Previously an area named High Prairie, Free Timber and Bunker's Store, Stockdale was named after Fletcher Stockdale, the lieutenant governor of Texas, when the town was established in 1863. In 1898 the San Antonio and Mexican Gulf Railroad reached Stockdale.[4] The town was incorporated in 1919, and Stockdale's annual Watermelon Jubilee began in 1937.[5]
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,413 people, 419 households, and 339 families residing in the city.
As of the census[2] of 2000, 1,398 people, 497 households, and 337 families resided in the city. The population density was 865.3 inhabitants per square mile (334.1/km2). The 556 housing units averaged 344.2/sq mi (132.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 74.54% White, 2.36% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 21.03% from other races, and 1.72% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 45.99% of the population.
Of the 497 households, 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.0% were not families. About 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.33.
In the city, the population was distributed as 26.5% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 19.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,337, and for a family was $39,667. Males had a median income of $29,583 versus $20,395 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,102. About 10.8% of families and 14.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.5% of those under age 18 and 20.9% of those age 65 or over.
^Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.[10][11]