Mabank

Mabank (/ˈ m eɪ b æ ŋ k / MAY -bank) is a town in Henderson, Van Zandt and Kaufman counties in the U.S. state of Texas. Its population was 3,035 at the 2010 census,[5] up from 2,151 at the 2000 census.

Mabank is located in the southeast corner of Kaufman County at 32°22′05″N 96°06′20″W  /  32.368011°N 96.105573°W  / 32.368011; -96.105573 (32.368011, –96.105573).[6] The town limits extend south into Henderson County. U.S. Route 175 runs through the north side of the town, leading northwest 21 miles (34 km) to Kaufman and southeast 18 miles (29 km) to Athens. Downtown Dallas is 54 miles (87 km) northwest of Mabank.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 7.2 square miles (18.7 km2), of which 0.04 square miles (0.1 km2), or 0.45%, is covered by water.[5]

Prior to the existence of Mabank in early 1900, the community of Lawndale was formed in the late 1880s. The community was noted for its agriculture in many areas, including cotton. With the Texas Trunk Railroad missing the community by a mile, though, ranchers Mason and Eubank decided to capitalize on the Texas Trunk and set aside one square mile of land and named it "Mabank".[7]

Mabank is a combination of the names Eubank and Mason, and is located one mile (1.6 km) southwest of the former community of Lawndale. Being only a mile away from Lawndale and located on the railroad, its citizens, churches, and businesses naturally decided to move there, thus attracting, over a brief period of about two years, much of what was Lawndale. This included the Lawndale Courier—the local newspaper that renamed itself the Mabank Courier.

The population, although small, remained relatively stable until the completion of Cedar Creek Reservoir in 1965.[8] The town has since shown increases in population. Many of the descendants from the Masons and Eubanks still have connections to the town.

As of the census[3] of 2010, 4,468 people, 1,069 households, and 658 families were residing in the town. The population density was 724.2 people/sq mi (279.6/km2). The 895 housing units averaged 301.3/sq mi (116.4/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 90.28% White, 5.11% African American, 0.74% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 2.65% from other races, and 1.12% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 5.76% of the population.

Of the 814 households, 34.9% had children under 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were not families. About 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58, and the average family size was 3.25.

In the town, the age distribution was 29.1% under 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 18.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $36,010, and for a family was $40,694. Males had a median income of $32,134 versus $19,125 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,154. About 7.1% of families and 9.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.9% of those under age 18 and 12.5% of those age 65 or over.

Mabank is served by the Mabank Independent School District. The schools are Central Elementary, Southside Elementary, Lakeview Elementary, Mabank Intermediate School, Mabank Jr. High and Mabank High School.

Mabank is located on the northern and eastern edge of Cedar Creek Reservoir, a popular destination for weekend visitors from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.