| Kittitas County, Washington | |
Location in the state of Washington |
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Washington's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | November 24, 1883 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Ellensburg |
| Largest city | Ellensburg |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
2,333 sq mi (6,042 km²) 2,297 sq mi (5,949 km²) 36 sq mi (93 km²), 1.54% |
| Population - (2010) - Density |
40,915 18/sq mi (6.8/km²) |
| Website | www.co.kittitas.wa.us |
Kittitas County /ˈkɪtɨtæs/ is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of 2010, the population was 40,915. Its county seat is Ellensburg, which is also the county's largest city.
There are numerous interpretations of the name, which is from the language of the Kittitas American Indian language. According to one source, it "has been said to mean everything from 'white chalk' to 'shale rock' to 'shoal people' to 'land of plenty'. Most anthropologists and historians concede that each interpretation has some validity depending upon the particular dialect spoken."[1]
Kittitas County officially separated from Yakima County in 1884.[2]
Contents |
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,333 square miles (6,042.4 km2), of which 2,297 square miles (5,949.2 km2) is land and 36 square miles (93.2 km2) (1.54%) is water. The highest point in the county is Mount Daniel at 7,959 feet (2,426 m) above sea level.
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 8,777 |
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| 1900 | 9,704 | 10.6% | |
| 1910 | 18,561 | 91.3% | |
| 1920 | 17,737 | −4.4% | |
| 1930 | 18,154 | 2.4% | |
| 1940 | 20,230 | 11.4% | |
| 1950 | 22,235 | 9.9% | |
| 1960 | 20,467 | −8.0% | |
| 1970 | 25,039 | 22.3% | |
| 1980 | 24,877 | −0.6% | |
| 1990 | 26,725 | 7.4% | |
| 2000 | 33,362 | 24.8% | |
| 2010 | 40,915 | 22.6% | |
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 33,362 people, 13,382 households, and 7,788 families residing in the county. The population density was 14 people per square mile (6/km²). There were 16,475 housing units at an average density of 7 per square mile (3/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 91.77% White, 0.71% Black or African American, 0.91% Native American, 2.19% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 2.30% from other races, and 1.97% from two or more races. 5.00% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 19.4% were of German, 11.7% English, 9.0% Irish, 7.8% United States or American and 6.6% Norwegian ancestry according to Census 2000. 93.2% spoke English and 4.5% Spanish as their first language.
There were 13,382 households out of which 26.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.80% were married couples living together, 7.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.80% were non-families. 28.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the county, the population was spread out with 20.60% under the age of 18, 21.60% from 18 to 24, 24.60% from 25 to 44, 21.60% from 45 to 64, and 11.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 98.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,546, and the median income for a family was $46,057. Males had a median income of $36,257 versus $25,640 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,928. About 10.50% of families and 19.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.60% of those under age 18 and 8.20% of those age 65 or over.
There are a variety of species represented within Kittitas County. These include a diversity of grasses, herbs, trees, birds, mammals and amphibians. The genus of ricegrass known as Oryzopsis was one of the earliest grasses classified within the county.[4] Among the amphibian species found are the Cascades frog and the Rough-skinned Newt, the latter being a common far western USA taxon; in fact, examples of neoteny have been found in individual newts of this species within the county.[5]
| King County | Chelan County | Douglas County | ||
| Pierce County | Grant County | |||
| Kittitas County, Washington | ||||
| Yakima County |
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