area community orchestra and professional ensembles present classical music concerts throughout the year. Electrifying film performances are presented at the Omni Theater's 80-foot dome screen in the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. The Scott Theatre hosts the Fort Worth Theatre, special film productions, and cultural activities. Hyena's Comedy Club features national acts; "Four Day Weekends" improvisational comedy show is Fort Worth's longest running show.

Fort Worth's museums and galleries also offer variety. The Kimbell Art Museum was designed by Louis Kahn and houses collections of classical and prehistoric art, and western European and early twentieth century paintings. The Amon Carter Museum, named for the late Fort Worth newspaper magnate whose foundation supports it, contains a collection of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Western and American paintings and American photographs. Twentieth-century multimedia art including sculpture, photography, and painting are displayed at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. The Sid Richardson Collection of Western Art in Sundance Square displays 60 paintings by artists of the American West such as Frederic Remington and Charles Russell.

The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History houses the Omni Theater and Museum School, the Noble Planetarium, and 35,000 square feet of exhibits, including the Hall of Medical Science, Man and His Possessions, Antique Calculators and Computer Technology, Geology, and Texas History. The American Airlines C.R. Smith Museum is devoted to the history of commercial aviation, having over 1,000 items in its collection, including a restored DC-3 airplane. The history of the ranching industry in Texas is traced through film, photographs, and memorabilia at the Cattle Raiser's Museum. The Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame and National Cowboys of Color Museum and Hall of Fame pay tribute to the people who built Texas. The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, the only one of its kind in the world, opened a new home in the city's Cultural District in 2002. Fire Station No. 1 is the city's earliest fire house and contains an exhibit entitled "150 Years of Fort Worth."

Tours are available at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing's Visitor Center, allowing the public to watch the printing of paper currency. The Pate Museum of Transportation, located on a ranch near Cresson, maintains a collection of varying modes of transportation including antique, classic, and special interest cars, airplanes, railroad cars, and space exhibits. On the campus of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, the Tandy Archaeological Museum houses a collection of biblical artifacts. The Texas Civil War Museum is scheduled to open in mid-2005 with a large collection of uniforms, weapons, and flags from both North and the South.

Festivals and Holidays

In January/February the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo is held over two weeks at the Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum and includes an indoor rodeo, exhibits, arts and crafts, rides, and a carnival midway. Cowtown Goes Green is Fort Worth's unique, western-style St. Patrick's Day celebration. The festival is held in the National Historic Stockyards District and features a parade, cattle drive, pub crawl, arts and crafts sales, and Irish music. For four days in April, Fort Worth's Main Street becomes a marketplace of food, arts and crafts, and live entertainment during the Main St. Fort Worth Arts Festival.

The arrival of spring is observed with Mayfest activities, games, sports, and arts and crafts in Trinity Park. The Van Cliburn International Piano Competition is held at the Bell Performance Center every four years. At the Texas Frontier Forts Muster and Quanah Parker Comanche Pow Wow & Honor Dance, Fort Worth's frontier past is highlighted with re-enactors showing off the skills and equipment needed in the days of the old West, along with Comanche dancers performing traditional dances. Shakespeare in the Park is also held in June at the Trinity Park Playhouse with nightly shows, music, and dance. In June and the beginning of July is the American Paint Horse Association World Championship Show & Sale at the Will Rogers Center. Pioneer Days in September commemorates the early days of the cattle industry with a fiddler's contest, fajita cook-off, parade, and footrace. Also in September, the Forth Worth International Air Show at Alliance Airport is a family-oriented event conceived as a tribute to Fort Worth's aviation industry. Oktoberfest features music, dance, and food events to raise money for symphonic activities. The Red Steagall Cowboy Gathering & Western Swing Festival fills the Stockyard District with music, rodeo and cowboy poetry in October. November and December are filled with holiday observances including the Zoobilee of Lights and the Christmas Parade of Lights.

