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Lakewood is a city in Pierce County,
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
, United States. The population was 63,612 at the 2020 census.


History

Lakewood was officially incorporated on February 28, 1996. Historical names include Tacoma/Lakewood Center and Lakes District (this name was used by the U.S. Census in the 1970 and 1980 Census). Lakewood is the second-largest city in Pierce County and is home to the Clover Park School District, the Lakewood Water District,
Fort Steilacoom Park Fort Steilacoom Park in Lakewood, Washington is the largest park in the city. The park includes Waughop Lake, an off-leash dog park, and several soccer fields and baseball fields. It is adjacent to Pierce College, historic Fort Steilacoom, and W ...
and Western State Hospital, a regional state
psychiatric hospital Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental health hospitals, behavioral health hospitals, are hospitals or wards specializing in the treatment of severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, dissociat ...
.
Thornewood Castle Thornewood is an estate in what is now Lakewood, Washington. The estate consists of three buildings, including Thornewood Castle, which was built from the brick of a dismantled 15th-century house imported from England. The Castle was used as a ...
was built in the vicinity of Tacoma in the area that is now Lakewood.


Geography

Lakewood is located at (47.164, -122.526). According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...
, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water. There are several lakes within the city limits; the largest in area are
American Lake American Lake is a lake located in Lakewood, Washington at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. It is the largest natural lake in Pierce County. There are two public parks on the large lake: American Lake North Park & Marina, and Harry Todd Park. Both have l ...
, Lake Steilacoom, Gravelly Lake, Lake Louise, and
Waughop Lake Waughop Lake is a lake less than 1.6 km (1.0 mi) east of Steilacoom in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The lake lies within Fort Steilacoom Park, in the city of Lakewood, Washington. Waughop Lake has a surface area of approxima ...
. The Waughop Lake is incorporated into the aforementioned Fort Steilacoom Park. A number of small creeks flow through Lakewood, some of which drain into nearby Puget Sound. The largest of these, Chambers Creek, flows from Lake Steilacoom to Chambers Bay between nearby University Place and Steilacoom. The western terminus of State Route 512 is in Lakewood, at its intersection with Interstate 5. The proposed State Route 704 would be the only other state highway entering the city.


Demographics


2010 census

As of the
census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...
of 2010, there were 58,163 people, 24,069 households, and 14,412 families living in the city. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...
was . There were 26,548 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 59.3%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...
, 11.8%
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 1.3% Native American, 9.0% Asian, 2.6%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 7.3% from other races, and 8.7% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...
or Latino of any race were 15.3% of the population. There were 24,069 households, of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.3% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...
living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.1% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.98. The median age in the city was 36.6 years. 22.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.4% were from 25 to 44; 26.5% were from 45 to 64; and 13.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.0% male and 51.0% female.


2000 census

As of the
census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...
of 2000, there were 58,211 people, 23,792 households, and 15,084 families living in the city. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...
was 3,401.3 people per square mile (1,313.6/km2). There were 25,396 housing units at an average density of 1,483.9 per square mile (573.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 64.82%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...
, 12.25%
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 8.95% Asian, 1.84%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 1.55% Native American, 3.55% from other races, and 7.04% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...
or Latino of any race were 8.49% of the population. There were 23,792 households, out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...
living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.6% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.94. The population was spread out, with 24.4% under the age of 18, 11.3% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 93.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $36,422, and the median income for a family was $42,551. Males had a median income of $31,434 versus $26,653 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...
for the city was $20,569. About 12.5% of families and 15.8% 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 23.5% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.


Government and politics


Police

The City of Lakewood contracted with the
Pierce County Sheriff's Office Pierce County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 921,130, up from 795,225 in 2010, making it the second-most populous county in Washington, behind King County, and the 60th-most populous ...
for police services between 1996 and 2004. According to the City of Lakewood website, the Lakewood Police Department started independent police and patrol operations on November 1, 2004.


Firefighters

Lakewood is served by the West Pierce Fire Department (WPFD). The WPFD also serves University Place. The WPFD has 6 departments located in the two cities.


2009 shooting

On November 29, 2009, four LPD officers were shot and killed. Maurice Clemmons walked into the Parkland Forza Coffee shop at around 8:15 a.m. After approaching the counter, he turned and started shooting. Dead at the scene were Sergeant Mark Renninger, 39, and officers Tina Griswold, 40, Ronald Owens, 37, and Greg Richards, 42. Each of them had served with the department since its inception. Two baristas and several customers in the shop were not injured. Clemmons was shot and killed by a Seattle police officer two days later. The shooting is believed to be the most deadly attack on law enforcement in the state of Washington, and the second deadliest attack on law enforcement in the United States (the Dallas attack on July 7, 2016 had 5 officers killed and 2 wounded) since the March 21, 2009 shootings that left four
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
,
California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
police officers dead. The four were the first Lakewood police officers to be killed in the line of duty since the department's establishment in 2004.


