Renton, Washington
From Free net encyclopedia
| Revision as of 16:48, 18 April 2006 131.107.0.73 (Talk | contribs) ← Previous diff |
Current revision 131.107.0.73 (Talk | contribs) |
Current revision
- For the town in Scotland, see Renton, Scotland.
Template:Infobox City Renton is a city located in King County, Washington, USA, immediately southeast of Seattle. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 50,052. Renton's GMA Area including the city proper and the PPAs of Fairwood and East Renton had a population of over 100,000 in 2000. Renton is a sister city of Nishiwaki, Japan and Cuautla, Jalisco, Mexico.
Based on per capita income, Renton ranks 100th of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked.
Contents |
History
Renton was incorporated as a city in 1901 (September 6) when coal mining and lumber harvesting were the most important economic activities in the area. The town's population boomed during World War II when Boeing built a factory in Renton to produce the B-29 Superfortress. The factory has continued to operate since then, and still produces 737 aircraft. In 2001, 40% of all commercial aircraft were assembled in Renton. Boeing remains the largest employer in Renton. Paccar has traditionally been a large employer in the city as well with its Kenworth Truck plant located in Rentons industrial area on the south end of Lake Washington. Game company Wizards of the Coast also is headquartered in Renton.
Jimi Hendrix was buried in the Greenwood cemetery in Renton in 1970.
A famous Supreme Court case concerned Renton. In its 1986 decision in the case City of Renton v. Playtime Theatres, Inc., the Court upheld Renton's statute that no adult theater be located within 1,000 feet of a school, park, church, or residential zone; the Court rejected the theater owners' argument that the statute violated the First Amendment.
Recently, owing to its location at the confluence of three major freeways (I-5, I-405, and SR-167), Renton has become home to a number of "big box" retailers that draw customers from around the Puget Sound region, including Fry's Electronics and IKEA.
Geography
Renton is located at 47°29'12" North, 122°11'43" West (47.486622, -122.195163)Template:GR, on the southern shore of Lake Washington.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 44.8 km² (17.3 mi²). 44.1 km² (17.0 mi²) of it is land and 0.7 km² (0.3 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.62% water, most of which is the Cedar River and Panther Lake.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 50,052 people, 21,708 households, and 12,243 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,134.8/km² (2,939.7/mi²). There were 22,676 housing units at an average density of 514.1/km² (1,331.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 68.14% White, 8.47% African American, 0.72% Native American, 13.37% Asian, 0.50% Pacific Islander, 4.24% from other races, and 4.57% from two or more races. 7.63% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 21,708 households out of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.6% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.8% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 36.9% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 98.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $45,820, and the median income for a family was $55,747. Males had a median income of $40,765 versus $31,543 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,346. 9.7% of the population and 7.0% of families were below the poverty line. 13.5% of those under the age of 18 and 8.4% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
External links
- Renton city government webpage
- Renton Reporter, a weekly newspaper delivered free to city residents
- RPAN, City of Renton Political Action Network