Sports for the Spectator

Fort Worth professional sports fans follow the American League's Texas Rangers baseball, NFL Dallas Cowboys football, NBA Dallas Mavericks basketball, and the Dallas Stars NHL teams. None of these is based in Fort Worth, but all are close enough to claim fans. Fort Worth's own Brahmas are in the Western Professional Hockey League; they play at Will Rogers Coliseum. College fans in Fort Worth pay close attention to the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs and the Texas Wesleyan University Rams, both of which compete in major collegiate sports. The Colonial National Invitational Golf Tournament and the GTE Byron Nelson Classic are held in May.

The Texas Motor Speedway, a 1.5-mile NASCAR oval track with a seating capacity of 155,000 (plus 53,000 more in the infield), is the second largest sports facility in the country; it schedules three major racing weekends a year.

Sports for the Participant

Six large lakes within 25 miles of downtown provide Fort Worth residents with ample opportunities for water sports and recreation. Burger's Lake is a 20-acre recreational park with a swimming pool and picnic grounds. Greenhills Environmental Center is a 1,000-acre nature preserve and recreational area with hiking trails. Heritage Park Boat & Recreation Center bills itself as "a one-hour vacation in the heart of Fort Worth."

Fort Worth maintains 231 developed city parks with more than 10,000 acres, 98 public tennis courts, 3 bicycle trails, 6 public golf courses, and 20 municipal pools.

Shopping and Dining

Fort Worth boasts one of the most beautiful and vibrant downtown areas in Texas. The centerpiece of the revitalized downtown is the Sundance Square entertainment and shopping district, a 20-block area filled with historic buildings, movie theaters, live theaters, nightclubs, coffee houses, art galleries and, of course, shopping in a 40-store mall with an indoor skating rink. Other popular shopping areas are Hulen Mall, the Fort Worth Outlet Square, University Park Village, Stockyards Station, the Camp Bowie Boulevard shops, Exchange Avenue Shops, and Ridgmar Mall in west Forth Worth.

Restaurants are plentiful in Fort Worth, offering everything from Continental, Texas Ranch, New American, and ethnic cuisines. The historic districts in particular, such as The Stockyards and Sundance Square, abound in restaurants and saloons. Texas beef, chili, and Tex-Mex are specialties. At Ellington's Southern Table in Sundance Square, diners' plates are piled high with Southern specialties like pot roast, chicken-fried steak, fried catfish, and liver and onions.

Visitor Information: Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau, 415 Throckmorton, Fort Worth, Texas 76102; telephone (817)336-8791 or (800)433-5747

Fort Worth: Economy

Major Industries and Commercial Activity

Fort Worth has traditionally been a diverse center of manufacturing, and the city had demonstrated strong economic growth since the 1980s. However, an economic slowdown in the sector accounted for job losses for the first time in many years between 2001 and 2003. Forecasts call for an increase of manufacturing jobs, supplying 32,048 new manufacturing jobs between 2004 and 2025 for an annual growth rate of 1.2 percent. Government sector jobs are expected to show continued growth, and the transportation, communication, and utilities sector is forecasted to show growth as well. Mining business in Texas is driven by oil and gas production and has shown losses as oil prices dip.

Major employers in the area are American Airlines, Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems, Bell Helicopter Textron, Radio Shack Corporation, SABRE, Pier 1 Imports, and Burlington Northern Santa Fe. Emerging economic sectors in the new century include semiconductor manufacturing, communications equipment manufacturing, corporate offices, and distribution.

Between 1990 and 1996 defense downsizing resulted in the loss of 44,000 jobs in the Fort Worth area. That development set Fort Worth's economic diversification effort into motion. A plan was adopted called "Strategy 2000, Diversifying Fort Worth's Future," which had as its goal the creation of a healthy, diverse, less defense-dependent economy supported by business development, emerging technologies, international trade, and a world class workforce. Tech Fort Worth, an off-shoot of "Strategy 2000," is a business incubator that works with the Fort Worth Business Assistance Center to foster new start-up companies. Tech Fort Worth opened a new facility in 2004 with over 160,000 feet of office space, laboratories and conference rooms.

