Stevens Point is a city located in Portage County in central Wisconsin. It is the county seat and the largest city of the county. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 24,551. The city was incorporated in 1858. It was named after its founder, George Stevens, who ran several saloons on what is today known as "The Square". Loggers on the Wisconsin River found this a convenient stopping point, as the river bends slightly and one could tell from far upstream whether Stevens' point was open for business.
(A local legend also claims that Stevens Point is a bastardization of "Stevens Pint", a reference to Stevens' alleged practice of serving whiskey by the pint.).
Stevens Point is home to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP), a small university known for (among other things) its graduate program in natural resources.
Each year in April, WWSP, the campus radio station of UW - Stevens Point hosts a trivia contest that bills itself as the largest trivia contest in the world. Usually the contest features over 500 teams and over 10,000 participants. It has been featured in several newspapers, and was reported on by the BBC. It has been held annually since 1969.
Together with surrounding communities, the Stevens Point micropolitan area was, according to the 2000 census, home to 48,123 people. The city forms the core of the United States Census Bureau's Stevens Point Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Portage County (2000 population: 67,182).
Stevens Point is located at 44°31'23" North, 89°33'37" West (44.523036, -89.560321).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 42.0 km2 (16.2 mi2). 39.7 km2 (15.3 mi2) of it is land and 2.4 km2 (0.9 mi2) of it is water. The total area is 5.61% water.
It is surrounded by several smaller villages and towns, including Plover, Whiting, Custer, Park Ridge and the Town of Hull. On average, the temperature ranges from 80° to 20° Fahrenheit. All four seasons can be distinctly observed, with snow falling most heavily in December and January and temperatures rising to their average summer levels of about 70° in July and August.
As of the census of 2000, there are 24,551 people, 9,305 households, and 4,652 families residing in the city. The population density is 619.2/km2 (1,603.2/mi2). There are 9,749 housing units at an average density of 245.9/km2 (636.6/mi2). The racial makeup of the city is 92.53% White, 0.47% African American, 0.46% Native American, 4.78% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.48% from other races, and 1.19% from two or more races. 1.61% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 9,305 households out of which 23.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.8% are married couples living together, 8.9% have a female householder with no husband present, and 50.0% are non-families. 33.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.29 and the average family size is 2.95.
In the city the population is spread out with 18.2% under the age of 18, 30.8% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 15.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 26 years. For every 100 females there are 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 90.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $33,178, and the median income for a family is $47,176. Males have a median income of $32,894 versus $23,114 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,510. 17.3% of the population and 6.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 11.8% of those under the age of 18 and 8.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Source:
StevensPointWisconsin.com
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