Granger is a city in Yakima County,

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

, United States. The population was 3,624 at the 2020 census. Although it was classified as a town in 2000, it has since been reclassified as a city.

History

Granger was founded in 1902 and named after Walter Granger, superintendent of the Washington Irrigation Company who also laid out the cities of Zillah and Sunnyside. Granger was officially incorporated on September 28, 1909. In the 1910s and 1920s, the town had several large industries including a tile and brick company and a

cider mill A cider mill, also known as a cidery, is the location and equipment used to crush apples into apple juice for use in making apple cider, hard cider, applejack, apple wine, pectin and other products derived from apples. More specifically, it ...

. The Granger Farm Workers Camp, which opened in May 1941 two miles north of the city, became known as the Crewport, Washington Farm Labor Camp. It was built by the

Farm Security Administration The Farm Security Administration (FSA) was a New Deal agency created in 1937 to combat rural poverty during the Great Depression in the United States. It succeeded the Resettlement Administration (1935–1937). The FSA is famous for its small but ...

to house Dust Bowl refugees, initially White, and later

Mexican American Mexican Americans are Americans of full or partial Mexico, Mexican descent. In 2022, Mexican Americans comprised 11.2% of the US population and 58.9% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% of Mexican Americans were born in the Unite ...

s, who were brought in to work in the Yakima Valley as a result of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

labor shortages. The camp closed in the late 1960s.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 3,246 people, 774 households, and 675 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 813 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 48.6%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.4%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 1.7% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 46.9% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 88.2% of the population. There were 774 households, of which 66.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.2% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 17.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 9.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 12.8% were non-families. 10.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.14 and the average family size was 4.41. The median age in the city was 22.2 years. 43% of residents were under the age of 18; 11% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.4% were from 25 to 44; 14.9% were from 45 to 64; and 4.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.5% male and 49.5% female.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 2,530 people, 570 households, and 501 families living in the town. The population density was 2,019.7 people per square mile (781.5/km²). There were 609 housing units at an average density of 486.2 per square mile (188.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 20.20%

, 0.79% Native American, 76.36% from other races, and 2.65% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 85.53% of the population. There were 570 households, out of which 60.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.2% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 12.1% were non-families. 9.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.44 and the average family size was 4.69. In the town the age distribution of the population shows 43.0% under the age of 18, 14.2% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 12.2% from 45 to 64, and 5.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 21 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.8 males. The median income for a household in the town was $26,250, and the median income for a family was $28,026. Males had a median income of $21,458 versus $20,000 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $8,111. About 28.5% of families and 34.3% 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 ...

, including 43.3% of those under age 18 and 21.4% of those age 65 or over.

Art

There are 32 life-size

dinosaur Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic Geological period, period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the #Evolutio ...

models on display around the town of Granger. They are constructed from a skeleton of steel rods and chicken wire which is then packed with a cement mix. The idea of using a dinosaur exhibit to attract tourists was first proposed in 1993 and the first dinosaur—a juvenile

brontosaurus ''Brontosaurus'' (; meaning "thunder lizard" from the Ancient Greek, Greek words , "thunder" and , "lizard") is a genus of herbivorous sauropod dinosaur that lived in present-day United States during the Late Jurassic period. It was describe ...

in Hisey Park—was installed in 1994.

Media

Granger is home to a branch of the Yakima Valley Libraries system that is located in a former Catholic church. The city's museum shared the same building until a new facility was opened in 2024. The Latin radio station "Radio Cadena" or " Radio KDNA" building is in the town of Granger, and was first built in 1979. It was an activist radio station that educated farm workers, advocated farm workers' organizations, and provided Spanish language programs to non-English speaking families. In 2008, a new station building was built.

Notable people

* Fred Oldfield, a cowboy and noted artist, is originally from Alfalfa, a subdivision of Granger.

References

{{Authority control Cities in Washington (state) Cities in Yakima County, Washington Populated places established in 1902 1902 establishments in Washington (state) Populated places on the Yakima River Sculptures of dinosaurs