Renton, Washington
Encyclopedia : R : RE : REN : Renton, Washington
Renton is a city in King County, Washington, USA, immediately southeast of Seattle. The population was 50,052 at the 2000 census. Renton's GMA Area including the city proper and the Potential Annexation Areas, PAAs, of Fairwood, Skyway, West Hill, and East Renton had a population of over 110,000 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.
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 the first North American store of IKEA.
Geography
Renton is located at (47.486622, -122.195163)[Geographic references#1GR1], 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 (1.62%) is water, most of which is the Cedar River. Potential Annexation Areas, PAAs, are not part of this city and should not be included in calculations.
Demographics
As of the census[Geographic references#2GR2] 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. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.63% of the population.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. About 7.0% of families and 9.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.5% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.
External links
- [Renton city government webpage]
- [Renton community marketing webpage]
- [Renton Reporter, a weekly newspaper delivered free to city residents]
- [Renton School District webpage]
- [Renton Technical College webpage]
- [Renton Community Foundation webpage]
- [Renton Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau webpage]
- [Rotary Club of Renton webpage]
- [RPAN, Renton Political Action Network - a private commentary only]
- [Fairwood incorporation information page]
- [Fairwood incorporation information page]
- [Renton's official Myspace profile]
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