Selah, Washington

Selah, Washington
—  City  —
Location of Selah, Washington
Coordinates: 46°39′8″N 120°32′6″W
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Yakima
Area
• Total	4.4 sq mi (11.5 km2)
• Land	4.4 sq mi (11.3 km2)
• Water	0.1 sq mi (0.1 km2)
Elevation	1,119 ft (341 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	7,147
• Density	1,444.2/sq mi (557.6/km2)
Time zone	Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
• Summer (DST)	PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP code	98942
Area code	509
FIPS code	53-63280
GNIS feature ID	1512655

Selah is a city in Yakima County, Washington, United States. The population was 7,147 at the 2010 census.

History

Selah was officially incorporated on April 3, 1919. The government is a Strong Mayor/Council form. The Tree Top apple processor co-operative (established in 1960) has its headquarters and two processing plants in Selah. Also in 2004 the Yakama Tribe bought the old Hi-Country juicing plant and currently produces store brand apple juice and other beverages. In addition a number of fruit companies have warehouses there, due to the proximity of fruit orchards in the nearby Wenas Valley and access to regional railroad and roadway systems for shipment to markets. Selah and the Wenas Valley increasingly serve as a "bedroom community" of the larger city of Yakima to the south. Because of the nearby orchards and juice processing plants, Selah is often referred to as "The Apple Juice Capital of the World"

The Washington State Audubon Society each Memorial Day weekend holds a campout some 22 miles north of Selah at the Hazel Wolf Bird Sanctuary in the upper Wenas Valley. The upper valley also holds Wenas Lake, an irrigation reservoir famed among anglers. Wenas Creek flows from the reservoir through the agricultural lower Wenas Valley. This is where the Wenas Creek Mammoth was found. The creek is a tributary of the Yakima River.

Selah, Washington viewed from Lookout Point.

Recreation Opportunities

Selah has a plethora of opportunities in the city or within easy driving distance. There are several parks in the city that all hold a separate purpose; some are for picnics, some are for regional baseball and softball games others for children's play, and others can be used for basketball. Just out of town is the Yakima River Canyon which has several hiking and biking trails. In the summer the canyon is an excellent place to have a calm river float and enjoy the opportunity to see wildlife that includes big horn sheep and deer.

Geography

Selah is located at 46°39′8″N 120°32′6″W (46.652109, -120.535134).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.4 square miles (11.5 km²), of which, 4.4 square miles (11.3 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (1.35%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 7,147 people and 2,759 households in Selah. Among those who identified as having one race, the population was 79.5% White, 0.3% African American, 1% American Indian and Alaskan Native, 0.6% Asian, 0.2% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and 1 individual identifying as "some other race." There were 138 individuals (1.9% of the population) identifying as having "two or more races."

As of the census of 2000, there were 5,314 people, 2,269 households, and 1,688 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,444.2 people per square mile (557.5/km²). There were 2,408 housing units at an average density of 551.1 per square mile (212.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.42% White, 0.60% African American, 1.22% Native American, 0.82% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 6.40% from other races, and 2.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.05% of the population.

There were 2,269 households out of which 44.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.4% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.6% were non-families. 21.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.16.

In the city the age distribution of the population shows 31.7% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $42,386, and the median income for a family was $49,477. Males had a median income of $39,241 versus $28,067 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,595. About 9.0% of families and 10.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.4% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.

Further reading

Selah, WA is home to Tree Top inc., a orchardist's cooperative company that produces Apple Juice, apple sauce and fresh sliced apples. Tree Top is the world's largest apple and pear processor and was the first grower-owned fruit processing cooperative in the United States. 1,300 apple and pear growers in Washington, Idaho, and Oregon own the cooperative, with the majority of the growers from Washington. Tree Top founder Bill Charbonneau developed the first clear apple juice process that was ever used. This process was developed in the 1950s. Because of the facility loaction and the amount of juice produced annually, Selah, Washington is known as "The Apple Juice Capital of the World"

Lince, Robert S. The Selah Story. Selah, Washington: Selah Valley Optimist Printing, 1984.

External links

• City of Selah
• Discover Selah
• Selah Library
• Yakima Family Times
• Selah Community Days Festival
• Tree Top
• The Selah School District
• Yakima Valley Visitors & Convention Bureau