town, large western culture with farming and livestock, known as the Storybook

Capital of America.

o Population size: 125,182

o Average age 33.7, 0-25: 36%, 25-44: 28.1%, 45-64: 20.7%, 65+: 15.1%

o Based on the 2022 census the race demographics are White- %68, black or African

American 10.4%, Asian 2.3%, Hispanic or Latino 27.6%

o Median household income $59,254, poverty rate was 15.9%

o In January 2024 the employment rate was 79.9%, and unemployment at the end of

2023 was at 3.4%

o Education rate-: high school or higher 87.6%, bachelors or higher 26.4%.

o Single parent households in 2022 was at 33.3%

Bonham Elementary, Bowie Elementary, Dyess Elementary, Long Elementary,

Martinez Elementary, Ortiz Elementary, Purcell Elementary, Stafford Elementary,

Taylor Elementary, Thomas Elementary, Ward Elementary, TLCA- charter school,

Cornerstone Christian school- private school

o Middle schools: Clack, Mann, Craig and Madison middle school

o High schools: Cooper and Abilene High school, ATEMS,- college prep, technology

centered high school, Premier High school- accelerated learning

o Higher education: Cisco Community college, TSTC technical school, Texas Tech

school of nursing, Abilene Christian University, Hardin Simmons University, McMurry

university

o Abilene ISD covers over 106 square miles within the county with about 14,700

students enrolled in the latest school year and over 2,400 employees. Ethnic

composition of the district is American Indian: 0.3%, Asian: 1.4%, Black: 13.7%,

Hispanic: 47.0%, Pacific Islander: 0.20%, White: 32.9%, Two or more races: 4.6%

for commercial and retail customers, sponsors community events such as Boo at the

Zoo the city’s largest Halloween event, gives back through community service

o First Financial Bank: finances many projects and new businesses in the community,

sponsors community events and sports games, invested in First Financial pavilion

which the city uses for fairs, rodeos, and Western Heritage Day, sponsors a luncheon

for the Hispanic Business Council, hosts a Day of Service to give back to the

community

o Hendrick Health: owns and operates both hospitals in town along with multiple

urgent cares, locations extend to Brownwood TX, employs approximately 5,400

people, and has been in service for 100 years.

o Grain Theory: local brewery/ restaurant and coffee shop in downtown Abilene,

provides a family friendly environment, hosts block parties, corporate events,

creative new options to bring in business to downtown

o Historic Paramount Theatre: preserves Abilene history and promotes community

involvement through the theatre by hosting concerts, movies, musicals, fashion

shows, commencements

o United Supermarkets: with five locations in Abilene they provide convenient

grocery options throughout town, corporate sponsor of ACU, donated to Abilene

Salvation Army through Apples & Pears on a Mission Initiative

o HSU, ACU, McMurry University: brings in tourism with college students families,

and alumni with games, homecoming, and sing shows. ACU sing-song brought in

$440,000 in revenue to Abilene

o Dyess Air Force Base: economic impact of $448 million, significantly increases

tourism and population

o Abilene Convention Center: influences tourism and commerce by hosting concerts,

shows, comedians, graduations and shopping events

assistance, ultrasounds, professional counseling, and education

o Noah Project: offers a safe place for domestic violence and sexual assault victims by

providing shelter, food; clothing, legal services, transportation, safety planning, job assistance

crisis counseling, employment assistance, and referrals

o Love and Care Ministries: provides a food pantry, clothing, and meals to the

homeless community in Abilene

o Beyond Trafficking: works to fight Human Trafficking and provide a safe place for

survivors

o Ben Richey Boys Ranch: private non-profit basic child care facility in Abilene and

surrounding areas

o Significant national non-profits to Abilene- Junior Achievement of Abilene: works

with local schools to teach financial literacy, soft skills and professionalism

o United Way: fundraises for the local non-profits to provide additional funding

organizations cannot make on their own.

o Big Country Homepage

o KCBY radio 99.7 broadcasts to the Abilene area

o KACU, only public radio in Abilene affiliate of NPR, owned and operated by ACU

o Abilene Reporter News: local newspaper and online publication

Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau. (n.d.). Discover abilene: A city of growth and

tradition. Abilene, TX. https://www.abilenevisitors.com/about/abilene-demographics/

Ragas, L. (2017, February 19). Acu’s sing song competition brings... KTXS.

https://ktxs.com/archive/acus-sing-song-competition-brings-in-visitors-to-abilene

Economic Research . (2024, March 13). Unemployment rate in Abilene, TX (MSA). FRED.

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/ABIL148UR

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024, March 22). Abilene, TX economy at a glance. U.S.

Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.tx_abilene_msa.htm

Economic Research . (2023, December 7). Single-parent households with children as a

percentage of households with children (5-year estimate) in Taylor County, TX. FRED.

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/S1101SPHOUSE048441

Abilene Independent School District. (n.d.). District information. Abilene Independent School

District. https://www.abileneisd.org/our-district/district-information/

Hendrick Health. (2023, December 1). Hendrick health celebrates grand opening of Hendrick

Service Center. https://www.hendrickhealth.org/news/2023/december/hendrick-health-

celebrates-grand-opening-of-

hend/#:~:text=Approximately%20440%20of%20Hendrick’s%205%2C400,than%20600%

20employees%20in%20total.

