Ballinger ( ) is a city in Runnels County, Texas, United States. Its population was 3,619 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Runnels County. Downtown Ballinger features historic 1800s buildings with shops and restaurants.
History
Ballinger was founded in 1886. It was established when the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway built a railway west from Brownwood. Runnels City, the original county seat, campaigned for selection as the new railroad terminal, but the future site of Ballinger, five miles to the south, offered a better water supply.
The 1.7-square-mile area was laid out in large lots, with a courthouse square and public park set aside for future use. Santa Fe officials offered free property to anyone who would move a home from Runnels City to Ballinger and to any church that would erect a building. and 36 mi northeast of San Angelo, Texas.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification, Ballinger has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa on climate maps.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, 3,619, 1,364 households, and 860 families resided in the city.
The median age was 42.4 years, with 23.6% of residents under 18 and 21.7% 65 or older; for every 100 females, there were 93.9 males, and for every 100 females 18 and over there were 89.6 males.
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census
! Race !! Percent
|-
| White || 70.6%
|-
| Black or African American || 2.4%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 0.9%
|-
| Asian || 0.4%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander || 0.2%
|-
| Some other race || 11.2%
|-
| Two or more races || 14.3%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 38.5%
|}
2000 census
As of the census