Harper Woods, Michigan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Harper Woods is a city in Wayne County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 14,254. It was incorporated in 1951 from Gratiot Township and renamed for its being in a heavily wooded area and from its then main thoroughfare, Harper Avenue. The avenue begins in Detroit, and was named for Walter Harper, founder of Harper Hospital (May, 1863) in Detroit.
In 2006, the Harper Woods City Council voted down a ballot initiative 5-0 that would have allowed a name change proposal to "Grosse Pointe Heights" to go before city voters.
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[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.7 km² (2.6 mi²), all land.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 14,254 people, 6,292 households, and 3,756 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,133.1/km² (5,521.1/mi²). There were 6,514 housing units at an average density of 974.8/km² (2,523.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 85.92% White, 10.24% African American, 0.34% Native American, 1.70% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.40% from other races, and 1.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.57% of the population.
There were 6,292 households out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.1% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.3% were non-families. 35.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.4% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 32.8% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 19.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 86.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $46,769, and the median income for a family was $55,065. Males had a median income of $46,747 versus $34,138 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,900. About 2.9% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.0% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Entertainment
Eastland Mall lies within Harper Woods, at the intersection of Beaconsfield Avenue and 8 Mile Road.
[edit] Race relations
As a largely white community bordering the predominantly black city of Detroit, race relations in Harper Woods have sometimes been tense. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Harper Woods police department was frequently accused of racial profiling against black motorists.
[edit] Schools
Harper Woods is served by the Harper Woods School District, which manages Beacon Elementary School, Tyrone Middle School, and Harper Woods Secondary School, all of which are public school institutions. Additional public schools (not administered by the school district) include Charles A. Poupard Elementary School and Heart Academy School.
Parochial schools include Lutheran East High School, Trinity Catholic High School (formerly Bishop Gallagher High School), Our Lady Queen of Peace Elementary School, and Regina High School (female-inclusive). All these schools have since closed and Regina is scheduled to move to Warren in the fall of 2007.
Recently, Notre Dame High School, which was a male-inclusive parochial school, was closed after 50 years. The Archdiocese of Detroit cited budget problems as a primary factor.
Sections of this city are part of the Grosse Pointe School district as well.
[edit] External links
| Cities, Townships, and Villages of Wayne County, Michigan (County Seat: Detroit) |
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|---|---|
| Cities Population over 75,000 | Dearborn • Detroit• Livonia • Westland |
| Cities Population 25,000 – 75,000 | Allen Park • Dearborn Heights • Garden City • Inkster • Lincoln Park • Romulus • Southgate • Taylor • Wyandotte |
| Cities Population under 25,000 | Belleville • Ecorse • Flat Rock • Gibraltar • Grosse Pointe • Grosse Pointe Farms • Grosse Pointe Park • Grosse Pointe Woods • Hamtramck • Harper Woods • Highland Park • Melvindale • Northville • Plymouth • River Rouge • Riverview • Rockwood • Trenton • Wayne • Woodhaven |
| Townships Population over 25,000 | Canton Township • Plymouth Township • Redford Township |
| Townships Population under 25,000 | Brownstown Township • Grosse Ile Township • Grosse Pointe Township • Huron Township • Northville Township • Sumpter Township • Van Buren Township |
| Villages | Grosse Pointe Shores |
| Other neighborhoods and communities | Downriver |
