Manchester, Washington

Manchester, Washington
CDP

Location of Manchester, Washington
Coordinates: 47°33′8″N 122°33′0″W / 47.55222°N 122.55000°W
Country United States
State Washington
County Kitsap
Area
 • Total 6.0 sq mi (15.5 km2)
 • Land 2.9 sq mi (7.6 km2)
 • Water 3.1 sq mi (7.9 km2)
Elevation 30 ft (9 m)
Population (2000)
 • Total 4,958
 • Density 1,693.4/sq mi (653.8/km2)
Time zone Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
 • Summer (DST) PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP code 98353
Area code(s) 360
FIPS code 53-42450[1]
GNIS feature ID 1512426[2]

Manchester is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 4,958 at the 2000 census.

The public pier and waterfront at Manchester during a summer low tide. Bainbridge Island is in the background on the left, and Seattle is far away in the right.

History

Manchester was established in the 1860s and was originally known as Brooklyn, after the borough in New York City. The name was changed to Manchester in 1892 in honor of the city of Manchester, England. Manchester was accessible by land via Shelton/Allyn/Belfair, however, the main population center, Seattle, had only boat access. After a permanent dock was built in 1908, regular steamboat service connected Manchester to nearby communities like Colby, Southworth, and Harper, and to Seattle across the water.

From 1925 to 1936, a ferry route across Puget Sound connected Manchester with Alki Point in West Seattle. When the Alki Point dock washed away in 1936, the Seattle terminus was shifted to Colman Dock on the Seattle central waterfront.[3] Ferry service was discontinued in 1949 and has never resumed.

In 1940, the US Navy built a pier nearby for refueling ships. The fuel pier saw heavy use during World War II, and still operates today.

In 1953, the library in Manchester was slated for destruction. The town pulled together and a new library was constructed in 1954. This spirit dominates Manchester today. Today, Manchester is known for its excellent views of Seattle, Mt. Rainier, and Puget Sound, its public boat launch, community events like fireworks on the Fourth of July, Mother's Day, and New Years Day, a boat parade on the opening day of boating season, salmon bakes at the Manchester library, and more,

Geography

Manchester is located at 47°33′08″N 122°33′00″W / 47.552305°N 122.549984°WCoordinates: 47°33′08″N 122°33′00″W / 47.552305°N 122.549984°W (47.552305, -122.549984).[4]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 6.0 square miles (15.5 km²), of which, 2.9 square miles (7.6 km²) of it is land and 3.0 square miles (7.9 km²) of it (51.00%) is water.

Climate

This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Manchester has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.[5]

Demographics

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 4,958 people, 1,819 households, and 1,395 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,693.4 people per square mile (653.3/km²). There were 1,913 housing units at an average density of 653.4/sq mi (252.1/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 87.66% White, 1.31% African American, 1.13% Native American, 2.66% Asian, 0.93% Pacific Islander, 1.35% from other races, and 4.96% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.77% of the population.

There were 1,819 households out of which 39.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.7% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.3% were non-families. 17.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the CDP the population was spread out with 28.9% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.7 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $52,213, and the median income for a family was $56,118. Males had a median income of $39,695 versus $26,875 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $21,946. About 4.9% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.7% of those under age 18 and 1.5% of those age 65 or over.

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  2. ↑ "Manchester". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  3. ↑ Kline and Bayless, Ferryboats-A Legend on Puget Sound, at pages 134, 135, 211, and 374.
  4. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  5. ↑ Climate Summary for Manchester, Washington

References

Further reading

Kitsap County Historical Society, Kitsap County: A History, 2nd edition, 1981.

External links