Shelton, Washington


Shelton is the county seat of Mason County, Washington, United States. Shelton is the westernmost city on Puget Sound. The population was 9,834 at the 2010 census. In terms of population, the city is ranked 161 out of approximately 500 municipalities in Washington. Shelton has council-manager form of government.

History

Shelton was officially incorporated in 1890. The city was named after David Shelton, a delegate to the territorial legislature.
Shelton was once served by a small fleet of steamboats which was part of the Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet. These boats included the Old Settler, Irene, Willie, City of Shelton, Marian, Clara Brown, and S.G. Simpson. The economy was built around logging, farming, dairying and ranching as well as oyster cultivation. The Simpson Timber Company mill on Puget Sound's Oakland Bay dominated the landscape of the downtown area; the mill was sold to Sierra Pacific Industries in 2015, who are currently building a new mill. Shelton also identifies itself as the "Christmas Tree Capital".
Shelton was incorporated in the 1890s. It was the last city in Washington to use a mayor/commission form of government. In November 2017, the voters of Shelton adopted a manager/council form of municipal governance.

Geography

Shelton is located at .
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, of which is land and is water.

Climate

With extremely precipitous rainfall in winter and dry summer of less than 33 mm in the driest month, Shelton has a warm summer Mediterranean climate, definited with warm to hot summer and cold winters, similar to the larger cities of the Pacific Northwest.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 9,834 people, 3,574 households, and 2,166 families residing in the city. The population density was. There were 3,847 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city was 78.9% White, 0.8% African American, 3.7% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.8% Pacific Islander, 9.9% from other races, and 4.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 19.2% of the population.
There were 3,574 households of which 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.1% were married couples living together, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.4% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.23.
The median age in the city was 33.1 years. 26.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.5% were from 25 to 44; 21.9% were from 45 to 64; and 14.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.1% male and 50.9% female.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 8,442 people, 3,191 households, and 2,035 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,519.4 people per square mile. There were 3,403 housing units at an average density of 612.5 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 85.83% White, 0.36% African American, 2.72% Native American, 1.17% Asian, 0.73% Pacific Islander, 5.77% from other races, and 3.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.87% of the population.
There were 3,191 households out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.8% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.2% were non-families. 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the city, the population was spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,500, and the median income for a family was $40,392. Males had a median income of $33,867 versus $23,617 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,303. About 15.3% of families and 18.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.1% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

The Shelton School District is composed of seven schools: