Horatio, Arkansas

Horatio is a city in Sevier County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 1,044 at the 2010 census.

Horatio, Arkansas
City
Location of Horatio in Sevier County, Arkansas.
Coordinates: 33°56′21″N 94°21′13″W
Country	United States
State	Arkansas
County	Sevier
Area [1]
• Total	1.80 sq mi (4.66 km^2)
• Land	1.78 sq mi (4.62 km^2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.04 km^2)
Elevation	404 ft (123 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	1,044
• Estimate  (2019)[2]	1,030
• Density	577.35/sq mi (222.87/km^2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	71842
Area code(s)	870
FIPS code	05-33310
GNIS feature ID	0077224

History

Horatio was founded in 1895. For several years until at least 1905, Horatio was a sundown town, where African Americans were not allowed to live.[3]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²), all land.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1900	625		—
1910	605		−3.2%
1920	1,038		71.6%
1930	1,028		−1.0%
1940	809		−21.3%
1950	776		−4.1%
1960	722		−7.0%
1970	852		18.0%
1980	989		16.1%
1990	793		−19.8%
2000	997		25.7%
2010	1,044		4.7%
Est. 2019	1,030	[2]	−1.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[4]

As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 997 people, 377 households, and 265 families residing in the city. The population density was 546.0 people per square mile (210.4/km²). There were 423 housing units at an average density of 231.6/sq mi (89.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 84.95% White, 2.71% Black or African American, 1.81% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 8.53% from other races, and 1.81% from two or more races. 14.94% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 377 households, out of which 38.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were non-families. 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.22.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 31.2% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,419, and the median income for a family was $31,000. Males had a median income of $26,339 versus $15,547 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,738. About 12.6% of families and 13.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.6% of those under age 18 and 22.1% of those age 65 or over.

Public education is provided to elementary and secondary students by the Horatio School District leading to graduation at Horatio High School (grades 7–12) after matriculating Horatio Elementary School (grades prekindergarten through sixth). As of 2019 this is all under superintendent Dr. Lee Smith.

Notable people

• Darrell Brown - became the first black football player for the University of Arkansas in 1965. Brown grew up in Horatio and became a prominent lawyer after college.
• Billy Hughes, a country music singer in the 1940s, died in Horatio in 1995. One of his more famous songs was "Cocaine Blues"; a similar version of the song was performed by Johnny Cash.
• DeAnn Vaught - Horatio farmer and Republican member since 2015 of the Arkansas House of Representatives for Sevier and Little River counties[6]
• Bobby Joe Brown - blues legend grew up in Horatio.

References

1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
2. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
3. "Mexican Laborers Warned to Leave". Arkansas Gazette. Little Rock, Arkansas. April 12, 1905. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com. For several years no negroes have been allowed to live at Horatio or vicinity.
4. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
5. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
6. "DeAnn Vaught". arkansashouse.org. Archived from the original on March 29, 2015. Retrieved April 1, 2015.