Italy, Texas
Italy ( , unlike the country Italy) is a town in Ellis County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 1,863, down from 1,993 at the 2000 census. The community was named after Italy by a settler who had visited the European country. History. Italy was founded in 1879 by colonizers who found the surrounding land suitable for growing cotton, corn, sweet potatoes, and wheat. The Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad reached Italy in 1890, with the railroad stop making the town an important market center. The population grew steadily, from 1,061 in  1900 to 1,500 in 1925, until the Great Depression sparked a decline lasting over three decades. The town began to see economic and population growth again in the 1970s, with the population rising to nearly 2,000 residents by the year 2000. Geography. Italy is located in southwestern Ellis County at (32.182705, –96.884967). Interstate 35E crosses the northwest corner of the town at Exit 386; it leads north to Waxahachie, the county seat, north to downtown Dallas, and southwest to its junction with I-35W near Hillsboro. U.S. Route 77 passes through the center of Italy and parallels I-35E. Texas State Highway  34 leads northeast from the center of Italy to Ennis. According to the United States Census Bureau, Italy has a total area of , all of it land. Demographics. As of the census of 2000, there were 1,993 people, 656 households, and 501 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,111.2 people per square mile (429.9/km). There were 731 housing units at an average density of 407.6 per square mile (157.7/km). The racial makeup of the town was 74.26% White, 19.72% African American, 0.85% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 3.46% from other races, and 1.56% from two or  more races, Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.64% of the population. There were 656 households, out of which 42.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.3% were married couples living together, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.5% were non-families. 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.97 and the average family size was 3.41. In the town, the population was spread out, with 31.8% under the age  of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $41,853, and the median income for a family was $47,788. Males had a median income of $33,182 versus $24,600 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,335. About 7.2 % of families and 8.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.7% of those under age 18 and 15.6% of those age 65 or over. Education. The town is served by the Italy Independent School District, which includes Italy High School (Grades 7–12) and Stafford Elementary (Grades Pre-K–6), and the S.M. Dunlap Memorial Library. In 2009, the school district was rated "academically acceptable" by the Texas Education Agency. Climate. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Italy has a humid  subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.