Marcus is a town in
Stevens County,
Washington, United States. The population was 117 at the
2000 census and 183 at the
2010 census, a 56.4% increase over the 2000 census.
History

Marcus was named for Marcus Oppenheimer who settled in the area in 1863.
Marcus was a supply and transportation base for northward-bound travellers during the
Big Bend Gold Rush of the 1860s in the
Colony of British Columbia due to its location just above
Kettle Falls, a wall to river navigation. In 1865 the steamboat ''
Forty-Nine'' was built at Marcus to attempt the run to
the goldrush boomtown of La Porte at the foot of the infamous
Dalles des Morts or "Death Rapids", which were located in the immediate vicinity of the rush and were the upper barrier to river navigation. Regular service from Marcus to La Porte did not begin until 1866 due to difficult winter conditions at the Narrows of the Arrow Lakes on the first attempt in 1865.
Marcus was officially incorporated on October 18, 1910. The original townsite was submerged beneath the waters of
Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake when
Grand Coulee Dam
Grand Coulee Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington, built to produce hydroelectric power and provide irrigation water. Constructed between 1933 and 1942, Grand Coulee originally had two powerho ...
was built.
Geography
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
An economy is an area of th ...
, the town has a total area of , all of it land.
Climate
This
climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the
Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...
system, Marcus has a
humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freez ...
, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.
Climate Summary for Marcus, Washington
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Demographics
2010 census
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 2010, there were 183 people, 76 households, and 49 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density (in agriculture: 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 geographical ...
was . There were 82 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 94.0% White
White is the lightness, 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 diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...
, 0.5% African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
, 2.7% Native American, 0.5% Asian, and 2.2% 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 for ...
or Latino of any race were 0.5% of the population.
There were 76 households, of which 23.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% were married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.5% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.80.
The median age in the town was 48.8 years. 18% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.1% were from 25 to 44; 33.9% were from 45 to 64; and 21.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 50.8% male and 49.2% female.
2000 census
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 117 people, 48 households, and 33 families residing in the town. The population density was 495.3 people per square mile (188.2/km2). There were 52 housing units at an average density of 220.1 per square mile (83.7/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 95.73% White
White is the lightness, 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 diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...
, 0.85% Native American, 0.85% Asian, 0.85% from other races, and 1.71% 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 for ...
or Latino of any race were 2.56% of the population.
There were 48 households, out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were married couples living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.2% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.76.
In the town, the age distribution of the population shows 26.5% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 17.1% from 25 to 44, 32.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $27,500, and the median income for a family was $31,250. Males had a median income of $30,417 versus $22,500 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 town was $10,798. There were 25.0% of families and 28.4% 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 ...
, including 41.2% of under eighteens and 5.3% of those over 64.
References
{{Authority control
Towns in Stevens County, Washington
Towns in Washington (state)
Washington (state) populated places on the Columbia River
Populated places established in 1863