Sandia is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Jim Wells County, Texas, United States. The population was 326 at the 2020 census, down from 379 at the 2010 census.
History
Sandia was a part the Casa Blanca land grant, issued to Juan José de la Garza Montemayor by Spain on April 2, 1807. The Montemayor family occupied the land until 1852. In 1896, John L. Wade purchased it and established the Casa Blanca Ranch (Wade Ranch). Upon his death, the ranch was divided among his heirs, one of whom sold his share to Joseph B. Dibrell. Dibrell gave the task of dividing and selling the land to Fennell Dibrell and Max Starcke, who founded Sandia in 1907. At the time the streets were platted, there was only one building in the community. Dibrell and Starcke chose the name Sandia, Spanish for "watermelon", because of the large number of watermelons grown in the area. The lots in Sandia were all sold within eight months, during which time a lumberyard, a hardware store, two grocery stores, a meat market, a boardinghouse, and a barbershop opened. By 1914 Sandia had 150 inhabitants, a bank, two general stores, and a cotton gin. The population steadily increased, and in 1925 was estimated at 200, a figure which increased to 500 by 1927. In 1936 Sandia had three businesses, two churches, multiple farm units, and several dwellings and was a stop on the Texas and New Orleans Railroad. In 1940, it had a population of 300 and fifteen businesses. Sandia had a peak population of 310 during the 1960s and early 1970s. Residents numbered 215 in 1974 and in 1990.
Geography
Sandia is located in northeastern Jim Wells County at (28.019507, -97.878652). Texas State Highway 359 forms the northwest side of the community, leading northeast to Mathis and southwest to Alice, the Jim Wells county seat.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the Sandia CDP has a total area of , of which , or 0.04%, are water.<br> 1850–1900 1910<br> 1920 1930 1940<br>
1950 1960 1970<br> 1980 1990 2000<br> 2010 2020
Sandia first appeared as a census designated place in the 2000 U.S. census.
!Pop 2010
!
!% 2000
!% 2010
!
|-
|White alone (NH)
|143
|123
|style='background: #ffffe6; |56
|33.18%
|32.45%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |17.18%
|-
|Black or African American alone (NH)
|5
|0
|style='background: #ffffe6; |5
|1.16%
|0.00%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.53%
|-
|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)
|10
|5
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1
|2.32%
|1.32%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.31%
|-
|Asian alone (NH)
|4
|0
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1
|0.93%
|0.00%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.31%
|-
|Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)
|1
|0
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0
|0.23%
|0.00%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.00%
|-
|Other race alone (NH)
|0
|0
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0
|0.00%
|0.00%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.00%
|-
|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)
|4
|2
|style='background: #ffffe6; |10
|0.93%
|0.53%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.07%
|-
|Hispanic or Latino (any race)
|264
|249
|style='background: #ffffe6; |253
|61.25%
|65.70%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |77.61%
|-
|Total
|431
|379
|style='background: #ffffe6; |326
|100.00%
|100.00%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%
|}
2000 census
As of the census