Albany, California

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The city of Albany highlighted within Alameda County

Albany is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. The population was 16,444 at the 2000 census.

1 History
2 Achievements
3 Geography
4 Demographics
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] History

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In 1908, a group of local women protested the dumping of Berkeley garbage in their community. Armed with two shotguns and a twenty-two-caliber rifle, they confronted the drivers of the wagons near what is now the corner of San Pablo Avenue and Buchanan Street. The ladies told the drivers of the horse-drawn garbage wagons to go home, which they did quickly and without complaint. Shortly thereafter, the residents of the town voted to incorporate as the City of Ocean View. In 1909, voters changed the name of the city, primarily to distinguish the city from the adjacent section of Berkeley which had previously been named Ocean View. On a vote of 38 to 6 the city was renamed in honor of Albany, New York, the birthplace of the city's first mayor, Frank Roberts.

A bayside view of the Golden Gate Bridge from Albany.

[edit] Achievements

Albany High School is known as one of the best public schools of the San Francisco Bay Area for its academic excellence. Each year, 95 percent of its graduates attend college across the nation.

Due to Albany's excellent school district and recent economic turmoil, real estate prices have been rising steeply in recent years. The 2005 median price of a house was around $700,000 and rising^{[citation needed]}.

[edit] Geography

Albany is located at 37°53′30″N, 122°17′45″W (37.891575, −122.295923)^GR1. It is directly north of Berkeley, California and a part of Alameda County.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.2 km² (5.5 mi²). 4.4 km² (1.7 mi²) of it is land and 9.7 km² (3.8 mi²) of it (68.74%) is water.

The principal shopping street in Albany is Solano Avenue, which cuts across the city from west to east. Another important street is San Pablo Avenue, which travels from north to south.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census of 2000^GR2, there were 16,444 people, 7,011 households, and 4,269 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,734.7/km² (9,665.4/mi²). There were 7,248 housing units at an average density of 1,646.2/km² (4,260.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 61.29 % White, 4.10 % Black or African American, 0.39 % Native American, 25.09 % Asian, 0.13 % Pacific Islander, 3.17 % from other races, and 5.83 % from two or more races. 7.98 % of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 7,011 households out of which 33.1 % have children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.0 % were married couples living together, 12.6 % had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.1 % were non-families. 29.2 % of all households were made up of individuals and 8.7 % had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the city the population was spread out with 22.9 % under the age of 18, 7.1 % from 18 to 24, 34.9 % from 25 to 44, 24.1 % from 45 to 64, and 11.1 % who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 87.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $54,919, and the median income for a family was $64,269. Males had a median income of $50,248 versus $44,877 for females. The per capita income for the city was $28,494. 7.9 % of the population and 6.4 % of families were below the poverty line. 8.0 % of those under the age of 18 and 8.2 % of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.