Abilene Chamber of Commerce. (n.d.). 5.21.2024 HBC luncheon sponsored by First Financial

Bank. May 21, 2024 - Job Board / Abilene Regional Growth Alliance.

https://business.growabilene.com/events/details/5-21-2024-hbc-luncheon-sponsored-by-

first-financial-bank-5191

The Historic Paramount Theatre. (n.d.). About. The Historic Paramount Theatre.

https://www.paramountabilene.com/about-1

The United Family. (2024, March 5). For immediate release: United Supermarkets & Market

Street donate 1,000 pairs of socks to Salvation Army of Abilene through apples & pears on

a mission initiative. The United Family. https://www.theunitedfamily.com/for-immediate-

release-united-supermarkets-market-street-donate-1000-pairs-of-socks-to-salvation-army-

of-abilene-through-apples-pears-on-a-mission-initiative/

Pregnancy Resources of Abilene. (n.d.). Home: Pra / Inspiring Hope Empowering Lives.

Pregnancy Resources. https://www.prabilene.com/

Noah Project of Abilene. (n.d.). About Noah Project. Noah Project of Abilene | Advocating for

Victims and Working to End Family Violence. https://noahproject.org/about.html

Ben Richey Boys Ranch. (2023, August 22). Abilene Campus. Ben Richey Boys Ranch.

https://benrichey.org/abilene-campus/

Another area of service that would be mutually beneficial is a transition assistance program in Dyess AFB that offers a variety of career fields. Abilene has a great relationship with Dyess though through a transition assistance program, businesses can secure skilled and diverse veterans to directly hire. Currently there are career partnerships with Southwest, American Airlines and Boeing for airmen separating. A wider range of businesses and local businesses could partner with the Airman & Family Readiness center and provide training opportunities so airmen are ready once they separate because the Air Force has a wide range of careers they are coming from not just aviation. After airmen have served, much of them wish to seek a different career path than their military profession though that requires, school, training or certifications. If businesses leaders are able to provide this training at as an accelerated program it could benefit the airmen and businesses. This program would help in filling the need for jobless vets in the community and provide a connection between a civilian and military careers.

A service that Abilene does not have is elderly assistance for everyday tasks such as ​​mowing their lawn, taking in their groceries, and household chores when needed. Beltway Park Church currently has a ministry called Boots on the Ground that does as assist the elderly community though has a focus on construction and larger projects. Having this program would help senior citizens who may not have family or friends around when they have need assistance. While elderly assistance would be of assistance physically it would be financially as well, many senior citizens are not able to hire out a company to paint their house or mow their lawn.

Another issue we are face with is the cost of living, Abilene has been a more affordable place to live especially compared to Midland/Odessa and DFW on either side of it though as of recently the cost of living is going up to becoming less affordable. With inflation and the economic issues, it is safe to assume that Abilene would catch up to the rising prices. The Abilene Reporter News shared an article stating that in March of 2024 the median home price in Taylor County was up 2.8% as well as the median home price for the state of Texas. With inflation at the highest rate that it’s been in 40 years this has led families to put less in savings and have less and less discretionary funds for spending. With less saving abilities more customers go into overdraft which come with fees, creates hardship for the customer and can cause the bank to take a loss in instances. Rising costs can offset the trends within a bank with less disposable income there can be lower demand for new loans because there is less demand for a new car or house. Interest rates have also rose in the last recent year which can discourage borrowing. With rising prices some customers might begin to ship around to find a banking service that has smaller fees or lower rates such as moving to credit unions.

An ongoing issue is the vacant and abandon buildings in town, make the area they are in look dull and uninviting which detracts visitors. If an exciting new business did move into or reconstruct the building, then it would attract more residents and travelers. A more pressing issue affecting the community with the vacant buildings is because they are sitting there not being used so anyone go in and do as they please. In a recent article from KTAB they reported on one building being in such bad shape since the original business operating in it 30 years ago, now police are continually being called to it for illegal activity. Some vacant buildings have much potential and historical significance so would enrich the community if they were brought back to life. Another article from KTAB recently reported that there was works of repurposing a historic building, the old Borden Milk building. The old building is now set to become age restricted senior apartments which is a good motion that should be followed the others in town. The vacant buildings are also an opportunity awaiting for First Financial Bank as they finance many commercial projects throughout the area. With funding from First Financial the empty abandon lots and spaces could be put to good use as a number of options for the city.

There should be new and improved partnerships with the Abilene police department and non-profits such as beyond trafficking, and Noah project. APD deals with the legality side of the trafficking and the DV situation and the organization assist with providing a safe space, necessities and getting victims back on their feet. The APD of course cannot put all their time and energy into only servicing these organizations one or two members of APD could be assigned to being in communication with Beyond Trafficking or Noah Project. When a victim comes to them they can point them in the direction of additional help because there is much help a victim needs even if the perpetrator is arrested. The organization leaders would also have contact with legal support when a victim goes to them for help. A cohesive partnership would allow them to work together to better help victims and ensure there is more focus on getting justice for the victims and reducing the offenders.

A Nonprofit network is a needed partnership between all the non-profits in the area to eliminate overlap from all the organization- the partnership would work sort of like the Chamber of Commerce does where the non-profits register as a member. The network can keep up with the needs each organization is meeting what they offer so they can eliminate overlap and connect residents to resources and assistance they are currently needing. When there are so many players trying to meet the same need instead of all focusing on building up a primary one to meet the need it creates unnecessary competition and pulls resources away from actually meeting the intended need. This partnership would better serve Abilene by connecting the right people with their needs and allocating resources and funding more efficiently.