Oak Park, Michigan
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Oak Park is a city located in Oakland County, Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 29,793.
The film 8 Mile is named after a road that is the northern border of the city of Detroit, Michigan. Oak Park is one of the cities bordering Detroit along that road.
Oak Park officially became a city on October 30, 1945 when the state of Michigan accepted the city charter. Planned subdivisions developments in the late 1950s resulted in Oak Park being named "America's Fastest Growing City" at one point. Major civic improvments in the late '50s included the addition of an outdoor swimming pool and an ice rink in the Oak Park Park (now known as Shepard park, after a former mayor, David Shepard).
The most famous attribute of the park, however, was an unintended consequence of the major building boom in the '50s. Hamilton Hill was formed when builders began dumping excess fill dirt in one specific section of the park. During the winter, kids brought their sleds to Hamilton Hill, and enjoyed an exciting ride to the bottom, as chronicled in Esther Meeks' childrens book "The Hill That Grew."
Geography
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Location of Oak Park, Michigan
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.0 km² (5.0 mi²). 13.0 km² (5.0 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 29,793 people, 11,104 households, and 7,595 families residing in the city. The population density is 2,291.5/km² (5,932.0/mi²). There are 11,370 housing units at an average density of 874.5/km² (2,263.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 46.95% White, 45.95% African American, 0.17% Native American, 2.18% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.60% from other races, and 4.13% from two or more races. 1.28% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 11,104 households out of which 34.4% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.0% are married couples living together, 19.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 31.6% are non-families. 26.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.68 and the average family size is 3.29.
In the city the population is spread out with 28.2% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years. For every 100 females there are 88.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 81.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $48,697, and the median income for a family is $54,786. Males have a median income of $40,922 versus $35,968 for females. The per capita income for the city is $21,677. 9.4% of the population and 7.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 10.9% of those under the age of 18 and 13.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
External links
- City of Oak Park (http://www.oakpark-mi.com/)