Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon is the former residence and plantation of George Washington, a Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States, and his wife, Martha. An American landmar ...
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Anacortes
Anacortes ( ) is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The name "Anacortes" is an adaptation of the name of Anne Curtis Bowman, who was the wife of early Fidalgo Island settler Amos Bowman.Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Hamilton was first settled in 1877 by William Hamilton, and was later named for him when Hamilton was officially incorporated on March 19, 1891.
The town was flooded by the Skagit River in November 2021. The local
post office
A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letter (message), letters and parcel (package), parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post o ...
was deemed uninhabitable due to damage from the floods and shut down despite repairs to the building. Mail and parcels bound for Hamilton are instead forwarded to the Concrete post office, located away, despite protests from residents.
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 town has a total area of , all of it land.
Flooding
As part of the Skagit Riverfloodway, the town of Hamilton faces significant flooding every few years, most notably in 2003, 2006, 2017, and 2021. The frequent flooding has forced residents to adopt a routine of moving their furniture from the ground floor and evacuating to a local church until the waters recede. The
Federal Emergency Management Agency
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Exec ...
(FEMA) estimates it has spent $4.6 million in the town over the last several years.
Support has been building for a plan to move the entire town to a nearby hill. The Hamilton Public Development Authority was established in 2004 to purchase the land necessary for moving the town, which was achieved with assistance from conservation group Forterra in 2018. Forterra purchased a farm north of State Route 20, which it aims to develop into a green city with housing for the relocated townspeople.
Climate
The climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. According to the
Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
As of the 2010 census, there were 301 people, 116 households, and 80 families living in the town. 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 141 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 90.4%
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 ...
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 4.3% of the population.
There were 116 households, of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.7% 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, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.0% were non-families. 19.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 1.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 2.99.
The median age in the town was 40.5 years. 23.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.9% were from 25 to 44; 30.5% were from 45 to 64; and 10% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.
2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 309 people, 117 households, and 80 families living in the town. The population density was 313.2 people per square mile (120.5/km2). There were 135 housing units at an average density of 136.8 per square mile (52.7/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 91.91%
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 ...
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 2.91% of the population.
There were 117 households, out of which 35.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.0% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% were non-families. 20.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the town, the age distribution of the population shows 27.8% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 34.3% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 127.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 123.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $31,500, and the median income for a family was $34,063. Males had a median income of $33,542 versus $22,969 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 $13,531. About 21.2% of families and 22.8% 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 28.0% of those under the age of eighteen and none of those 65 or over.