Waterville is a town in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of Douglas County, Washington, United States which is known for its wheat industry. As a part of Douglas County, it is part of the Wenatchee-East Wenatchee metropolitan area. The population was 1,134 at the 2020 census.

History

The area Waterville occupies was settled in 1883 by A.T. Greene. In 1886 he successfully encouraged land donations and the town was established under the name "Jumper's Flat." After the discovery of a large water reservoir underneath Greene's farm, the town was renamed to "Waterville."

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. Like most of

Eastern Washington Eastern Washington is the region of the U.S. state of Washington located east of the Cascade Range. It contains the city of Spokane (the second largest city in the state), the Tri-Cities, the Columbia River and the Grand Coulee Dam, the H ...

, Waterville has a

semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of se ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''BSk'') with cold, moist winters and hot, dry summers. At 2,625 ft (800 m), Waterville has the highest elevation of any incorporated city or town in Washington.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 1,138 people, 449 households, and 316 families residing 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 482 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 94.5%

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 ...

, 1.1% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 2.5% from other races, and 1.1% 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 9.8% of the population. There were 449 households, of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.5% 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, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.6% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.98. The median age in the town was 43.3 years. 22.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.5% were from 25 to 44; 30.5% were from 45 to 64; and 17.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 50.4% male and 49.6% female.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 1,163 people, 433 households, and 314 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,365.4 people per square mile (528.3/km²). There were 481 housing units at an average density of 564.7 per square mile (218.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 90.11%

, 1.03%

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 ...

, 1.12% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 6.10% from other races, and 1.38% from two or more races. 8.77% of the population is

or Latino of any race. There were 443 households, out of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.6% were married couples living together, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.3% were non-families. 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.17. In the town, the age distribution of the population shows 28.8% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 23.4% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.5 males. The median income for a household in the town was $36,458, and the median income for a family was $47,386. Males had a median income of $35,375 versus $23,375 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 $18,880. About 5.0% of families and 7.5% 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 7.1% of those under age 18 and 2.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Waterville School District operates the town's public school.

References

External links

Town of Waterville Home Page

History of Waterville
at

HistoryLink HistoryLink is an online encyclopedia of Washington (state), Washington state history. The site has more than 8,100 entries and attracts 23,000 weekly visitors. It has 500 biographies and more than 14,000 images. The non-profit historical organi ...

{{Authority control Towns in Douglas County, Washington Towns in Washington (state) County seats in Washington (state) Wenatchee–East Wenatchee metropolitan area