Tensed is a city in Benewah County,

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...

, United States. The population was 123 at the 2010 census, down from 126 in 2000.Spokesman-Review
- 2010 census - Tensed, Idaho - accessed 2011-12-27 The city is within the

Coeur d'Alene Reservation The Coeur d'Alene Reservation is a Native American reservation in northwestern Idaho, United States. It is home to the federally recognized Coeur d'Alene people, Coeur d'Alene, one of the five federally recognized tribes in the state. It is locat ...

, and is accessed by

U.S. Route 95 US Route 95 (US 95) is a major north–south US Highway in the western United States. It travels through the states of Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, and Idaho, staying inland from the Pacific Coast. US 95 begins in San Luis, ...

, the state's primary north-south highway. The city is located about 1 mile (0.6 km) from the north entrance of

McCroskey State Park McCroskey State Park—officially Mary Minerva McCroskey State Park—is a public recreation area in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, located in the Palouse region of northern Idaho. The park's stretch along a ridge in Latah and Be ...

History

The city was originally called Desmet, after the Belgian Jesuit missionary

Pierre-Jean De Smet Pierre-Jean De Smet, SJ ( ; 30 January 1801 – 23 May 1873), also known as Pieter-Jan De Smet, was a Flemish Catholic priest and member of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). He is known primarily for his widespread missionary work in the mid-19th ...

, who was active with the Coeur d'Alene nation, but the post office requested a change as that name was taken by nearby De Smet. The name was reversed to ''Temsed'' and then misspelled by the post office.

Geography

Tensed is located at (47.160284, -116.924304), at an

elevation The elevation of a geographic location is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface (see Geodetic datum § Vert ...

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''. The comb ...

. 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 the ...

, the city has a total area of , all of it land. Latah Creek flows half a mile south of Tensed, approximately halfway between the community and the neighboring community of De Smet.

Demographics

2010 census

At the 2010 census there were 123 people in 58 households, including 30 families, in the city. The population density was . There were 69 housing units at an average density of . The racial makup of the city was 69.1% White, 24.4% Native American, 0.8% from other races, and 5.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.8%. Of the 58 households 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.8% were married couples living together, 19.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.3% were non-families. 37.9% of households were one person and 18.9% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.80. The median age was 40.8 years. 25.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.9% were from 25 to 44; 15.5% were from 45 to 64; and 26.8% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.2% male and 48.8% female.

2000 census

At the 2000 census there were 126 people in 58 households, including 36 families, in the city. The population density was . There were 65 housing units at an average density of . The racial makup of the city was 80.95% White, 14.29% Native American, 0.79% from other races, and 3.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.79%. Of the 58 households 22.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.4% were married couples living together, 3.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 36.2% of households were one person and 17.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.78. The age distribution was 20.6% under the age of 18, 2.4% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 31.0% from 45 to 64, and 20.6% 65 or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 110.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.1 males. The median household income was $18,750 and the median family income was $25,536. Males had a median income of $21,875 versus $29,250 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,111. There were 27.0% of families and 37.1% of the population living 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 82.1% of under eighteens and 5.9% of those over 64.

References