Bell County, Texas is part of the Killeen/Temple/Fort Hood metro area. Named for Peter Hansborough Bell, the third governor of Texas, it was founded in 1850, just five years after Texas entered the Union. Its county seat, on the banks of Nolan Creek, is Belton. Cities in Bell County include Killeen, Temple, Harker Heights, Belton, Salado, Morgan’s Point Resort, Nolanville, Little River-Academy, Troy and Rogers.
The largest town in Bell County, Belton prospered until the Civil War, when residents gave their support to the Confederacy. After the war, Belton experienced tough times but had recovered by the 1880s and began to enjoy a brisk economy once again. During this time, the acquisition of a railroad was important for a community; the Missouri, Kansas, and Texas Railroad, known as the Katy, went through Belton, while the Gulf, Colorado, and Santa Fe Railroad, known as the Santa Fe went through just north of Belton, in Temple.
Bell County’s population is currently 310,235. The population is divided between the 82 percent of residents who are considered urban and 18 percent who are rural. With a land area of 1060 square miles and 270 residents per square mile, Bell County is considered a high population-density area.
It is also a diverse area; 53 percent of Bell County residents are white, 20 percent are black, almost 20 percent are Hispanic or Latino and almost three percent are Asian. Almost half the homes are owner-occupied, with the estimated median house or condominium value to be $117,800, lower than the Texas average. In fact, the cost of living in Bell County as a whole is lower than the US average.
The median age for residents in Bell County is 29 years; the median household income is approximately $45,966, slightly lower than Texas as a whole. Most residents here are employed in educational, health and social services, followed by retail and manufacturing.
The first woman governor in the United States was Miriam Amanda Wallace Ferguson, who hailed from Bell County. Born near Little River, she followed her husband into office (James Edward Ferguson served from 1915 to 1917) and served from 1925 to 1927, and again from 1933 to 1935.
Other notable residents have included Alvin Ailey, the founder of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, who is a native of Rogers.
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