Tourism is an important contributor to the local economy. According to the Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau, in 2004 there were 8.7 million visitors to Fort Worth, who spent $1.2 billion in the city and even more in the surrounding areas.

Items and goods produced: aircraft, communication equipment, electronic equipment, machinery, refrigeration equipment, containers, clothing, food products, pharmaceuticals, computers, clothing, grain, leather

Incentive Programs—New and Existing Companies

Local programs

Fort Worth offers many incentive programs to develop and redevelop the city. As of 2005 Fort Worth had nine active Tax Increment Finance (TIF) districts. There are two Enterprise Zones in Fort Worth, with fee wavers, tax refunds, and other assistance provided by both the city and state. Under a policy adopted in February 2000, the City of Fort Worth, on a case-by-case basis, gives consideration to the granting of property tax incentives to eligible residential, commercial, and industrial development projects. It is the objective of the city of Fort Worth to encourage applications from projects that (a) are located in enterprise zones or other designated target areas; or (b) result in a development with little or no additional cost to the City; or (c) result in 1,000 or more new jobs, with a commitment to hire Fort Worth and inner city residents. Fort Worth has two state-designated Urban Enterprise Zones.

State programs

Texas is a right-to-work state. The Texas Enterprise Zone Programs offer tax abatement at the local level, and refunds of state sales and use taxes under certain circumstances to businesses operating in enterprise zone areas. The state of Texas primarily targets its incentive programs toward smaller and rural communities.

Job training programs

The state of Texas provides training funds through its Smart Jobs program, which offers up to $2,000 in matching funds for training employees who will work for new and expanding Texas companies that pay at or above the state average wage. Job training funds are made available through the federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA). Employers using WIA participants can be reimbursed for up to 50 percent of the cost of training new employees. Fort Worth Works is a program run by the city to help both employers and job seekers by coordinating job fairs and placement agencies, and eliminating barriers to low-income workers. The Texas Department of Commerce has a work force incentive program for industrial start-up training and funding. Local state-supported educational institutions provide the training. The program provides up to $1,000 per trainee.

Development Projects

The National League of Cities awarded Fort Worth the James C. Howland Award for Urban Enrichment for innovative redevelopment in 1995, and the building boom continues. In 2004, Pier 1 Imports moved into its new $90 million 440,000 square foot headquarters, employing more than 350 people. In 2005, work began on the city's new 37,000 square foot recreation center which will be completed by the end of the year. A $65 million renovation of the 37-story landmark Bank One Tower is being redeveloped into 294 luxury residential condominiums and 60,000 square feet of space for shops, restaurants, and boutique office space. Omni Hotels will build a $90 million, 600-room hotel next to the Fort Worth Convention Center, to be completed in 2007. Also in 2005, the Montgomery Ward building and warehouse, a 1928 Mission Revival-style structure, becomes an urban retail center after a $50 million redevelopment.

Other plans underway in 2005 were for construction of a 5-story, 221,000 square foot expansion of the JPS Hospital, including a new emergency department, surgery department, and sky bridge connector to the existing hospital, to begin mid-2005. So7, a residential and retail development near Trinity Park, will add an additional 150,000 square feet of retail space as well as additional condominiums and apartments.

Economic Development Information: Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, 777 Taylor Street, Suite 900, Fort Worth, TX 76102-4997; telephone (817)336-2491. Fort Worth Economic Development Office, Office of the City Manager, Third Floor City Hall, 1000 Throckmorton, Fort Worth, TX 76102; telephone (817)871-6103

Commercial Shipping

A central location combined with superior air and ground transportation resources makes Fort Worth an ideal location for distribution. The Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport has a huge economic impact. Its Foreign Trade Zone, U.S. Customs Office, and U.S. Port of Entry status afford business and industry easy access to many important services. Nearby Alliance Airport is used solely by distribution and manufacturing firms to reach national and international markets, and is home every October to its International Air Show. Several local and long distance carriers provide commercial motor freight service. For firms with their own trucks, support services are abundant. A full complement of rail services is available in the city where Burlington Northern Santa Fe, the largest railroad in the nation, is headquartered.

