Demographics

Population

The population of the City of Navasota was 6,789 in 2000 based on the U.S. Census Bureau population data. This figure represents a 7.3% increase from the 1990 U.S. Census, following a generally slow, but steady population increase over the last fifty years. Navasota accounted for 28.8% of Grimes County’s population, a decrease from 33.4% in 1990. This trend has been persistent for the previous forty years. The population can be primarily found in households, with 6,572 people residing in 2,379 households in 2000. These figures yield an average of 2.76 persons per household within the city limits.

Although the current population for Navasota is difficult to assess, the population is estimated to be 7,100 persons in 2005. Figure 6.1 is based on the Texas State Data Center’s population projection for Grimes County for 2005, and assumes that Navasota will account for approximately 30% of Grimes County’s population.

The population structure of Navasota is generally young with median ages for males and females at 28.9 and 35, respectively. Over half (51.6%) of the city’s population is within the ages of 20 to 64, and a third (33.8%) is under the age of 20. The number of females outnumber males in Navasota, with the population of males at 3,149 and females at 3,640. This difference in population by gender can be seen primarily in the older age cohorts; the number of females over the age of 65 is twice that of males. A detailed age structure can be seen in the population pyramid below (Figure 6.2), based on 2000 U.S. Census data.

Educational Attainment

Of the 4,086 persons 25 years of age or older within the City, 64.4% have completed high school or a higher level of education. In contrast, Grimes County and Texas figures for this category are 67.3% and 75.6%, respectively. The remainder of the City’s population (35.6%) has either not graduated from high school or completed GED certification.

In addition, there is very little difference in educational attainment by gender categories. Figure 6.3 displays that of the 1,766 males 25 years or older, 63.4% have a high school education or better and 65.1% of the 2,320 females have obtained the same level of education.

Income

The annual median household income for Navasota is $26,990, based on the most current Economic Census completed in 1999. After correcting for inflation, the median household income for Navasota in 1989 was $24,422 ($18,146 before a 0.743 Consumer Price Index inflation correction). This income level represents approximately a 10% increase over a ten-year period. In contrast to county and state figures, median income is 16.3% higher in Grimes County ($32,280) and 32.5% higher statewide ($39,927).

The household income levels further reveal the differences in Navasota income levels in comparison to both Grimes County and the State of Texas. Households with less than $10,000 of income make up 21.4% of the City’s population, twice that of the State of Texas at 10.3% and six percentage points above Grimes County at 15.2%. In comparison to the statewide median household income of $39,927, 66.5% of Navasota’s residents rank below this level. Income levels between $40,000 and $99,999 account for 29.5% of households, with the remaining 3.8% in the above $100,000 income brackets. Figure 6.4 gives a detailed analysis of these comparisons.

Over 26.5% of the City's population had an income below the federal poverty line in the year 2000. This figure is ten percentage points higher than Grimes County, which contains a population with 16.6% living below the poverty line, and eleven percentage points higher than the statewide Texas number at 15.4%. The age makeup of the population below the poverty line is given in the Figure 6.5.

Race

The racial composition of Navasota also differs greatly from both Grimes County and the State of Texas. Navasota’s racial makeup consists primarily of the three major racial groups found in Texas, with a more even distribution than found in either the county or the state. Both population numbers and proportions are listed in Table 6.1.

Conclusion

The demographic summaries above help bring to light some important characteristics of Navasota. Overall, the city has a fairly young population and will continue to grow slowly, but steadily. The most disproportionate figures can be found in the older female cohorts, who greatly outnumber their male counterparts. The two biggest opportunities for improvement are evident in both household income and education categories. The City of Navasota lags behind the state and county averages in both of these categories, and challenges exist in returning these numbers to more proportionate levels.

Notes:
The 2000 U.S. Census was the sole data source used for these analyses, and it is likely that changes have occurred since this data was compiled. It does, however, represent the most complete picture that can be obtained to this level of detail. Gathering data to this level is a costly and time consuming endeavor; one that is not possible given the scope of this project. Exact figures for the City of Navasota, Grimes County and the State of Texas should be interpreted with these limitations in mind.