Mackay, Idaho

Mackay, Idaho
—  City  —
Location in Custer County and the state of Idaho
Coordinates:
Country United States
State Idaho
County Custer
Area
 • Total 0.9 sq mi (2.2 km2)
 • Land 0.9 sq mi (2.2 km2)
 • Water 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation 5,906 ft (1,800 m)
Population (2000)
 • Total 566
 • Density 651.8/sq mi (251.7/km2)
Time zone Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
 • Summer (DST) MDT (UTC-6)
ZIP code 83251
Area code(s) 208
FIPS code 16-49240
GNIS feature ID 0397886

Mackay is a city in Custer County, Idaho, United States. The population was 566 at the 2000 census.

Contents

Geography

Mackay is located at (43.911880, -113.613669),[1] at an elevation of 5,905 feet (1,800 m).[2]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.9 square miles (2.3 km2), all of it land.

About 20 miles (32 km) north of Mackay is Idaho's highest mountain: Borah Peak, with a peak altitude of 12,662 feet (3,813 m).[3] Mt. McCaleb, 11,427 feet (3,483 m),[4] overlooks the city.

Climate

The climate of Mackay ranges from lows of -40°F (-40°C) to highs of +30°F (-1°C) in the winter. In the summer, temperatures range from lows of 30°F (-1°C) to highs of 100°F (38°C) in some areas. Mackay has a fairly dry climate, typical of high desert bordering alpine areas.

Sports

The main athletic attraction in the city is Mackay High School. The Miners have won ten state championships in football in the 1A (previously A-4) division and five state championships in basketball. Volleyball, girls' basketball and track are other athletic opportunities in Mackay.

Demographics

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1910 638
1920 869 36.2%
1930 777 −10.6%
1940 776 −0.1%
1950 760 −2.1%
1960 652 −14.2%
1970 539 −17.3%
1980 541 0.4%
1990 574 6.1%
2000 566 −1.4%
Est. 2007 537 −5.1%
source:[5][6]

As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 566 people, 261 households, and 149 families residing in the city. The population density was 651.8 people per square mile (251.2/km²). There were 353 housing units at an average density of 406.5 per square mile (156.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.59% White, 0.35% Native American, 0.71% from other races, and 0.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.30% of the population.

There were 261 households out of which 23.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.7% were married couples living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.9% were non-families. 39.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 21.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the city the population was spread out with 22.4% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 27.7% from 45 to 64, and 21.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $23,807, and the median income for a family was $31,667. Males had a median income of $38,750 versus $20,357 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,237. About 13.0% of families and 18.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.5% of those under age 18 and 19.8% of those age 65 or over.

1983 Earthquake

On Friday, October 28, 1983, the Borah Peak earthquake occurred at 8:06 am MDT, measured at 6.9 on the Richter Scale. The Challis-Mackay region experienced rather thorough damage, with 11 commercial buildings and 39 homes with major damage; while another 200 houses were damaged, minor to moderately. Chickens were running all through the streets. Mackay in particular, about 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Challis, experienced the most severe damage. Most of the city's large buildings on its Main Street were damaged, to some extent; eight of these buildings were deemed condemned and closed down. Most of these buildings were built from materials such as brick, concrete block, and stone, each varying.[8]

References

  1. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23. 
  2. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Mackay, Idaho
  3. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Borah Peak
  4. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Mount McCaleb
  5. ^ Moffatt, Riley. Population History of Western U.S. Cities & Towns, 1850-1990. Lanham: Scarecrow, 1996, 95.
  6. ^ "Subcounty population estimates: Idaho 2000-2007" (CSV). United States Census Bureau, Population Division. 2009-03-18. http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/files/SUB-EST2007-16.csv. Retrieved 2009-05-02. 
  7. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  8. ^ "Historic Earthquakes: Borah Peak, Idaho". USGS. 2008-07-16. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/states/events/1983_10_28.php. Retrieved 2010-03-30. 

Further reading