Kaufman is a city in Kaufman County, Texas, United States. Its population was 6,703 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Kaufman County.
History
Kaufman was founded as "Kings Fort", named after Dr. William P. King, who established the fort in 1840 after purchasing of land where the city is now located. The community was renamed "Kingsboro" after five years of growth. In 1852, Kingsboro was renamed "Kaufman" after the newly formed Kaufman County, which in turn was named after David S. Kaufman.
Kaufman was the first place that Bonnie Parker, of Bonnie and Clyde, was incarcerated.
Nearby Camp Kaufman was used as a German POW camp during World War II.
Geography
U.S. Route 175, a four-lane limited access highway, passes through the southwest side of the city, leading northwest to Dallas and southeast to Athens. Texas State Highway 34 passes through the south and east sides of the city, leading north to Terrell and southwest to Ennis. State Highway 243 leads east from Kaufman to Canton.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Kaufman has a total area of , of which , or 2.08%, is covered by water.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification, Kaufman has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa on climate maps.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 6,797 people, 2,177 households, and 1,427 families residing in the city.
2010 census
As of 2010 Kaufman had a population of 6,703. The median age was 32. The ethnic and racial composition of the population was 55.4% non-Hispanic White, 9.4% non-Hispanic Black, 0.9% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 13.6% some other race, and 3.5% from two or more races. About 32.6% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, 6,490 people, 2,179 households, and 1,579 families were residing in the city. The population density was 977.9 people per square mile (377.4/km2). The 2,310 housing units had an average density of 348.1/sq mi (134.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 47.83% White, 12.87% African American, 0.66% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 15.92% from other races, and 2.31% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 39.74% of the population.
Of the 2,179 households, 40.9% had children under 18 living with them, 51.1% were married couples living together, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.5% were not families; 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.86, and the average family size was 3.39.
In the city, the age distribution was 30.4% under 18, 11.0% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 16.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,250, and for a family was $38,983. Males had a median income of $29,637 versus $23,695 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,024. About 12.4% of families and 15.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.2% of those under age 18 and 14.1% of those age 65 or over.
Sports
Kaufman was home to minor league baseball. The 1915 Kaufman Kings played as members of the Class D level Central Texas League before the league disbanded.
Education
Public schools
Kaufman and surrounding portions of Kaufman County are served by the Kaufman Independent School District.
Private schools
Honors Academy operates the Legacy Academy, a grades 6–12 charter school, in Kaufman.
In addition, Kaufman Christian School, a church-run school with classes from prekindergarten to 12th grade, also serves the area.
Colleges and universities
Trinity Valley Community College operates its Health Science Center in Kaufman. (The college offers other nonmedical general-education courses at other TVCC campuses.)
Notable people
Ted Healy, comedian, actor and discoverer of The Three Stooges, was born in Kaufman in 1896
Stuart Spitzer, surgeon in Kaufman and former member of the Texas House of Representatives
Sonny Strait, voice actor
