CASA GRANDE, ARIZONA

'Casa Grande' is a rapidly growing city located near the Interstate 10, approximately halfway between Phoenix and Tucson in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is the largest city in Pinal County with a population of 32,855 according to 2005 Census Bureau estimates. Annual Estimates of the Population for All Incorporated Places in Arizona The name translated literally from Spanish means "Big House." Most Anglophone residents use an anglicized pronunciation that drops the final E, rather than the Spanish pronunciation.

Contents

History

Geography

Demographics

Economy

References

External links

History

Casa Grande was founded in 1879 during the Arizona mining boom and became Incorporated in 1915. It was named after the Hohokam ruins at the nearby Casa Grande Ruins National Monument.
A major railroad terminated in Casa Grande, which was originally named "Terminus".
One of the founding fathers of Casa Grande was Thompson Rodney Peart. Peart Road, Peart Park, and the Peart Center, all of which are notable fixtures of Casa Grande, are named after him.

Geography

Casa Grande is located at (32.885952, -111.743851).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 124.8 km² (48.2 mi²), all land.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 25,224 people, 8,920 households, and 6,547 families residing in the city. The population density was 202.2/km² (523.7/mi²). There were 11,041 housing units at an average density of 88.5/km² (229.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 64.90% White, 4.27% Black or African American, 4.91% Native American, 1.17% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 21.09% from other races, and 3.56% from two or more races. 39.13% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 8,920 households out of which 37.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.6% were non-families. 21.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.24.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.9% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 97.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,212, and the median income for a family was $40,827. Males had a median income of $34,858 versus $23,533 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,917. About 12.4% of families and 16.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.2% of those under age 18 and 12.3% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

The economy of Casa Grande was historically based on rural, agricultural industries such as cotton and dairy farms. Over time, the city has become home to many Phoenix or Tucson urbanites who own homes in Casa Grande. Most residents either commute north, to work in the Phoenix metropolitan area, or to the south, to work in Tucson. This trend has contributed to growth in the service industry of Casa Grande. Many new businesses such as restaurants, gas stations, and retail outlets are opening throughout the city in order to keep up with demand from the growing population.
An outlet mall operates in southern Casa Grande [1] that serves many local patrons as well as highway travelers.
Casa Grande will be the site of one of an outdoor mall by fall 2007 called The Promenade at Casa Grande. Lease agreements were completed in November 2006 and construction began immediately thereafter. Similar to Desert Ridge (an outdoor shopping center in Scottsdale, Arizona), this mall will be outdoors, built on a 100 acre patch of desert, and contain nearly a million square feet. An additional $20 million dollars are being spent by the city to fund the reconstruction of the Florence Blvd/10 Freeway off/onramp.

References

External links

★ Casa Grande Directory