Chelan County, Washington
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Chelan County is a county located in the state of Washington. As of 2000, the population is 66,616. The county seat is at Wenatchee. "Chelan" (pronounced ) derives from a Chelan Indian word meaning "deep water," likely a reference to 55-mile-long Lake Chelan, the third deepest lake in the country, at 1,486 ft (453 m).
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Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 7,753 km² (2,994 mi²). 7,566 km² (2,921 mi²) of it is land and 187 km² (72 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.41% water.
Geographic features
Major highways
Adjacent counties
- Okanogan County, Washington northeast
- Douglas County, Washington east
- Kittitas County, Washington south
- King County, Washington southwest
- Snohomish County, Washington west
- Skagit County, Washington northwest
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 66,616 people, 25,021 households, and 17,364 families residing in the county. The population density is 9/km² (23/mi²). There are 30,407 housing units at an average density of 4/km² (10/mi²). The racial makeup of the county is 83.63% White, 0.26% Black or African American, 0.99% Native American, 0.68% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 12.19% from other races, and 2.14% from two or more races. 19.26% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 25,021 households out of which 34.50% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.40% are married couples living together, 8.70% have a female householder with no husband present, and 30.60% are non-families. 25.10% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.80% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.62 and the average family size is 3.14.
In the county, the population is spread out with 28.00% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 27.20% from 25 to 44, 22.70% from 45 to 64, and 13.90% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 99.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 96.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county is $37,316, and the median income for a family is $46,293. Males have a median income of $35,065 versus $25,838 for females. The per capita income for the county is $19,273. 12.40% of the population and 8.80% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 16.00% of those under the age of 18 and 7.40% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Cities and towns