Mansfield, Texas is a suburb of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. This suburban city is mostly in Tarrant County, but also has small amounts of the city in Ellis, Johnson and Dallas counties. The city of Mansfield is quite small and only occupies 36.5 square miles; but don't let the size fool you. This community is very active and hosts many festivals in the downtown historic area of the city.
In the 1840's, the first European settlers arrived in Mansfield and were primarily Scotch-Irish. Native Americans had already been living here for thousands of years when they arrived. In 1849, the United States Army established Fort Worth to protect the settlers from the Comanche. Mansfield is named after the Man and Field mill that was established in 1856 to produce flour and meal by using steam power. The city grew rapidly around this area and was quite a diverse community of all descents as it is today.
The United States Census Bureau reports that Mansfield is growing in population by 10.4% every four years. Children under the age of 5 years are 7.2% of the population and 31.9% of the population are children under the age of 18 years old. Senior citizens of 65 years of age and older represent 6.5% of the total population. Caucasians mainly inhabit the area at 73.5%, followed by 15.4% of Hispanics or Latinos and 14.2% of African Americans. Persons identifying at two or more races are 2.8% of the residents and 3.7% identify as Asian, while 0.6% are American Indian and Alaska Natives and 0.1% are Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders. All races are represented in some portion in this community.
The income per capita in Mansfield is $34,795, which is higher than the state of Texas at $25,809 and 24% higher than the national average of $28,051. The median household income is recorded at $92,208 with a love unemployment rate of 4.3% in comparison to the state unemployment rate and the national unemployment rate of 5.0% and 6.0% respectively. This indicates that the residents in Mansfield earn a greater than average living.
Even though Mansfield is growing in population every year, the residents are still have a small town feel and love to go to city events together. It is a tight-knit community that feels like home to all that live there. Residents that work in nearby Fort Worth can expect a commute of 29.3 minutes in each direction to get to work and return home.
Mansfield is a highly educated city to live in. The average test scores are 92%, compared to 87% in Texas and 68% as a national average test score. There are 14 public schools and three private schools in the city limits for quick access to education for children. An astounding 90.2% of the citizens graduate from high school, compared to 76.2% in Texas and 81.8% in the nation. Residents that complete some college are at 73.1%, while 47.6% earn an associate degree, and 39.9% earn a bachelors degree. Continuing education is prevalent in Mansfield with 12.5% of the residents holding a masters degree, 2.3% with a professional degree and 1.0% with a doctorate. The citizens in this community believe in higher education to support higher wages in the city.
According to the city of Mansfield, Historic Downtown Mansfield remains the heartbeat of the city as one of the states oldest continuing downtown areas. The area is filled with restaurants and quaint little shops, while Farr Best Theater hosts live music events. The downtown area draws visitors and residents alike to enjoy all of the festivals and special events with a small town feel.
The employment status in Mansfield records that 72.9% of all the residents are in the work force. Of that percentage, 75.2% of males and 54.9% of females work full time at 35 or more hours per week. The largest income bracket for both males and females is $40K to $65K per year, where 24.5% of the men make this amount and 26.3% of females obtain this rate of pay. The majority of working men at 18.6% are in the wholesale and retail services industry. The majority of working females at 38% work in the education, health and social services industries.
If you like outdoor activities, then Mansfield weather will be to your liking with sunny days and mild temperatures all year long. The lowest average temperatures occur in December and January at 48 degrees. The highest average temperature of 85 degrees is in August. There is some precipitation all year with the largest monthly averages of 4.9 inches and 3.5 inches occurring in March and October respectively. This area is great for landscaping with natural plantings and doesn't require a lot of additional water for growth over the monthly rainfall.
Mansfield has more than 500 acres of parks and more than 50 acres of athletic fields to enjoy all year round in the balmy weather. The Mansfield Activities Center offers a gym and rooms for special programs and events. Sports for children are abundant in Mansfield. They have a Youth Baseball Association, a Soccer Association, Pee Wee Football Association and a Girls Softball Association. Other youth programs include golf, flag football, track and field and tennis. The belief of the community is that athletics help the young members to thrive though great education and keep in shape with athletics.
Mansfield is best known for the family friendly atmosphere and the special events and festivals that welcome visitors to the city. Some of these annual events include Boo Bash as a carnival in October to celebrate Halloween, The Fire Safety Palooza in October to celebrate National Fire Prevention Week, and Hometown Holidays in December with a tree lighting, entertainment, fireworks, family attractions and visits from Santa. Hot Beats and Cold Brews Concert Series are held in October with music of all types in the historical downtown area. These are just a few of the 18 annual events held in Mansfield for family fun.
In 2014, CNN/Money Magazine ranked Mansfield at the 17th "Best Places to Live." Mansfield is family oriented and focuses on the youth in the community to further education and remain active throughout the year. If you are looking for a great location to raise children, this may well be the area for your new home.
