Kelso, Washington
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Kelso is a city located in Cowlitz County, Washington. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 11,895. It is the county seat of Cowlitz CountyTemplate:GR.
Kelso was founded by Peter Crawford, of Kelso, Scotland, in 1884. It was known as "little Chicago" early in its history because of the large number of taverns and whorehouses that catered to local loggers. The economy continues to be based largely on wood products. Kelso shares a long border with Longview, WA, and is near Mount St. Helens. Areas of the town, notably the local shopping mall, are built on volcanic ash that was dredged from the Cowlitz River after the mudflow from the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens clogged the river's channel. Kelso currently is known as the "smelt capital of the world" because of the large smelt run that the Cowlitz River has in the winter months.
In March, 1998, 64 houses in the Alderwood development began to shift their location; eventually 129 houses were destroyed by this landslide. Investigation showed that these houses had been built on top of an active landslide area, and heavy rains had set the earth into motion. This disaster at Alderwood led to stricter city zoning ordinances and oversight over geological surveys.
Kelso High School's football team is called the "Highlanders", after the town's Scottish heritage. The successful football team is often referred to as "The Scotties."
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 21.7 km² (8.4 mi²). 20.9 km² (8.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.8 km² (0.3 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 3.46% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 11,895 people, 4,616 households, and 2,991 families residing in the city. The population density is 568.4/km² (1,471.6/mi²). There are 5,067 housing units at an average density of 242.1/km² (626.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 90.14% White, 0.82% African American, 2.05% Native American, 0.94% Asian, 0.21% Pacific Islander, 3.12% from other races, and 2.72% from two or more races. 6.93% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 4,616 households out of which 33.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.0% are married couples living together, 15.9% have a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% are non-families. 28.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.52 and the average family size is 3.05.
In the city the population is spread out with 28.3% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years. For every 100 females there are 99.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 98.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $29,722, and the median income for a family is $36,784. Males have a median income of $36,271 versus $23,750 for females. The per capita income for the city is $15,162. 19.8% of the population and 16.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 25.1% of those under the age of 18 and 11.2% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.