Demographics of Nacogdoches, TX
Affluence Level in Nacogdoches, TX
A low-income area with significant economic hardship. Household wealth and educational attainment are well below national averages.
People of Nacogdoches, TX
The people of Nacogdoches, Texas, today form a population of 32,104 that is notably diverse for a Deep East Texas city, with a character shaped by its historic role as the oldest town in Texas. The city’s identity is marked by a near-even split between White (50.7%) and non-White residents, a substantial Black community (25.7%), and a growing Hispanic population (19.8%), all anchored by a small but present foreign-born share of 4.2%. With 28.5% of adults holding a college degree, the population leans educated but not elite, reflecting the influence of Stephen F. Austin State University and a local economy rooted in healthcare, education, and manufacturing. Distinctive markers include a strong sense of historic preservation, a visible university presence, and a cultural blend that is more integrated than many similarly sized Southern towns.
How the city was settled and grew
Nacogdoches was founded in 1779 by Spanish settlers, making it the oldest town in Texas, but its human history begins earlier with the Caddo people, who inhabited the area for centuries before European contact. The original Spanish and Mexican settlers established the town around the Plaza Principal (now the downtown historic district), and the city’s early growth was driven by its role as a trading post on the El Camino Real de los Tejas. After Texas independence, Anglo-American settlers arrived in waves, drawn by cheap land grants and cotton farming, and they concentrated in the North Street Historic District and the area around the Old University Building. The post-Civil War era brought a significant Black population, many of whom were freedmen who settled in the Washington Square and South Pecan Street neighborhoods, establishing churches, schools, and businesses that remain community anchors today. By the early 20th century, the arrival of the railroad spurred growth in the Railroad District (near the depot), attracting German and Czech immigrants who worked in the timber and railroad industries, though their numbers remained small relative to the Anglo and Black majorities.
Modern era (post-1965)
The 1965 Hart-Cellar Act had a limited direct impact on Nacogdoches, as the city’s foreign-born population remains low at 4.2%, but domestic migration reshaped the city significantly. The expansion of Stephen F. Austin State University after the 1960s drew students and faculty from across Texas and the South, diversifying the University District (surrounding the campus) with a mix of White, Black, and Hispanic residents. The Hispanic population grew steadily from the 1980s onward, driven by labor demand in poultry processing (Pilgrim’s Pride operates a plant nearby) and construction, with many families settling in the Northwest Nacogdoches area along Highway 21. The Black community, historically concentrated in Washington Square and South Pecan Street, has seen some outward movement to newer subdivisions like Woodland Hills and Lake Forest, though these neighborhoods remain predominantly White. The East/Southeast Asian population (0.4%) and Indian subcontinent population (0.2%) are tiny, mostly tied to university faculty and medical professionals, and are scattered rather than forming distinct enclaves. Suburbanization since the 1990s has pushed growth to the city’s periphery, particularly along the Loop 224 corridor, where newer subdivisions attract White and Hispanic families seeking larger lots and newer schools.
The future
The population of Nacogdoches is likely to continue its gradual diversification, with the Hispanic share projected to rise toward 25-28% over the next 10-20 years, driven by natural increase and continued labor migration. The Black population share is expected to remain stable or decline slightly, as younger Black residents move to larger metros like Houston or Dallas for job opportunities, while the White share will continue to shrink as the population ages and the university attracts a more diverse student body. The city is not tribalizing into distinct enclaves; instead, neighborhoods like the University District and newer subdivisions are becoming more mixed, though historic patterns persist in Washington Square (still predominantly Black) and Northwest Nacogdoches (increasingly Hispanic). The foreign-born share may rise modestly as the university recruits international students, but Nacogdoches is unlikely to see the rapid immigration growth of Texas’s major metros. The city is homogenizing in terms of income and education, with a growing middle class of professionals and tradespeople, but remains divided by race in older neighborhoods.
For someone moving in now, Nacogdoches offers a stable, moderately diverse community with a strong sense of history and a university-driven economy. The city is becoming more Hispanic and more educated, but remains a place where racial lines are visible yet not rigid, and where newcomers—especially those tied to the university or healthcare—can find a welcoming, small-town environment with genuine cultural depth.
* Values derived from national, state, county, city and local statistics and may differ in a specific area. Last updated: 2026-05-12T15:29:53.000Z
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