Nolanville is a city in Bell County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,917 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Killeen–Temple–Fort Hood Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Nolanville reached its peak as a town between 1890 and 1900, when it went into a holding pattern. A weekly newspaper, the Item, was started by 1896. The first telephone service in Nolanville was started, using barbed wire for lines. Two lines were used, a south and a north, with Nolan Creek serving as the dividing line. Nolanville School, one of the larger rural schools in the county in the early 20th century, had 90 pupils in 1903. The first automobile appeared between 1900 and 1910. The automobile caused Nolanville businesses to decline because it made the trip to Belton or Killeen so much easier.
In 1921, a new two-story brick school was built, and in 1938, the original part of the present school plant was built. By the mid-1940s, the community had 150 to 200 residents, but began to decline after the end of World War II. After dropping to 50 inhabitants in the 1950s, the town began to revive in the 1960s and had 200 residents and six businesses when it incorporated on March 27, 1961. By the late 1960s Nolanville was caught up in the expansion of the Killeen-Fort Hood area, and, as a suburban community, its population rose to 740 in 1968. Nolanville was featured in a 1970s 60 Minutes episode, which exposed creative law enforcement practices.
Nolanville Common School District #50 ceased to exist in the spring of 1972, when it was annexed to the Killeen Independent School District by the Bell County Board of School Trustees. This action was requested by the Nolanville Board of School Trustees. The Nolanville Common School District was one of only three remaining common school districts in Bell County at that time. It was also uncommon for a school to consolidate because its enrollment and academic needs were greater than its capacity rather than because enrollment had dropped.
By 1974, Nolanville's population was 1,050. It had grown to 1,834 in 1990 and 2,150 in 2000, then jumped to 4,259 as of the 2010 census.
The city became home rule in the 2011 election. The city motto is "A Great Place to Live." Demographics suggest a high number of youth live in the city. Nolanville is a common starting point for endurance bicycling and running. Special events include the Annual Fox Trot 5K and Train Whistle Jamboree.
Geography
Nolanville is located in west-central Bell County and is bordered by the city of Harker Heights on the south and west. Interstate 14/U.S. Highway 190, a four-lane freeway, passes through Nolanville, leading east to Interstate 35 in Belton and west to the entrance to Fort Hood at the western edge of Killeen.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city of Nolanville has a total area of , of which , or 0.51%, is covered by water.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Nolanville is in the Cfa climate group (humid subtropical climate) on climate maps.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Nolanville had a population of 5,917 people in 2,053 households, including 1,417 families, and the median age was 33.4 years. 28.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 9.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.2 males age 18 and over.
94.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 5.3% lived in rural areas.
There were 2,053 households in Nolanville, of which 43.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 54.2% were married-couple households, 16.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 22.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 17.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| White || 3,189 || 53.9%
|-
| Black or African American || 1,048 || 17.7%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 73 || 1.2%
|-
| Asian || 117 || 2.0%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 57 || 1.0%
|-
| Some other race || 561 || 9.5%
|-
| Two or more races || 872 || 14.7%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 1,493 || 25.2%
|}
2000 census
As of the census