Wadsworth, Ohio
Wadsworth is a city located in Medina County, Ohio. Founded in 1814, it was named after General Elijah Wadsworth, a Revolutionary War hero. As of the 2003 census, the city had a total population of 19,462 citizens.
Geography
Wadsworth is located at 41°1'40" North, 81°43'47" West (41.027867, -81.729768)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 24.6 km² (9.5 mi²). PLEASE FIX--THIS IS INCORRECT -=> 24.6 km² (9.5 mi²) of it is land and all of the area is covered with water. <=-
The closest large cities are Cleveland and Akron.
Demographics
While in 2003 there were 19,462 residents of the city, in the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 18,437 people, 7,276 households, and 5,144 families residing in the city. The population density is 749.3/km² (1,940.5/mi²). There are 7,613 housing units at an average density of 309.4/km² (801.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 97.85% White, 0.39% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 0.71% from two or more races. 0.68% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 7,276 households out of which 33.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.5% are married couples living together, 8.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 29.3% are non-families. 25.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 12.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.51 and the average family size is 3.04.
In the city the population is spread out with 26.3% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 88.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $48,605, and the median income for a family is $58,850. Males have a median income of $41,626 versus $25,805 for females. The per capita income for the city is $22,859. 5.4% of the population and 4.2% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 5.7% of those under the age of 18 and 5.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Life in Wadsworth
Wadsworth is a typical upper-middle class Midwestern suburb that is quickly becoming more and more commercialized. The town's commercial centers are called Great Oaks, which is located on the north side of town (exit 9 on I-76), and Wadsworth Crossings, located to the east of town on State Route 261 at exit 11 on I-76. Long time establishments in this area are K-Mart, Giant Eagle, Wendy's, McDonald's, Burger King, the Buehler's grocery store, and the Great Oaks Lanes bowling alley. In October of 2004, Wal-Mart opened a location in Great Oaks, and Home Depot followed suit a few months later. Great controversy arose between the City Council and the area's older residents, who argued vehemently against big-box retailers. The younger and family populations of Wadsworth and the surrounding communities, however, flocked to Wal-Mart soon after its opening.
Even more controversy over expansion occurred over Wadsworth's annexing of land near Ohio's State Route 261. The same people who opposed Wal-Mart came out to oppose turning Wadsworth into "another Medina." Current plans for Wadsworth Crossings consist of Lowes (now open), Target (now open), Kohls (now open), three additional large retail stores connecting Target and Kohls (Shoe Carnival, Office Max, and Bed Bath & Beyond), and additional stores, resturaunts, and banks. The previous plan of seven resturaunts has now been changed to four. A Starbucks Coffee and Pizza Hut Express are both located inside the Target store. Construction has begun behind Wadsworth Crossings for Stratford Crossings apartments.
The city of Wadsworth operates with the Wadsworth Police Department and the Wadsworth Fire Department, for public safety needs. The Police Department is staffed with officers 24 hours a day 7 days a week. The Fire Department is also staffed with firefighter/medics 24 hours a day 7 days a week as well. The Police officers are frequently known to harass the teenage population of the town relentlessly. Serve and protect or Harass and collect? which is it wadsworth PD?
Education
Wadsworth High School, along with all of the school system, continues to be an important part of the community as well. Wadsworth City Schools are ranked Excellent at the state and national levels. They meet this high standard while spending less per student then 109 out of the 113 Excellent Ranked districts in the state of Ohio. Wadsworth High School and Wadsworth Middle School are members of the Ohio High School Athletic Association. The high school mascot is the Grizzly and the middle school mascot is the Bear Cub. Many nights throughout the school year are spent cheering on the football and basketball teams amongst other activities. The 2006 high school girls basketball team made their first trip to Columbus since 1997 to battle the Solon Comets for a bid for the state title.
Reputation
Wadsworth has had large amounts of incest and beastiality reports in the past. Some of the largest in the United States. It has also had a lot of KKK involvement and hate crimes as of recent.