Labor Force and Employment Outlook

The Dallas/Fort Worth area is a major trade center and distribution hub as well as the state's telecommunications center. It is the sixth-ranked metropolitan area in the nation for Fortune 500 companies, of which 17 have headquarters in the area.

The following is a summary of data regarding the Fort Worth metropolitan area labor force, 2003 annual averages.

Size of nonagricultural labor force: 776,900

Number of workers employed in . . .

mining: 3,900

construction: 43,700

manufacturing: 96,700

trade, transportation and utilities: 187,300

information: 71,800

financial activities: 45,800

business and professional services: 81,500

educational and health services: 84,500

leisure and hospitality: 76,300

other services: 31,700

government: 107,800

Average hourly earnings of production workers employed in manufacturing: $17.18

Unemployment rate: 5.0% (December 2004)

Cost of Living

The cost of living in Fort Worth is low compared to other major cities in the United States.

The following is a summary of data regarding several key cost of living factors for the Fort Worth area.

2004 (3rd Quarter) ACCRA Average House Price: $189,855

2004 (3rd Quarter) ACCRA Cost of Living Index: 92.4 (U.S. average = 100.0)

State income tax rate: none

State sales tax rate: 6.25% (food and prescription drugs are exempt)

Local income tax rate: none

Local sales tax rate: 2.0%

Property tax rate: $.8650 per $100 of assessed valuation (assessed valuation = 100% of market value)

Economic Information: Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, 777 Taylor Street, Suite 900, Fort Worth, TX 76102-4997; telephone (817)336-2491.

Fort Worth: Education and Research

Elementary and Secondary Schools

The Fort Worth Independent School District (FWISD) is the largest of the 20 school districts in Tarrant County. With a dedicated administration, in less than a decade the district saw a massive 833 percent increase in high-performing schools, from only 6 in 1994 to 59 in 2002. As part of a bond program, improvements and renovations have been ongoing since 2000 to many of the district's schools.

The FWISD continues to show leadership in innovative teaching techniques, including applied learning; new standards; elementary, reading, and math initiatives; and instructional support teams to enhance teaching. The FWISD's Vital Link program, which places 12-year-old students in workplace situations to show them the link between classroom learning and workplace needs, is nationally recognized. The FWISD's Teaching Chairs program to recognize teaching excellence in a variety of disciplines, is based on the university-level teaching chair concept and is unique in the nation at the public school level. Another feature of the system is a high school for medical professionals. Middle and elementary schools offer preparatory, Montessori, and baccalaureate education. The FWISD is one of only a few schools in the nation to hold the Kennedy Center Imagination Celebration, the national children's arts festival program. In Fort Worth the Imagination Celebration continues on a year-round basis.

The following is a summary of data regarding Fort Worth's public schools as of the 2004–2005 school year.

Total enrollment: 80,223

Number of facilities elementary schools: 80

middle schools: 24

senior high schools: 13

other: 28

Student/teacher ratio: 16.7:1

Teacher salaries (2004)

minimum: $38,500

maximum: $64,176

Funding per pupil: $6,252 (2004-2005)

Around 75 private and parochial schools serve Fort Worth, including special schools for the learning disabled.

Public Schools Information: Fort Worth Independent School District, 100 North University Dr., Fort Worth, TX 76107-1360; telephone (817)871-2455; fax (817)871-2460

Colleges and Universities

Fort Worth boasts seven colleges and universities. The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) is the area's largest university, with more than 25,000 students enrolled in its schools of business, engineering, liberal arts, science, architecture, nursing, social work, and education. UTA is known for programs in high technology applied research.

