Editing White Center, Washington

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = White Center, Washington
|settlement_type          = [[Census-designated place]]
|image_skyline            = White Center - Delridge.jpg
|imagesize                =
|image_caption            =
|image_map                = King_County_Washington_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_White_Center_Highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location of White Center, Washington
<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = Country
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = State
|subdivision_name1        = [[Washington (state)|Washington]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Washington|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[King County, Washington|King]]
<!-- Government -->
|government_footnotes     =
|government_type          =
|established_title        =
|established_date         =
<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           =<ref name="American FactFinder">[https://www.census.gov U.S. Census website]. Retrieved on July 31, 2012.</ref>
|area_total_km2           = 5.83
|area_land_km2            = 5.81
|area_water_km2           = 0.02
|area_total_sq_mi         = 
|area_land_sq_mi          = 
|area_water_sq_mi         =
<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = 2020
|population_footnotes     =
|population_total         = 16631
|population_density_km2   = auto
|population_density_sq_mi =
<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[Pacific Time Zone|Pacific (PST)]]
|utc_offset               = -8
|timezone_DST             = PDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -7
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_ft             = 381
|coordinates              = {{coord|47|30|19|N|122|20|32|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
<!-- Area/postal codes and others ---->
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]s
|postal_code              = 98106, 98146, 98168
|area_code                = [[Area code 206|206]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 53-78225<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2409580<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2409580}}</ref>
|footnotes                =
}}

'''White Center''' is a [[census-designated place]] (CDP) in [[King County, Washington]], United States. It lies between [[West Seattle]] and [[Burien, Washington|Burien]]. The population was 16,631 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="2020 Census Data">{{cite web | url = https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/whitecentercdpwashington/PST045219 | title = QuickFacts - White Center CDP, Washington | format = Web | publisher = United States Census Bureau | access-date = November 26, 2021 }}</ref>

White Center is sometimes referred to by the nickname "Rat City" due to the historical presence of a military [[Relocation and Training Center]] during [[World War II]].<ref name="ratcityrollergirls">{{cite web|url=http://ratcityrollergirls.com/about-us/where-exactly-is-rat-city/|title=Where exactly is Rat City? « Rat City Rollergirls|publisher=ratcityrollergirls.com|access-date=September 2, 2015}}</ref> The [[Rat City Rollergirls]] are a Seattle [[roller derby]] team that began training in White Center.

==Geography==
White Center is located in western King County. It has a total area of {{convert|5.83|sqkm|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|0.02|sqkm|order=flip|2}}, or 0.41%, are water.<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US5378225| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213041500/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US5378225| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 13, 2020| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001), White Center CDP, Washington| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| work=American FactFinder| access-date=June 24, 2019}}</ref>

The CDP is bordered to the north and west by [[Seattle]], to the east by unincorporated [[Boulevard Park, Washington|Boulevard Park]], and to the south by the city of [[Burien, Washington|Burien]]. [[Washington State Route 509]] forms the eastern border of the White Center CDP. [[Downtown Seattle]] is {{convert|7|mi|0}} to the north, and the center of Burien is {{convert|3|mi|0}} to the south.

The heavily polluted [[Hicklin Lake]] is located within White Center.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
| 1980=19362
| 1990=20531
| 2000=20975
| 2010=13495
| 2020=16631
| footnote=Census area in 1980 & 1990<br>enumerated as<br>'''White Center-Shorewood'''.<ref>{{cite web
  |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html
  |title=CENSUS OF POPULATION AND HOUSING (1790–2000)
  |publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]
  |access-date=November 26, 2021}}</ref>
}}
As of the census of 2010,<ref name="American FactFinder"/> there were 13,495 people, 4,920 households, and 3,105 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 5,996.0 people per square mile (2,315.1/km<sup>2</sup>). There were 5,235 housing units at an average density of 2,326.0/sq&nbsp;mi (898.1/km<sup>2</sup>). The racial makeup of the CDP was 47.0% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (39.6% [[Non-Hispanic White]]), 9.0% [[African American (U.S. Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 1.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 22.9% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 1.7% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 11.4% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 6.4% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] people of any race were 21.5% of the population.

