Whitney is a city in Hill County, Texas, United States. Its population was 1,992 at the 2020 census.
The city is east of Lake Whitney.
The Amazon Prime original movie The Vast of Night was shot in Whitney, which doubled for the fictional town of Cayuga, New Mexico.
History
Whitney was established in 1876 when the Houston and Texas Central Railroad (H&TC) built a line through Hill County to Cleburne. The town's namesake comes from Charles A. Whitney, brother-in-law of Charles Morgan, and a principle stock holder of H&TC.
Geography
Located in western Hill County at (31.950876, –97.320716). Texas State Highway 22 passes through the southeast side of the city, leading east to Hillsboro, the county seat, and west to Meridian. Lake Whitney State Park is west of Whitney via Farm Road 1244.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which , or 1.23%, is covered by water.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,992 people, 762 households, and 497 families residing in the town.
2000 census
At the 2000 census, 1,833 people, 684 households, and 443 families were residing in the town. The population density was 1,132.3/sq mi (436.9/km). The 770 housing units averaged 475.6/sq mi (183.5/km). The racial makeup of the town was 88.11% White, 7.09% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 2.73% from other races, and 1.75% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 9.27% of the population.
Of the 684 households, 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.6% were married couples living together, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were not families. About 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.1% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.46, and the average family size was 3.11.
In the town, the age distribution was 26.5% under 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 22.5% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 24.8% who were 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 71.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 70.0 males.
The median household income was $25,174 and the median family income was $30,833. Males had a median income of $28,036 and females $18,487. The per capita income was $12,772. About 17.9% of families and 21.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.7% of those under 18 and 17.5% of those 65 or over.
Education
The city is served by the Whitney Independent School District.
Notable people
John Prentice, cartoonist and comic-book artist, most known for his 43-year run on the comic strip Rip Kirby, from 1956 to 1999, was born in Whitney.
Tommy Duncan, country musician and founding member of the Texas Playboys, was born in Whitney.
