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San Marcos is a city located in Texas , USA . As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 34,733. It is the County Seat of Hays County . Texas State University-San Marcos (formerly Southwest Texas State University) is located in the city. San Marcos is the only habitat for the endangered Texas blind salamander (Eurycea rathbuni). The Aquarena Springs ecological education center is located in San Marcos. HISTORY A small group of Mexican families settled in the area where the El Camino Real crossed the San Marcos River in April, 1808 calling their settlement ''Villa de San Marcos de Neve''. The settlers were plagued by Flood s and Indian raids and the settlement was abandoned in 1812 . In November, 1846 the first Anglo s settled in the vicinity of the San Marcos Springs. The Texas Legislature organized Hays County on March 1 , 1848 , and designated San Marcos as the county seat. In 1851 the town center was laid out. The town became a center for Ginning and Milling local Agricultural products. In the decade following the arrival of the International-Great Northern Railroad in 1881 , Cattle and Cotton provided the basis for the growth of San Marcos as a center for commerce and transportation. In 1899, Southwest Texas State Normal School was established as a teacher's college to meet demand for public school teachers in Texas. It has since changed its name several times, and is now Texas State University-San Marcos . In the 1960s, with the emergence of Aquarena Springs and Wonder World as attractions, the tourist industry became a growing part of the economy. The expansion of Southwest Texas State University and establishment of the Gary Job Corps Training Center in 1965 made education the single largest employer in the city. GEOGRAPHY San Marcos is located at 29°52'46" North, 97°56'20" West (29.879387, -97.938829) in an area locally referred to as Central Texas . Interstate 35 is the main highway through the town and the springfed San Marcos River is a notable water feature. The city is also situated on the Balcones Fault . The eastern part of the city is flat while the western part consists of rolling hills. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 47.4 Km&2 (18.3 Mi&2 ). 47.2 km&2 (18.2 mi&2) of it is land and 0.3 km&2 (0.1 mi&2) of it is water. The total area is 0.60% water. DEMOGRAPHICS As of the Census of 2000, there were 34,733 people, 12,660 households, and 5,380 families residing in the city. The Population Density was 736.4/km&2 (1,907.5/mi&2). There were 13,340 housing units at an average density of 282.8/km&2 (732.6/mi&2). The racial makeup of the city was 72.55% White , 5.53% African American , 0.65% Native American , 1.23% Asian , 0.11% Pacific Islander , 17.03% from Other Races , and 2.90% from two or more races. 36.50% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 12,660 households out of which 19.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.9% were Married Couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 57.5% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 3.08. In the city the population was spread out with 15.4% under the age of 18, 41.9% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 10.7% from 45 to 64, and 7.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 23 years. For every 100 females there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $25,809, and the median income for a family was $37,113. Males had a median income of $25,400 versus $22,953 for females. The Per Capita Income for the city was $13,468. 28.5% of the population and 13.8% of families were below the Poverty Line . 22.1% of those under the age of 18 and 15.1% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. EXTERNAL LINKS
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