Union Gap, Washington Explained

Official Name:Union Gap, Washington
Settlement Type:City
Motto:The old town with new ideas
Mapsize:250px
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Washington
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Yakima
Government Footnotes:[1]
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:John Hodkinson
Leader Title1:Councilmembers
Leader Name1:Greg Sewell
Roger Wentz
Jack Galloway
Maira Gonzalez
Julie Schilling
Sandy Dailey
Established Title:Incorporated
Established Date:November 23, 1883
Unit Pref:Imperial
Area Footnotes:[2]
Area Total Km2:14.46
Area Land Km2:14.44
Area Water Km2:0.01
Area Total Sq Mi:5.58
Area Land Sq Mi:5.58
Area Water Sq Mi:0.01
Population As Of:2020
Population Est:6439
Pop Est As Of:2023
Population Total:6568
Population Density Km2:445.81
Population Density Sq Mi:1154.62
Population Urban:133145[3]
Population Metro:256643 (US: 193rd)
Timezone:Pacific (PST)
Utc Offset:−8
Timezone Dst:PDT
Utc Offset Dst:−7
Elevation M:300
Elevation Ft:984
Coordinates:46.5574°N -120.4751°W
Postal Code Type:ZIP Codes
Postal Code:98901, 98903
Area Code:509
Area Code Type:Area code
Blank Name:FIPS code
Blank Info:53-73290
Blank1 Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank1 Info:1512750

Union Gap is a city in Yakima County, Washington, United States. The population was 6,568 at the 2020 census.[4] Union Gap has become the retail hub for the entire Yakima Valley as a result of Valley Mall and other thriving businesses being located here. Part of the city is part of the Yakama Nation.

Name

The town is named for a water gap formed by the Yakima River between the Rattlesnake Hills and Ahtanum Ridge.[5] The gap is travesed by U.S. Route 97, Interstate 82, and Thorp Road.

History

The city of Union Gap was originally named Yakima City and was officially incorporated on November 23, 1883. When bypassed by the Northern Pacific Railroad in December 1884, over 100 buildings were moved with rollers and horse teams to the nearby site of the depot. The new city was dubbed North Yakima. In 1918, North Yakima was renamed to simply Yakima, and the original town to the south was named Union Gap to avoid confusion between the two towns.[6]

Geography

Union Gap is located at 46.5574°N -120.4751°W (46.5573492, -120.4750638).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.58sqmi, of which, 5.58sqmi is land and 0.01sqmi is water.[2]

Economy

Liberty Bottleworks, a water bottle manufacturer, operates out of a plant in Union Gap that employs 18 people.[7]

Demographics

2020 census

Union Gap, Washington – racial and ethnic composition
! Race / ethnicity (NH = non-Hispanic)! Pop. 2000[8] ! Pop. 2010[9] ! [10] ! % 2000! % 2010!
White alone (NH)3,6672,925style='background: #ffffe6; 2,30765.24%48.37%style='background: #ffffe6; 35.12%
Black or African American alone (NH)2328style='background: #ffffe6; 460.41%0.46%style='background: #ffffe6; 0.70%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)108112style='background: #ffffe6; 1181.92%1.85%style='background: #ffffe6; 1.80%
Asian alone (NH)2942style='background: #ffffe6; 350.52%0.69%style='background: #ffffe6; 0.53%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)52style='background: #ffffe6; 50.09%0.03%style='background: #ffffe6; 0.08%
Other race alone (NH)13style='background: #ffffe6; 210.02%0.05%style='background: #ffffe6; 0.32%
Mixed race or multiracial (NH)12682style='background: #ffffe6; 1862.24%1.36%style='background: #ffffe6; 2.83%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)1,6622,853style='background: #ffffe6; 3,85029.57%47.18%style='background: #ffffe6; 58.62%
Total5,6216,047style='background: #ffffe6; 6,568100.00%100.00%style='background: #ffffe6; 100.00%
As of the 2020 census, there were 6,568 people, 2,183 households, and 1,527 families residing in the city.[11] The population density was 1177.7PD/sqmi. There were 2,275 housing units at an average density of 407.9PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 43.79% White, 1.10% African American, 2.79% Native American, 0.58% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 35.76% from some other races and 15.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 58.62% of the population.[12] 28.5% of residents were under the age of 18, 8.7% were under 5 years of age, and 10.5% were 65 and older.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 6,047 people, 2,061 households, and 1,420 families living in the city. The population density was 1197.4PD/sqmi. There were 2,173 housing units at an average density of 430.3PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 62.91% White, 0.91% African American, 2.61% Native American, 0.88% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 29.07% from some other races and 3.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 47.18% of the population.

There were 2,061 households, of which 40.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.6% were married couples living together, 17.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 8.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.1% were non-families. 23.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.43.

The median age in the city was 32.7 years. 28.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.3% were from 25 to 44; 23.4% were from 45 to 64; and 11.8% 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 5,621 people, 2,070 households, and 1,407 families living in the city. The population density was 1117.7PD/sqmi. There were 2,210 housing units at an average density of 439.5PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 72.19% White, 0.41% African American, 2.24% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 20.17% from some other races and 4.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 29.57% of the population.

There were 2,070 households, out of which 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.0% were non-families. 26.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.20.

In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 28.5% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,676, and the median income for a family was $34,795. Males had a median income of $25,802 versus $23,393 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,102. About 14.9% of families and 18.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.2% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

Union Gap is the namesake of Gary Puckett & The Union Gap, a nationally successful pop group of the late 1960s (Puckett grew up in the adjacent city of Yakima).[13]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: City Council. City of Union Gap, Washington. November 13, 2024.
  2. Web site: 2024 U.S. Gazetteer Files. United States Census Bureau. November 13, 2024.
  3. Web site: 2020 Census Qualifying Urban Areas and Final Criteria Clarifications. United States Census Bureau. Federal Register. December 29, 2022.
  4. Web site: Explore Census Data . . November 5, 2023.
  5. News: Meyers . Donald W. . March 31, 2019 . The name game . . November 14, 2024.
  6. News: Meyers . Donald W. . November 26, 2017 . Northern Pacific Railway snubs Yakima, creates North Yakima . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20171127085209/http://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/it-happened-here-northern-pacific-railway-snubs-yakima-creates-north/article_08caaec2-d33b-11e7-8818-679e13c1bdce.html . November 27, 2017 . June 26, 2018.
  7. News: Hoang . Mai . September 27, 2018 . California manufacturer acquires Liberty Bottleworks; officials say move will preserve local jobs . Yakima Herald-Republic . May 12, 2019.
  8. Web site: P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Union Gap city, Washington. United States Census Bureau. November 13, 2024.
  9. Web site: P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Union Gap city, Washington. United States Census Bureau. November 13, 2024.
  10. Web site: P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Toppenish city, Washington. United States Census Bureau. November 13, 2024.
  11. Web site: US Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type . November 13, 2024 . United States Census Bureau.
  12. Web site: How many people live in Union Gap city, Washington . November 13, 2024 . USA Today.
  13. Web site: How Did a Famous Rock Band Name Themselves After a Yakima Valley Town? . . . KEYW-FM . July 18, 2023.