Ron Bachman feels like he's the average American and lives in the average American city.
"Hurst is all-American," he said. "It's not as snooty as some of the communities out there, and not as rundown as others. I'm a middle-of-the-road kind of guy, and it's always fit me."It fits because, statistically, it's hard to get more middle-of-the-road American than Hurst. The Northeast Tarrant County city reflects the nation in a number of ways.It's average household size is 2.6 people, the same as the nation's.The ratio of men to women is identical to America's: 49.3 percent to 50.7 percent, respectively.In other stats, Hurst is virtually identical to the U.S. as a whole.The city's per capita income, for instance, is $27,020 -- $21 off the national mark of $27,041. Of Hurst residents 16 and older, 67 percent are in the labor force; for the nation as a whole, 65 percent. Homeowners with a mortgage pay a median of $1,484 a month; nationwide, it's $1,486.At an estimated 27.4 percent, Hurst is 0.1 percentage point below the nation in adults with college degrees.Anne Agee earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Arlington and used it at Texas Instruments and Bell Helicopter before she and her husband, Don, had three children and she became a homemaker. "What makes Hurst all-American is that you know your neighbors, you run into your children's teachers at the grocery store," she said. "The people are friendly, like living in a small town."Robin Wilmer came from a small town -- Grimsby, in County Lincolnshire, United Kingdom -- but said Hurst has a lot more to offer."I used to have to go quite a bit out of the way to get to anything," he said.Wilmer said he and his family are living the American dream in a nice house he can afford. That's something else the city has in common with the nation. About 69 percent of Hurst homes are owner-occupied, compared with about 67 percent across the U.S.Terry Evans,817-390-7620Hurst snapshot
Population: 37,337 (up 2.9 percent)
White: 30,191 (down 3.2 percent)
Black: 2,105 (up 40 percent)
American Indian, Alaska Native: 245 (up 6 percent)
Asian: 865 (up 30 percent)
Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander: 130 (up 22.6 percent)
Hispanics of all races: 7,510 (up 88 percent)
Median age: 38.2
Median household income 2009: $52,993
Houses built 2005 or later: 1.2 percent
Houses built 1960-1979: 49 percent
No mortgage: 34.5 percent (up 1.2 percent)
Owner-occupied housing: 69.3 percent (up 3.2 percent)
Sources: 2010 Census; The 2009 American Community Survey
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