Pacific, Washington

This article is about the city Pacific, Washington, in King and Pierce counties. For Pacific County, Washington, see Pacific County, Washington. For the disestablished town, see Pacific City, Washington.

Pacific
City
Pacific City Hall
Location of Pacific, Washington within King County
Coordinates: 47°15′48″N122°14′52″W / 47.26333°N 122.24778°W / 47.26333; -122.24778
Country	United States
State	Washington
Counties	King, Pierce
Government
• Type	Mayor–council [1]
Area [2]
• Total	2.44 sq mi (6.31 km2)
• Land	2.42 sq mi (6.27 km2)
• Water	0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2)
Elevation	79 ft (24 m)
Population  (2020) [3]
• Total	7,235
• Estimate  (2021) [4]	7,105
• Density	2,966.12/sq mi (1,145.35/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (PST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code	98047
Area code	253
FIPS code	53-52495
GNIS feature ID	1512545 [5]
Website	pacificwa.gov

Pacific is a city in King and Pierce counties in the State of Washington. Located primarily in King County, the population was 7,235 at the 2020 census. ^[3]

History

Pacific was platted on April 10, 1906, by real estate promoter Clarence Dayton Hillman as "C.D. Hillman's Pacific City Addition to the City of Seattle". The development would take advantage of the nearby Puget Sound Electric Railway, which provided connections to Seattle and Tacoma. It was officially incorporated as a town on August 10, 1909. ^[6]

In 1995, it annexed a portion of unincorporated Pierce County. ^[7]

Record-breaking rains in November 2006 pushed the White River over its river banks along Pacific City Park, creating a temporary 25-acre (100,000 m²) lake.

2009 flooding

On January 8, 2009, the Army Corps of Engineers released water from the Mud Mountain Dam into the White River. The action was done to relieve pressure in the reservoir, which had reached its capacity due to heavy rain that was causing flooding around the Puget Sound region. ^[8] A large amount of water was released very quickly, causing rapid and massive flooding in Pacific. Those affected had virtually no notice of the impending disaster. One of those affected by the flooding was noted local and international musician Jerry Miller, a founding member of Moby Grape, who had recently moved to Pacific from Tacoma. Miller lost virtually all of his possessions, including over forty years of memorabilia from his music career. ^[9] Assistance to those affected by the flooding was provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Geography

Pacific is located at 47°15′48″N122°14′52″W / 47.26333°N 122.24778°W / 47.26333; -122.24778 . ^[10]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.43 square miles (6.29 km²), of which, 2.42 square miles (6.27 km²) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km²) is water. ^[11] The lower White River, also known as the Stuck River, runs through the east side of Pacific, between Auburn and Sumner.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1910	413		—
1920	320		−22.5%
1930	347		8.4%
1940	357		2.9%
1950	755		111.5%
1960	1,577		108.9%
1970	1,831		16.1%
1980	2,261		23.5%
1990	4,622		104.4%
2000	5,527		19.6%
2010	6,606		19.5%
2020	7,235		9.5%
2021 (est.)	7,105	[4]	−1.8%
U.S. Decennial Census [12] 2020 Census [3]

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, ^[13] there were 6,606 people, 2,269 households, and 1,605 families living in the city. The population density was 2,729.8 inhabitants per square mile (1,054.0/km²). There were 2,422 housing units at an average density of 1,000.8 per square mile (386.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 69.2% White, 3.1% African American, 1.9% Native American, 9.0% Asian, 1.8% Pacific Islander, 8.5% from other races, and 6.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.1% of the population.

There were 2,269 households, of which 43.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.5% were married couples living together, 15.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 9.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.3% were non-families. 20.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.32.

The median age in the city was 32.8 years. 28.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.7% were from 25 to 44; 25.7% were from 45 to 64; and 7.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.0% male and 50.0% female.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 5,527 people, 1,992 households, and 1,444 families living in the city. The population density was 2,158.1 people per square mile (833.6/km²). There were 2,090 housing units at an average density of 816.1 per square mile (315.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 85.38% White, 1.43% African American, 1.61% Native American, 4.72% Asian, 0.20% Pacific Islander, 2.95% from other races, and 3.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.48% of the population.

There were 1,992 households, out of which 44.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.8% were married couples living together, 15.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.5% were non-families. 19.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.16.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 31.2% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 35.2% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 5.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 women there were 99.4 men. For every 100 women age 18 and over, there were 98.9 men.

The median income for a household in the city was $45,673, and the median income for a family was $47,694. Males had a median income of $36,594 versus $28,301 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,228. About 7.9% of families and 10.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.4% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Government

Presidential Elections Results ^[14]

Year	Republican	Democratic	Third Parties
2020	46.14% 1,334	50.85%1,470	3.01% 87

The city has a mayor, city council and police department. ^[15] In 2013, mayor Cy Sun was recalled by voters and replaced by a city councilmember following his firing of most of the government's department heads. ^{[16] [17]} Sun was later arrested by the city police department for attempting to enter the sealed clerk's office during an investigation into alleged destruction of city documents by the mayor's office. ^[18]

References

1. "Mayor & City Council". City of Pacific. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
2. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
3. "Explore Census Data". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 16, 2022.
4. "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2021". United States Census Bureau. June 22, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
5. "Pacific". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
6. Holden Givens, Linda (December 29, 2015). "Pacific's incorporation as a town of the fourth class is approved on August 2, 1909". HistoryLink . Retrieved April 3, 2022.
7. Kremer, Lisa (June 25, 1995). "Pacific, Auburn prepare to jump the county line". The News Tribune . p. B1. Retrieved April 3, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
8. Cornwall, Warren (January 26, 2009). "Flood maps missed mark; Pacific homeowners got soaked". Seattle Times. Archived from the original on September 3, 2012.
9. John Larson, Friends and fans lend a hand to Jerry Miller Archived August 7, 2009, at the Wayback Machine ; The Tacoma Weekly, February 5, 2009; www.tacomaweekly.com.
10. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
11. "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 25, 2012. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
12. United States Census Bureau. "Census of Population and Housing" . Retrieved July 25, 2013.
13. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved December 19, 2012.
14. King County Elections
15. Skager, Shawn (May 30, 2012). "Pacific ousts police chief". Auburn Reporter. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
16. Krell, Alexis (July 29, 2013). "New Pacific mayor tries to 'pick up the pieces'". The News Tribune. p. A1. Retrieved January 16, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
17. Rosenthal, Brian M. (June 25, 2013). "Pacific Mayor Cy Sun recalled, first votes show". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
18. Skager, Shawn (July 20, 2012). "Pacific mayor arrested and released for trying to enter clerk's office; Sun also facing investigation for destruction of documents". Auburn Reporter. Retrieved January 16, 2024.

External links

• Official website