There were 4,920 households, out of which 35.0% had individuals under 18 years, 39.2% were husband-wife families, 16.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.9% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.29.

In terms of age distribution, 23.7% were under the age of 18, 67.3% from 18 to 64, and 9.0% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.1 years. For every 100 females there were 102.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.0 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $35,448, and the median income for a family was $41,433. Males who worked full-time, year-round had a median income of $32,392 versus $28,893 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $19,852. About 23.8% of families and 25.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 38.3% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over. The typical home for sale in White Center was built in 1969, which is older than the typical home for sale in Washington.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.estately.com/WA/98146/real-estate-market|title=98146 Real Estate & Homes for Sale - Estately}}</ref>

===Origins===
By 1992, a number of people from [[Mandan, North Dakota]] had moved to White Center.<ref>{{cite news|last=Winter|first=Deena|title=Seattle suburb has Mandan connection|newspaper=[[The Bismarck Tribune]]|place=[[Bismarck, North Dakota]]|date=1992-12-09|page=[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/159933753/ 1B]|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

==Education==
[[Image:White Center New Angkor Market 02.jpg|thumb|right|U.S. and Cambodian flags on the side of the New Angkor Market]]
White Center is part of the [[Highline School District]], which covers much of southwestern King County.<ref name=KingCoSDMap>{{cite map |author=U.S. Census Bureau Geography Division |date=December 21, 2020 |title=2020 Census – School District Reference Map: King County, WA |page=2 |scale=1:80,000 |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st53_wa/schooldistrict_maps/c53033_king/DC20SD_C53033.pdf |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |accessdate=August 3, 2022|place=[[Suitland, Maryland]]}}</ref> Elementary schools include Beverly Park Elementary, Mount View Elementary, Southern Heights Elementary, and White Center Heights Elementary. Secondary schools include Rainier Prep Public Charter School, Cascade Middle School, New Start High School, and [[Evergreen High School (King County, Washington)|Evergreen High School]].

==History==
===Origin of the name===
In 1918 George White and Hiram Green resolved the question of what to call the booming community. White won a coin toss with Green, and thereafter the community was called White Center.<ref>{{cite news |title=White Center — Thumbnail History |date=July 23, 2008 |url=https://www.historylink.org/File/8616#:~:text=In%201918%20George%20White%20and,community%20was%20called%20White%20Center./ |access-date=October 7, 2023}}</ref> 

===Incorporation===
White Center is an urbanized area of King County that is not incorporated as part of a city. Seattle has been working towards incorporating the area since the mid-2000s. An area south of White Center, known as [[Highline Public Schools|North Highline]], was annexed by neighboring [[Burien, Washington|Burien]] on April 1, 2010.<ref name="highlinetimes">{{cite web |url=http://www.highlinetimes.com/2010/03/10/news/burien-take-census-north-highline|title=Burien to take census of North Highline {{pipe}} The Highline Times / Des Moines News|publisher=highlinetimes.com|access-date=September 2, 2015}}</ref> The Seattle city council rejected annexation of White Center in 2009, and a measure to annex White Center to Burien was rejected by voters in 2012.<ref name=annexmoney>{{cite news |title=White Center could become part of Seattle, thanks to money from Legislature |work=Seattle Times |date=March 3, 2016 |url=http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/seattles-plan-to-annex-white-center-gets-boost/ |access-date=March 3, 2016}}</ref> Plans to annex White Center got a boost in March 2016 when the state legislature directed that $7&nbsp;million go to the city of Seattle if it annexes the area. Completing annexation would require approval by the voters in the area as well as by the Seattle City Council, and would not be completed before 2017.<ref name=annexmoney/>

==Notable people==

* [[Richard Hugo]], poet
* [[Floyd Johnson]], boxer<ref name="boxrec">{{cite web|url=http://boxrec.com/media/index.php?title=Human:16892|title=Floyd Johnson – BoxRec|publisher=boxrec.com|access-date=September 2, 2015}}</ref>
* [[Jack Thompson (American football)|Jack Thompson]], football player

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{Wikivoyage|White Center}}
* [http://www.wccda.org White Center Community Development Association]

{{King County, Washington}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Census-designated places in King County, Washington]]