Texas Christian University (TCU) educates more than 8,500 students. It specializes in a liberal arts education and offers research-oriented PhD programs in chemistry, divinity, English, history, physics, and psychology. Texas Wesleyan University has more than 2,800 students in its schools of business, education, fine arts, sciences, and humanities. The city's other colleges are Tarrant County Junior College (on several campuses), Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Arlington Baptist College. There are some 30 other colleges and universities within a 50-mile radius, including technical, business, and nursing schools.

Libraries and Research Centers

The Fort Worth Public Library system operates a central library, a Southwest Regional location, an East Regional location, two satellite libraries in public housing communities, and nine branches. Its holdings number 2.3 million items, including more than 2,000 periodical subscriptions. Special collections include bookplates, early children's books, books in Spanish and Vietnamese, genealogy, earth science, popular sheet music, government documents, and oral history. Nearly 30 special libraries are located in Fort Worth, affiliated with local businesses, art museums, hospitals and colleges, and U.S. government agencies. Among them are the Lockheed Martin Fort Worth Company Research Library and the National Archives Southwest Region collection of inactive records of U.S. government agencies in the Southwest.

The University of Texas at Arlington executes advanced research in a number of areas, notably at its Automation and Robotics Research Institute, and its Nanotechnology Research & Teaching Facility. The University of North Texas Health Science Center supports several research centers dealing with such topics as substance abuse and wound healing. Texas Christian University operates an Institute of Behavioral Research and the Center for Texas Studies.

Public Library Information: Fort Worth Public Library, 500 W. 3rd Street, Fort Worth, TX 76102-7305; telephone (817)871-7701

Fort Worth: History

"Cowtown" Served As Trading Center

Fort Worth's wild and wooly past began in 1849 when Major Ripley Arnold led a small detachment of U.S. Dragoons to the banks of the Trinity River and established an outpost to protect early settlers from Native American attack. The garrison was named for General William Worth, a Mexican War hero. It was more of an encampment than a fort, but after several years the natives ceased their opposition to the settlement. When the soldiers left, the settlers stayed, and in 1860 Fort Worth was chosen to serve as Tarrant County seat.

Its location on the Old Chisholm Trail, the route along which ranchers drove their herds, helped establish Fort Worth as a trading and cattle center and earned it the nickname "Cowtown." Cowboys took full advantage of their last brush with civilization before the long drive north from Fort Worth. They stocked up on provisions from local merchants, visited the town's colorful saloons for a bit of gambling and carousing, then galloped northward with their cattle.

Problems Accompanied Prosperity

Post-Civil War reconstruction brought many disillusioned Confederates to Texas in search of jobs and new beginnings. Commerce grew along with the population. Yankees wanted meat, and Texas had a ready supply. During this time rumors grew of a panther that stalked and slept on the city streets at night. A Dallas newspaper ran a story claiming that Fort Worth was so drowsy, a panther was found sleeping on Main Street. Fort Worth citizens good-naturedly dubbed their hometown "Panther City," and many local merchants and sports teams adopted the animal in their logos.

The Texas & Pacific Railroad arrived in Fort Worth in 1876, causing a boom in the cattle industry and in wholesale trade. The city was the westernmost railhead and became a transit point for cattle shipment. With the boom times came some problems. Crime was rampant and certain sections of town, such as Hell's Half Acre, were off-limits for proper citizens. Cowboys were joined by a motley assortment of buffalo hunters, gunmen, adventurers, and crooks. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were said to roam the streets of Fort Worth between robberies.

Boom Town Is Tamed

During the 1880s and 1890s, an influx of home-seekers helped quiet the rowdy streets and create a more stable community. More railroads led to more industry. Meat packing companies, a brewing company, more newspapers, and a stronger banking system arrived. Community leaders modernized the fire department, started a municipal water system, built sanitary sewers, and paved streets. Free public schools were legalized in Texas and colleges were founded. By then most major religious denominations were represented with congregations in the city. Fort Worth women organized teas, dances, dinners, and cakewalks to raise funds for a public library. In 1907, the Texas Legislature helped tame the town by outlawing gambling.

