Spokane County, Washington
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Spokane County, Washington | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Washington |
|
 Washington's location in the USA |
|
| Statistics | |
| Founded | January 29, 1858 and October 30, 1879 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Spokane |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
4,612 km² (1,781 mi²) 4,568 km² (1,764 mi²) 44 km² (17 mi²), 0.96% |
| Population - (2006) - Density |
446,714 92/km² |
| Website: www.spokanecounty.org | |
Spokane County is a county located in the state of Washington. It is named after the Spokane Indian tribe. As of the 2000 census, the population was 446,714, making it the fourth most populous county in Washington state. The county seat is at Spokane, the county's largest city.
Spokane County was formed on January 29, 1858. It was annexed by Stevens County on January 19, 1864, and re-created on October 30, 1879.[1][2]
Contents |
[edit] Law and Government
Spokane County is governed by a partisan Board of County Commissioners, one from each of three districts. They run in a partisan primary election within their own district, then compete countywide in the general election. Other elected officials include the Sheriff, Auditor (who is also responsible for elections), Assessor, Treasurer, and Prosecutor, which are also partisan offices. Spokane County has an appointed Medical Examiner.
[edit] Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 4,612 km² (1,781 mi²). 4,568 km² (1,764 mi²) of it is land and 44 km² (17 mi²) of it (0.96%) is water. It is part of the Palouse, a wide and rolling prairie-like region of the middle Columbia basin. The highest point in the county is Mount Spokane at 1,793 meters (5,883 feet) above sea level.
[edit] Major highways
- Interstate 90
- United States Highway 2
- United States Highway 195
- United States Highway 395
- State Highway 27
- State Highway 904 (Michael Anderson Memorial Highway)
- State Highway 902
- State Highway 291
- State Highway 290
- State Highway 206
[edit] Adjacent counties
- Pend Oreille County, Washington - north
- Bonner County, Idaho - northeast
- Kootenai County, Idaho - east
- Benewah County, Idaho - southeast
- Whitman County, Washington - south
- Lincoln County, Washington - west
- Stevens County, Washington - northwest
[edit] Demographics
As of the census² of 2000, there were 417,939 people, 163,611 households, and 106,019 families residing in the county. The population density was 92/km² (237/mi²). There were 175,005 housing units at an average density of 38/km² (99/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 88.62% White, 2.00% Black or African American, 1.40% Native American, 1.88% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 0.82% from other races, and 2.76% from two or more races. 2.77% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 163,611 households out of which 32.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.90% were married couples living together, 11.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.20% were non-families. 28.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the county, the population was spread out with 25.70% under the age of 18, 10.60% from 18 to 24, 28.90% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 12.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 96.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $37,308, and the median income for a family was $46,463. Males had a median income of $35,097 versus $25,526 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,233. About 8.30% of families and 12.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.20% of those under age 18 and 8.10% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Census-recognized communities
- Airway Heights
- Cheney
- Country Homes
- Deer Park
- Dishman
- Fairchild AFB
- Fairfield
- Fairwood
- Green Acres
- Latah
- Liberty Lake
- Medical Lake
- Millwood
- Opportunity
- Otis Orchards-East Farms
- Rockford
- Spangle
- Spokane
- Spokane Valley
- Town and Country
- Trentwood
- Veradale
- Waverly
[edit] Other communities
- Amber
- Chattaroy
- Colbert
- Elk
- Espanola
- Four Lakes
- Green Bluff
- Marshall
- Mead
- Mica
- Milan
- Newman Lake
- Nine Mile Falls
- Plaza
- Tyler
- Valleyford
