Groves is a city in Jefferson County, Texas, United States. The population was 17,335 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
In 1886, Sam Courville moved his family from a Sabine Lake settlement in Port Arthur to a new home on of land. In that general area around 1911, John Warne Gates purchased additional tracts of land. The land was conveyed to the Griffing brothers of Port Arthur in 1916, and three years later Griffing Brothers Nursery employee Wiley Choate supervised the planting of several thousand pecan trees on a tract.
A post office was established in 1927, a school opened in 1929, and a public library opened in 1930. The community rapidly developed as a stop on the Kansas City Southern Railway. By the early 1950s, Groves had an estimated population of 1,300. In 1952, Groves voted to incorporate as a city. Three State Highways—73, 87, and 347—pass through or near the city. Sabine Lake, an estuary of the Gulf of Mexico, is to the southeast.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Groves has an area of , of which , or 0.28%, is water.
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2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Groves had a population of 17,335, a median age of 37.0 years, 25.4% of residents under the age of 18, and 15.8% of residents 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.6 males.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 6,521 households in Groves, of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 48.9% were married-couple households, 19.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| White || 11,126 || 64.2%
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| Black or African American || 1,098 || 6.3%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 95 || 0.5%
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| Asian || 597 || 3.4%
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| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 5 || 0.0%
|-
| Some other race || 2,015 || 11.6%
|-
| Two or more races || 2,399 || 13.8%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 5,149 || 29.7%
|}
2000 census
As of the census
The city has spent over $14 million on infrastructure since 2003. This includes a $6 million water treatment plant and $5 million borrowed from the TWDB to deal with inflow and infiltration issues in the waste water collection system. Substantial amounts have also been spent on the water distribution system and waste water treatment plant, and $2 million allocated to streets and drainage maintenance and improvements.
Education
Primary and secondary schools
The city is primarily served by the Port Neches-Groves Independent School District. A small area of Groves is served by the Port Arthur Independent School District.
Groves Middle, Van Buren, Taft Elementary, and Groves Elementary are in Groves.
Colleges and universities
The Lamar University system is in nearby Beaumont. Post-secondary educational opportunities are provided to Groves and surrounding areas by the main campus of Lamar University, Lamar Institute of Technology, Lamar State College at Port Arthur, and Lamar State College at Orange.
Public libraries
The Groves Public Library is at 5600 West Washington Boulevard.
In popular culture
A donut shop in Groves was a key location in the 2021 film Red Rocket.
Notable people
- Greg Davis, college football coach
- Janis Joplin, singer
- Mary Karr, writer
- Brittney Rodriguez, actress
Jerry LaCroix, singer with Edgar Winter's White Tras, Blood Sweat and Tears, Rare Earth
References
External links
- City of Groves official website
- Groves Chamber of Commerce and Tourist Bureau