Leakey ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Real County, Texas, United States. The population was 315 at the 2020 census. The city is named for John H. Leakey (1824–1900), a pioneer from Tennessee.
History
Archaeological excavations in the Frio Canyon region revealed Paleo-American, Archaic, and Neo-American occupations. Later, several Native American tribes, including Lipan Apache, Comanche, and Tonkawa inhabited or traversed the area.
Anglo-American settlement of the area began in 1856 when John Leakey, his wife Nancy, and a few others settled near a spring along the banks of the Frio River. Shingles and lumber were produced from the abundant cypress and cedar trees. In its first few years, the community was a lonely outpost that was subject to frequent Indian raids, which continued until 1882. Growth accelerated after the Civil War as new families arrived. In 1883, A.G. Vogel moved a post office from the community of Floral to Leakey. That same year, the Texas State Legislature created Edwards County and designated Leakey as the county seat less than a year later. 1883 was also the year that the area's first school was established on land donated by the Leakeys. A new school building was completed in 1890. In 1919, Real County Judge Ed Kelly established the Leakey Independent School District. Young told a witness, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry" and said that he had been on his cell phone at the time of the accident. Jody Kuchler, a welder from Leakey who saw the accident, said that the driver of the church vehicle moved over to try to avoid Young's incoming pickup but was blocked by the guard rail.
Geography
Leakey is situated at the intersection of U.S. Highway 83, RM 336, RM 337, and FM 1120 in southeastern Real County, approximately 35 miles north of Uvalde and 90 miles northwest of San Antonio.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.
The community is in proximity to the Garner State Park, located north of Uvalde.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. Leakey has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa on climate maps according to the Köppen climate classification system.
Demographics
thumb|right|Leakey Public Library
thumb|Main Street in Leakey (1972), Photograph by [[Marc St. Gil]]
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Leakey had a population of 315 and a median age of 48.5 years. 22.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 26.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 107.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 101.7 males.
There were 129 households in Leakey, of which 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 39.5% were married-couple households, 27.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| White || 242 || 76.8%
|-
| Black or African American || 6 || 1.9%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 4 || 1.3%
|-
| Asian || 3 || 1.0%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0 || 0.0%
|-
| Some other race || 16 || 5.1%
|-
| Two or more races || 44 || 14.0%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 96 || 30.5%
|}
2010 census
As of the 2010 census, 425 people, 174 households, and 115 families resided in the city. The population density was . The 237 housing units averaged 395/mi<sup>2</sup> (148.1/km<sup>2</sup>). The racial makeup of the city was 91.5% White, 0.5% African American, 2.1% Native American, 3.8% from other races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 26.4% of the population.
Of the 174 households, 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% were not families. About 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city, the population was distributed as 27.2% under the age of 20, 4.7% from 20 to 24, 23.6% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $23,125, and for a family was $24,531.
Economy
As of the 1970s, much of Leakey's income derived from deer hunters traveling there in the fall and from tourists in the summer.