During the early days of the twentieth century, Fort Worth became the meat packing center of the Southwest. Nearly all West Texas cattle stopped there for sale or reshipment. Merchants were delighted to discover that when ranchers brought their cattle to market, they also brought their wives to shop in Fort Worth's stores.

Oil/Aviation Spur Economy

In 1917, oil was discovered in West Texas on McCleskey Farm about 90 miles west of Fort Worth. The gusher meant another boom for the city and helped meet the fuel demand created by World War I. Five refineries were built by 1920 and the city became a center for oil operators. Oil-rich ranchers and farmers moved to Fort Worth and built luxurious homes and towering office buildings.

During World War I three flying fields were established near Fort Worth, all eventually taken over by the U.S. government. In 1927, an airport opened and the aviation industry began. During World War II, B-24 bombers were manufactured at the Convair Plant in Fort Worth, while bomber pilots trained at the nearby Tarrant Field (renamed Carswell Air Force Base in 1948). The opening of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in 1974 ushered in a new era of aviation history. At the time it was built, the airport was the largest in the world. The aviation/aerospace industry remains an important factor in Fort Worth's economy today.

Partners for Livable Communities voted Fort Worth as one of America's Most Livable Large Cities in 2004. With a vibrant cultural life, continuing development, and expanding economy in high tech industries, Fort Worth forecasts a vibrant future.

Historical Information: Fort Worth Public Library, Genealogy and Local History Department, 500 W. 3rd Street, Fort Worth, TX 76102; telephone (817)871-7740

Fort Worth: Population Profile

Metropolitan Area Residents (CMSA)

1990: 4,037,282

2000: 5,221,801

Percent change, 1990–2000: 29.3%

U.S. rank in 1990: 9th

U.S. rank in 2000: 9th

City Residents

1980: 385,164

1990: 447,619

2000: 534,694

2003 estimate: 585,122

Percent change, 1990–2000 19.3%

U.S. rank in 1980: 33rd

U.S. rank in 1990: 28th (State rank: 6th)

U.S. rank in 2000: 27th (State rank: 6th)

Density: 1,827.8 people per square mile (2000)

Racial and ethnic characteristics (2000)

White: 319,159

Black or African American: 108,310

American Indian and Alaskan Native: 3,144

Asian: 14,105

Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander: 341

Hispanic (may be of any race): 159,368

Other: 75,100

Percent of residents born in state: 60.8% (2000)

Age characteristics (2000)

Poplation under 5 years old: 45,452

Poplation 5 to 9 years old: 42,413

Poplation 10 to 14 years old: 39,943

Poplation 15 to 19 years old: 39,984

Poplation 20 to 24 years old: 43,562

Poplation 25 to 34 years old: 91,042

Poplation 35 to 44 years old: 83,691

Poplation 45 to 54 years old: 61,472

Poplation 55 to 59 years old: 20,240

Poplation 60 to 64 years old: 15,433

Poplation 65 to 74 years old: 26,614

Poplation 75 to 84 years old: 18,496

Poplation 85 years and older: 6,352

Median age: 30.9 years

Births (2002)

Total number: 11,466

Deaths (2002)

Total number: 4,520 (of which, 86 were infants under the age of 1 year)

Money income (1999)

Per capita income: $18,800

Median household income: $37,074

Total households: 195,309

Number of households with income of . . .

less than $10,000: 20,658 $10,000 to $14,999: 13,486

$15,000 to $24,999: 27,887

$25,000 to $34,999: 28,592

$35,000 to $49,999: 34,179

$50,000 to $74,999: 35,369

$75,000 to $99,999: 16,814

$100,000 to $149,999: 11,123

$150,000 to $199,999: 2,822

$200,000 or more: 3,379

Percent of families below poverty level: 12.7% (46.8% of which were female householder families with related children under 5 years)

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 41,280