ROGERS, ARKANSAS

:''For the surrounding metropolitan area (Northwest Arkansas) see Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers metropolitan area''
'Rogers' is a suburban city in Benton County, Arkansas, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city is the ninth most populous in the state, with a total population of 38,829. In 2006, a special census determined that Rogers had a population of 48,666.
Rogers is famous as the location of the first Wal-Mart. It is also where comedian Will Rogers married Betty Blake. In June 2007, BusinessWeek Magazine ranked Rogers as 18th in the 25 best affordable suburbs in the South.

Contents

Geography

Demographics

Major highways

Education

Airports

External links

Geography

Rogers is located at (36.329388, -94.141372).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 87.0 km² (33.6 mi²). 86.8 km² (33.5 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.15%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 38,829 people, 14,005 households, and 10,209 families residing in the city. The population density was 447.1/km² (1,158.0/mi²). There were 14,836 housing units at an average density of 170.8/km² (442.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 85.75% White, 0.47% Black or African American, 1.05% Native American, 1.43% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 9.43% from other races, and 1.80% from two or more races. 19.29% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 14,005 households out of which 39.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.4% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.1% were non-families. 22.2% 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 2.74 and the average family size was 3.21.
In the city the population was spread out with 29.4% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $40,474, and the median income for a family was $45,876. Males had a median income of $30,911 versus $22,020 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,761. About 9.4% of families and 12.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.6% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.

Major highways

★ Interstate 540

★ U.S. Highway 62

Education

★ Rogers High School (Mountaineers), split into two campuses, one for sophomores and one for upperclassmen. The city and school administration have historically opposed the creation of a separate high school, in part because of a possible dilution of the Rogers football program. Nonetheless, a second high school will be opened by 2008. There has been some controversy related to the name and mascot of the second high school. Overcrowding, a serious problem for the past few years, may continue even after a new high school opens. In 1996, Rogers High School was ranked by Newsweek as being 771 among the top 1000 high schools in America based on the number of students taking AP Tests.

Airports

Carter Field, Rogers' municipal airport, is home to Wal-Mart's air fleet. Most commercial aviation goes through the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA), located about 15 miles west of Rogers in Highfill, Arkansas.

External links

★ City of Rogers website

★ Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce website

★ Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture entry: Rogers (Benton County)