Quincy, Washington

For the winner of the BBC reality show Election, see Election (TV series).
Quincy, Washington
City

House in Crescent Bar resort, near Quincy
Motto: Where Agriculture Meets Technology
Motto: Opportunities Unlimited

Location of Quincy, Washington
Coordinates: 47°14′1″N 119°51′8″W / 47.23361°N 119.85222°WCoordinates: 47°14′1″N 119°51′8″W / 47.23361°N 119.85222°W
Country United States
State Washington
County Grant
Government[1]
  Mayor Jim Hemberry
Area[2]
  Total 5.04 sq mi (13.05 km2)
  Land 4.96 sq mi (12.85 km2)
  Water 0.08 sq mi (0.21 km2)
Elevation 1,302 ft (397 m)
Population (2010)[3]
  Total 6,750
  Estimate (2013)[4] 7,242
  Density 1,360.9/sq mi (525.4/km2)
Time zone Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
  Summer (DST) PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP code 98848
Area code(s) 509
FIPS code 53-57115
GNIS feature ID 1512590[5]
Website City of Quincy

Quincy is a city in Grant County, Washington, United States. The population was 6,750 at the 2010 census.

History

Geologic history

The Missoula Floods had their outlet at Trinidad, close to Quincy. Glacial erratics carried from as far away as Montana can be found nearby. The area also has an abundance of rimrock.

Great Northern Railway

Quincy was founded as a railroad camp during construction of the Great Northern Railway in 1892, and was incorporated on March 27, 1907. It was named after Quincy, Illinois.[6]

Grand Coulee Dam

The arrival of the water from the Grand Coulee Dam in 1952 changed the town.

Geography

Quincy is located at 47°14′1″N 119°51′8″W / 47.23361°N 119.85222°W (47.233691, -119.852296).[7]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.04 square miles (13.05 km2), of which, 4.96 square miles (12.85 km2) is land and 0.08 square miles (0.21 km2) is water.[2]

Climate

Climate data for Quincy
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °F (°C) 34.1
(1.2)
42.9
(6.1)
54.2
(12.3)
63.7
(17.6)
72.6
(22.6)
79.4
(26.3)
87.6
(30.9)
86.1
(30.1)
77.7
(25.4)
63.2
(17.3)
45.7
(7.6)
35.6
(2)
61.9
(16.6)
Average low °F (°C) 18.9
(−7.3)
25.2
(−3.8)
30.7
(−0.7)
37.4
(3)
45.5
(7.5)
52.1
(11.2)
57.2
(14)
55.9
(13.3)
48.1
(8.9)
37.3
(2.9)
28.6
(−1.9)
21.6
(−5.8)
38.2
(3.4)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.9
(23)
0.7
(18)
0.6
(15)
0.6
(15)
0.7
(18)
0.6
(15)
0.2
(5)
0.3
(8)
0.4
(10)
0.6
(15)
1.1
(28)
1.2
(30)
7.8
(198)
Source: Weatherbase [8]

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1910264
19202858.0%
1930266−6.7%
194031819.5%
1950804152.8%
19603,269306.6%
19703,237−1.0%
19803,5258.9%
19903,7345.9%
20005,04435.1%
20106,75033.8%
Est. 20137,2427.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
2013 Estimate[4]
Fishing, hiking and bird-watching occur at nearby Quincy Lake, a remnant of the temporary Pleistocene lakes that were created by flood waters from glacial Lake Missoula.

2010 census

As of the census[3] of 2010, there were 6,750 people, 1,915 households, and 1,541 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,360.9 inhabitants per square mile (525.4/km2). There were 2,020 housing units at an average density of 407.3 per square mile (157.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 54.9% White, 0.4% African American, 0.9% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 40.6% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 74.3% of the population.

There were 1,915 households of which 55.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.2% were married couples living together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 9.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 19.5% were non-families. 15.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.51 and the average family size was 3.87.

The median age in the city was 26.2 years. 36.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.9% were from 25 to 44; 16.6% were from 45 to 64; and 8.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.7% male and 49.3% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 5,044 people, 1,470 households, and 1,176 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,252.8 people per square mile (869.4/km²). There were 1,552 housing units at an average density of 693.2 per square mile (267.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 75.1% White, 12.3% African American, 0.9% Native American, 3.6% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 5.5% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.5% of the population.

There were 1,470 households out of which 50.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.0% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.0% were non-families. 17.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.38 and the average family size was 3.79.

In the city the population was spread out with 36.0% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 16.1% from 45 to 64, and 9.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females there were 106.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $32,181, and the median income for a family was $31,847. Males had a median income of $27,813 versus $18,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,649. About 18.4% of families and 20.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.5% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.

Activities

The City of Quincy is located in Central Washington with close proximity to winter and summer activities. The area offers boating, water skiing, hunting, fishing, snow skiing, and concerts. The Gorge Amphitheatre brings a variety of people through the Quincy Valley.

Quincy has several parks including an aqua park with a waterslide with 2 water fed half tubes, heated pools, and special areas for kids. The park is also home to a large field with a baseball diamond, playground, picnic area, and small skate-park.

Every 2nd Saturday in September, Quincy celebrates Farmer-Consumer Awareness Day. For a month beforehand, the roads leading to town are decorated with signs showing local crops and products made with them. On the day of the celebration, floats created by local schools and farm equipment parade through town. Free agricultural and geology tours are offered, as well as a produce sale, tractor pull, Farm-to-Market fun run, and many other activities.

Quincy celebrated its centennial in 2007.

Quincy High School won the 2A State Baseball Championship in 1998. In 2005, the Boys Basketball team took second in state. Every year Quincy has an annual Dru Gimlin 3 on 3 basketball tournament.

Economy

Farming

Quincy has long had an agricultural economy, which was enhanced by irrigation made possible with the Grand Coulee Dam. Major crops include potatoes, wheat, and timothy.

Orchards and vineyards are also appearing in Quincy. Washington State is a large provider of apples.

Technology

Microsoft, Yahoo! and Intuit built large data centers within the Quincy area between 2006 and 2008. Quincy is considered an excellent place for data centers for several reasons. First, because of the inexpensive, reliable hydropower from the nearby Columbia River. According to Grant County Public Utility District, power outages in Quincy are rare, with a 99.99 percent annual average reliability. The local utility district offered the companies electricity at approximately half the national average cost as an incentive to build in the area. Secondly, the Quincy area is relatively free of natural disasters—floods, earthquakes, tornados, landslides, and hurricanes.

Tourism

Although George is the closest town to the Gorge Amphitheatre, Quincy is the closest town that offers services such as motels and a full grocery store. Quincy sees an uptick in population during concerts.

The semi-arid climate allows Quincy to go for weeks or months without rain during the summer. This makes nearby water recreation such as Crescent Bar a major draw. Quincy is the closest town with services to Crescent Bar.

Controversy

The book Fateful Harvest is written about Quincy, and the realities of corporations dumping toxic waste onto farmland by relabeling it and selling it as fertilizer.

Notes

Further reading

External links