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In 2020-2021, Merkel ISD had 1,094 students enrolled.
Merkel ISD consists of three campuses.

Merkel Elementary: Headstart - 5th grade
Merkel Middle School: 6th - 8th grade
Merkel High School: 9th - 12th grade

Race & Ethnicity
768 - White
285 - Hispanic
26 - Two or more races
8 - African American
7 - American Indian

Enrollment by program
2.3% - Bilingual/ESL
5.2% -  Gifted & Talented
18% - Special Education

"37% of students were considered at risk of dropping out of school. 2.3% of students were enrolled in bilingual and English language learning programs." (The Texas Tribune, n.d.).

94.2% of students received their high school diplomas in 2019-2020 (The Texas Tribune, n.d.).

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Although Merkel does not have any universities, its neighbor, Abilene, has a few.

Abilene has four college campuses.
Abilene Christian University
Hardin Simmons University
McMurry University
Cisco College

Abilene Christian University is the largest campus in Abilene, holding 5,292 students.

63.6% White
18.7% Hispanic
8.6% Black or African American
(College Factual, n.d.).

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ResourceCare Community Health Center - This health clinic in Merkel offers health services such as medical, dental, counseling, and behavioral health.

Merkel Drug Co. - This business in Merkel helps many of our residents as it serves our local and rural communities with medication and health products.

Merkel Community Police - The men and women in this department serve our community.

Taylor Electric Cooperative - Taylor Electric serves Merkel and Abilene, TX, bringing electricity to us all.

Dunagin Transport - This business in Merkel specializes in oil, gas, and waste services throughout West Texas.

Skeet's TX Grill - This restaurant in Merkel brings many customers from around the Big Country and gives Merkel a lot of business and a great place to eat.

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Merkel HOA (Helping One Another) - is a non-profit organization to foster our community and promotes community partnerships.

Merkel Chamber of Commerce - is a non-profit organization that promotes business growth and retention in our community. This organization helps enhance the town of Merkel.

Butman Methodist Camp And Retreat Center - is a non-profit organization centered in Christ. This organization hosts Christian events such as youth programs and church retreats.

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Pictured above are me and my siblings in 2017 when we all graduated from campuses. Merkel Mail, which has since been closed, used to offer news to our community.

Almost all residents of Merkel watch KTXS for news updates as we are apart of the Big Country.

Merkel Community Page via FaceBook- Merkel has a community page where residents can post about events in and around town.

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Merkel, TX is apart of Abilene Metropolitan Statistical Area

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Population of 2,629

"The average household income in Merkel is $58,107 with a poverty rate of 18.01%."

Poverty
18.01% Overall Poverty Rate

16.06% Male Poverty Rate

19.64% Female Poverty Rate

Merkel Households
47.1% Married
37.2% Non-family
11.8% Female
4.0% Male

Education
Graduate degree - 3.65%
Bachelors degree - 8.42%
Associates degree 7.58%
Some college - 30.64%
High School graduate - 36.03%
9th-12th grade - 9.09%
Less than 9th grade - 4.60%

Earnings
$31,304 Average Earnings
$45,958 Average Male
$21,917 Average Female

Employment
57.3% Labor Force Participation

56% Employment Rate

2.4% Unemployment Rate

(World Population Review, n.d.).

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College Factual. (n.d.).  Abilene Christian Demographics & Diversity Report. https://www.collegefactual.com/colleges/abilene-christian-university/student-life/diversity/

The Texas Tribune. (n.d.).  Merkel ISD. https://schools.texastribune.org/districts/merkel-isd/#:~:text=Merkel%20ISD%20is%20a%20school,year%2C%20it%20had%201%2C094%20students.

World Population Review. (n.d.). Merkel, Texas Population 2022. https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/merkel-tx-population