Blackwater is a native village and
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the count ...
(CDP) on the
Gila River Reservation in
Pinal County
Pinal County is in the central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. According to the 2020 census, the population of the county was 425,264, making it Arizona's third-most populous county. The county seat is Florence. The county was founded in 187 ...
,
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
, United States. The population was 1,062 at the
2010 census, up from 504 in 2000.
Geography
Blackwater is located at (33.032359, -111.595938).
It is located northeast of
Coolidge.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...
, the CDP has a total area of , all land.
Demographics
Blackwater first appeared on the 1990 U.S. Census as a census-designated place (CDP).
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...
of 2000, there were 504 people, 135 households, and 110 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 140 housing units at an average density of 21.3/sq mi (8.2/km
2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 95%
Native American, 1%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 3% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 1% from two or more races. 15% of the population were
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race.
There were 135 households, out of which 48% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34% were
married couples living together, 34% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18% were non-families. 13% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.7 and the average family size was 4.0.
In the CDP the population was spread out, with 42% under the age of 18, 12% from 18 to 24, 23% from 25 to 44, 18% from 45 to 64, and 6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.0 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $33,438, and the median income for a family was $28,854. Males had a median income of $35,909 versus $31,250 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the CDP was $8,674. About 30% of families and 27% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 22% of those under age 18 and 63% of those age 65 or over.
In 2010, Blackwater had the
lowest median household income of all places in the United States with a population over 1,000.
Government
Blackwater is part of District 1 of the
Gila River Indian Community
The Gila River Indian Community (GRIC) (O'odham language: Keli Akimel Oʼotham, ''meaning "Gila River People"'', Maricopa language: Pee-Posh) is an Indian reservation in the U.S. state of Arizona, lying adjacent to the south side of the city of ...
.
Education
Blackwater Community School, a grade K–2
Bureau of Indian Education Grant School, and Akimel O'Otham Pee Posh Charter School Inc., a grade 3–5 state
charter school
A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of autono ...
, are co-located and operate ''
de facto
''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...
'' as a single school. Blackwater Community School opened in 1939 to serve Blackwater and
Sacaton Flats. Initially the school had fewer than 100 students. In 2000 the charter school opened; the
U.S. Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washin ...
had a moratorium on the expansion of BIE schools, and the Blackwater community wanted an expansion of the Blackwater Community School. The charter school opened as a way of expanding the school.
Blackwater is located in the
Coolidge Unified School District
The Coolidge Unified School District #21 serves Coolidge, Arizona and outlying areas. It has six schools: Heartland Ranch and West elementary schools; Coolidge Junior High School; Coolidge Alternative Program (CAP); Coolidge Virtual Academy (CVA); ...
. Its primary and secondary schools are: Heartland Ranch and West elementary schools; Hohokam Middle School, and
Coolidge High School
Coolidge High School is a high school in Coolidge, Arizona which was established in 1939, and was renovated in 2005. It is located at 684 W. Northern Ave. It is one of two high schools under the jurisdiction of the Coolidge Unified School Distri ...
.
Transportation
Gila River Transit operates a service connecting Blackwater with
Sacaton.
References
*
{{Pinal County, Arizona
Census-designated places in Pinal County, Arizona
Gila River Indian Community