Chandler is a city located in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 176,582. But a July 1, 2004 Census estimate put the fast-growing suburb's population at 220,705--a 25% population increase in just four years.
Chandler is noted for its annual Ostrich Festival. The city is known in O'odham (Pima) as Canli.
Chandler is located at 33°17'52" North, 111°51'49" West (33.297756, -111.863522).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 150.2 km2 (58.0 mi2). 149.9 km2 (57.9 mi2) of it is land and 0.3 km2 (0.1 mi2) of it is water. The total area is 0.17% water.
As of the census of 2000, there are 176,581 people, 62,377 households, and 45,410 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,177.7/km2 (3,050.5/mi2). There are 66,592 housing units at an average density of 444.1/km2 (1,150.4/mi2). The racial makeup of the city is 77.19% White, 3.48% Black or African American, 1.20% Native American, 4.22% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 10.76% from other races, and 3.01% from two or more races. 20.99% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 62,377 households out of which 41.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.5% are married couples living together, 10.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 27.2% are non-families. 19.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 3.6% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.82 and the average family size is 3.26.
In the city the population is spread out with 29.8% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 38.0% from 25 to 44, 17.8% from 45 to 64, and 5.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 31 years. For every 100 females there are 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 96.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $58,416, and the median income for a family is $62,720. Males have a median income of $44,578 versus $31,763 for females. The per capita income for the city is $23,904. 6.6% of the population and 4.6% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 7.7% of those under the age of 18 and 8.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
In 1891, Dr. Alexander John Chandler, the first veterinary surgeon in Arizona Territory, settled on a ranch south of Mesa, studying irrigation engineering. By 1900, he had acquired 18,000 acres of land, and began drawing up plans for a townsite on what was then known as the Chandler Ranch. The townsite office opened on May 17, 1912, the same year that Chandler High School was established. By 1913, a town center had become established, featuring the luxurious Hotel San Marcos, the first golf resort in the state.
Initially, agriculture was the primary business in Chandler, based on cotton, corn, and alfalfa. During the 1910s, there were ostrich farms in the area, catering to the demand for plumes used in women's hats of the era. This demand ebbed with the increasing popularity of the automobile, but the legacy of the ostrich farms would be commemorated by the Ostrich Festival.
While Chandler stagnated through the Great Depression, the founding of Williams Air Force Base in 1941 led to a small surge in population, but Chandler still only held 3,800 people by 1950. By 1980, it had grown to 30,000, and it has since paced the Phoenix metropolitan area's high rate of growth, with vast suburban residential areas swallowing former agricultural plots. Some of this growth was fueled by the establishment of manufacturing plants for communications and computing firms such as Motorola and Intel, but despite the inclusion of many large businesses, Chandler is often arguably considered a bedroom community for the greater Phoenix metropolitan area.
Source:
ChandlerUSA.com
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