Acme is a rural

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...

Whatcom County, Washington Whatcom County is a county located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Washington, bordered by the Canadian Lower Mainland (the Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley Regional Districts of British Columbia) to the north, Okanogan ...

, United States. There is a general store, post office, gas station, diner, elementary school and two churches located there. Acme is also included in, and the source-name for, a larger

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). The Census Bureau no longer tracks the population for the village itself, but for the entire CDP the population was 246 at the 2010 census. Acme is located in the South Fork Valley between the northern

Cascade Mountains The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, a ...

and

Lake Whatcom Lake Whatcom (from the Lummi word for "loud water") is located in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. It is the drinking water source for approximately 85,000 residents in the city of Bellingham as well as Whatcom County. It is approxima ...

. Acme is locally known as a scenic area with a number of camping opportunities along Lake Whatcom, including the Lake Whatcom Railroad.

History

There are two accounts on how Acme was named. The first states that Acme was named by Samuel Parks around 1887 after the name of a hymnal in his possession. The second claims that in 1887, resident George Parls named the town after a local church's newly received Acme hymn book. Either way, the English word acme is from a Greek word meaning ''culmination'' or ''top or highest point''.

Geography

Acme is located at (48.715402, -122.209954). 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 9.8 square miles (25.4 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 263 people, 82 households, and 66 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 26.8 people per square mile (10.4/km²). There were 88 housing units at an average density of 9.0/sq mi (3.5/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 93.16%

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 ...

, 3.80% 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 3.04% from two or more races.

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 ...

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 were 4.94% of the population. There were 82 households, out of which 53.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.0% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.5% were non-families. 13.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.20 and the average family size was 3.52. In the CDP, the age distribution of the population shows 37.6% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 5.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.7 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $41,964, and the median income for a family was $48,854. Males had a median income of $52,708 versus $0 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 $17,147. None of the families and 13.2% of the population were 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 ...

Notable people

* Ann Anderson – former member of

Washington State Senate The Washington State Senate is the upper house of the Washington State Legislature. The body consists of 49 members, each representing a district with a population of nearly 160,000. The State Senate meets at the Legislative Building in Olymp ...

Paul Brass Paul Richard Brass (November 8, 1936 – May 31, 2022) was an American political scientist known for his research on the politics of India. He was professor emeritus of political science and international relations at the Henry M. Jackson School o ...

– noted scholar of ethnic politics and Indian politics

References

{{authority control Census-designated places in Washington (state) Census-designated places in Whatcom County, Washington