Education

The
Clover Park School District The Clover Park School District (CPSD) is the fourth largest school district in Pierce County, Washington, United States, and the 28th largest public school district in the state. Location The Clover Park School District is located directly sout ...
, which includes most of the city limits, operates all public schools within Lakewood. Private schools include St Frances Cabrini School, St Mary's Christian School, and Lakewood Lutheran School. Lakewood is also home to Pierce College Fort Steilacoom and Clover Park Technical College. Portions of Lakewood are in the Steilacoom Historical School District and Tacoma Public Schools.


Economy

Lakewood's economy is highly dependent upon on the military bases in the area. It also boasts one of the few true International Districts in the South Sound along South Tacoma Way and Pacific Highway, with Korean, Vietnamese, Chinese, Latino and other influences (the population of Lakewood's Tillicum neighborhood is nearly half non-English speaking). Many apartment complexes in Lakewood


Media

Lakewood's news is primarily covered by '' The News Tribune'' (Tacoma), and sometimes by the media in Seattle. Earlier weekly newspapers for the community were the ''Lakewood Log'' (circa 1930s), ''Suburban Times'' (1960s-1982), ''Lakewood Press'' (1980s), and ''Lakewood Journal'' (1990s). KLAY-AM radio provides Lakewood-specific talk radio.
KVTI-FM KVTI (90.9 FM) is a National Public Radio affiliate station operated by Northwest Public Radio, licensed to Tacoma, Washington, and operates at 90.9 MHz with an ERP of 51 kW. As an "NPR & Classical Music" station, it broadcasts NPR n ...
, known as "I-91 FM", broadcast top 40 music from its Lakewood studio at Clover Park Technical College until 2010, when the college transferred management of the station to Washington State University's Northwest Public Radio who discontinued the locally produced programming in favor of a network feed from the University's Pullman campus. The Clover Park School District operated KCPQ (thus the call letters) until 1980, when the district sold the station to Kelly Broadcasting. Lakewood receives Seattle area television and radio stations.


Notable people

* Zach Banner, professional American football player *
Llewellyn Chilson Llewellyn Morris Chilson (April 1, 1920 – October 2, 1981) was a United States Army master sergeant and one of the most decorated American soldiers of World War II. He received twelve individual decorations for combat from the U.S. Army inclu ...
, U.S. Army soldier *
Edgar N. Eisenhower Edgar Newton Eisenhower (January 19, 1889 – July 12, 1971) was an American lawyer and businessman, the older brother of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Early life and education Eisenhower was born in Hope, Kansas, the second oldest of seven ...
, attorney and brother of U.S. president Dwight D. Eisenhower *
William Hardin Harrison William Hardin Harrison (born July 2, 1933) is a retired lieutenant general in the United States Army. He is a former commander of the I Corps at Fort Lewis, a post which he served from 1987 to 1989. He is also a former commander of the Six ...
, U.S. Army General and first mayor of Lakewood * Adre-Anna Jackson, unsolved death *
Jermaine Kearse Jermaine Levan Kearse (born February 6, 1990) is a former American football wide receiver. He played eight seasons in National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2012 and later won Super Bo ...
, professional American football player *
Craig Lancaster Craig Lancaster (born February 9, 1970) is an American author, playwright, and journalist, best known for his novels '' 600 Hours of Edward'', its sequel, ''Edward Adrift'', and '' The Summer Son''.Crisp, Davi"Edward Adrift", ''The Billings Outpo ...
, novelist *
James S. Russell James Sargent Russell (March 22, 1903 – April 14, 1996) was an admiral in the United States Navy. Biography Russell was born in Tacoma, Washington, the son of noted architect Ambrose J. Russell and Loella Janet (Sargent) Russell. He attended ...
, U.S. Navy Admiral


Points of interest

* Fort Steilacoom * Lakewold Gardens *
Lakewood Towne Center Lakewood Towne Center is a shopping center located in Lakewood, Washington, a suburb of Tacoma. Lakewood Towne Center was created when MBK Northwest bought and demolished the enclosed portion of the failing Lakewood Mall in 2001, and turned the s ...
* Lakewood Playhouse * Thornewood * Western State Hospital


Recognition

Lakewood and Pierce County were named among the 100 Best Places for Young People by America's Promise.100 Best Communities for Young People, Washington


Notes


External links


City of Lakewood official site
* {{authority control Cities in the Seattle metropolitan area Cities in Washington (state) Former census-designated places in Washington (state) Cities in Pierce County, Washington Populated places established in 1833 1833 establishments in the British Empire