Camas, Washington: All You Need to Know
Camas is a beautiful town located in Clark County, Washington. Camas has a population of 19,355 as per the latest census.
Author:Iram MartinsReviewer:Tobey StricklandFeb 04, 202152.1K Shares1.4M Views
Camas is a beautiful town located in Clark County, Washington. Camas has a population of 19,355 as per the latest census. Camas, Washington is bordered by the towns of Washougal and Vancouver (not the Canadian one). Camas is quite close to the Oregon border and actually falls under the Portland Metropolitan Area. One of the most prominent geographical features of the town is the Prune Hill. Prune Hill is an extinct volcanic vent and is a component of the Boring Lava Field of northwest Oregon and southwest Washington. Let's find out more about this beautiful town.
Camas: A Beautiful Town In Washington
When Was Camas (WA) Established?
Officially incorporated on June 18, 1906, the town was named specifically because of the camas lily, a plant with an onion-like bulb prized by Native Americans. At the West End of downtown Camas is an old and huge Georgia-Pacific factory from which the town's high school teams get their name, "the Papermakers". A factory was first established within the city in 1883 with the support of Henry Pittock, a wealthy entrepreneur from England who had settled in Portland, Oregon, where he published The Oregonian.
What is the industrial history of Camas, Washington?
Pittock's LaCamas Colony bought 2,600 acres of land in 1883, forming the Columbia Paper Company the subsequent year to start production in 1885, before merging with Oregon City's Crown Paper Company to make Crown Columbia Paper in 1905. Converting from steam to electricity in 1913, it then merged with Willamette Paper in 1914 then again in 1928 with Zellerbach Paper to become the most important paper company on the West Coast, Crown Zellerbach. Changing from newsprint to bathroom tissue in 1930, it temporarily produced shipyard parts during World War II. In 1950 it had been the primary factory to supply folded paper napkins. "Crown Z" was the area's biggest employer in 1971, with 2,643 of roughly 3,700 Clark County paper-mill workers. Various other mergers happened until Georgia-Pacific's mill was the only property of Koch Industries. Koch announced plans to lay off almost 300 workers in 2018. It shut down all of its operations associated with communications paper, fine paper conversion and pulping.
Where In Washington Is Camas Located?
The city of Camas is located 20 miles (32 km) east of Portland. Historically, the commercial base of the town was almost solely the paper mill; however, the range of industries has been enhanced considerably in recent years by the influx of several white-collar, high-tech companies. Some of these companies are Hewlett Packard, Sharp Microelectronics, Linear Technology, WaferTech and Underwriters Labs. Annual events include the summer "Camas Days", also as other festivals and celebrations.
What Is The Geography Like In Camas, Washington?
According to the US Bureau of the Census, Camas, Washington has a total area of 15.25 square miles (39.50 km2) of which 13.49 square miles (34.94 km2) is land and 1.76 square miles (4.56 km2) is water.
There are numerous bodies of water within the town limits, including Lacamas Lake, Lacamas Creek, Round Lake, Fallen Leaf Lake, Tug Lake, the Washougal River, and of course the Columbia river.
What Is The Population Demographic Of Camas, Washington?
As per the 2010 census, Camas has 19,355 people, 6,619 households, and 5,241 families residing within the city. The population density was 1,434.8 inhabitants per area unit (554.0/km2). Camas also has 7,072 housing units at a mean density of 524.2 per area unit (202.4/km2). Racially, the town consists of 87.4% White, 1.0% African American, 0.6% Native American, 6.0% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 1.2% from other races, and 3.6% from two or more races. Hispanic/Latino made up 4.1% of the city's population.
There were 6,619 households, of which 46.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.7% were married couples living with each other. 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 20.8% were non-families. 16.2% of all households were made from individuals, and 4.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years aged or older. A typical Camas household size was 2.91 and with the average family size being 3.27.
The median age within the city was 36.9 years. 31.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.1% were from 25 to 44; 26.8% were from 45 to 64; and 8.7% were 65 years aged or older. Camas has a very even sex ratio. With 50.4% of the population being male and 49.6% female.
As per the 2000 census, Camas has 12,534 people, 4,480 households, and 3,422 families residing within the city. The population density was 1,149.3 people per area unit (443.6/km2). Camas had 4,736 housing units at a mean density of 434.3 per area unit (167.6/km2). Racially, Camas was 92.01% White, 0.69% African American, 0.69% Native American, 3.41% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 0.80% from other races, and 2.26% from two or more races. Hispanic/Latinos made up 2.86% of the population. 18.8% were of German, 11.3% English, 9.6% American, 8.2% Irish and 5.6% Norwegian ancestry.
There were 4,480 households, out of which 42.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.9% were married couples living with each other, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.6% were non-families. 18.6% of all households were made from individuals, and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years aged or older. A typical Camas household size was 2.78 and with the average family size being 3.19.
In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 31.2% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 8.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.6 males.
What Is The Income Of The Residents Of Camas, Washington?
The median income for a household in Camas is $60,187. Median family income is a little higher at $64,885. Males had a median income of $51,470 versus $31,985 for females. The city's per capita income was $27,267. Over 5% of the residents of Camas live below the poverty line. 6.4% of people under the age of 18 are living below the poverty line while 4.7% of those above the age of 65 are living below the poverty line.
Iram Martins
Author
Tobey Strickland
Reviewer
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