Wadsworth

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Wadsworth, Ohio
—  City  —
Location of Wadsworth, Ohio
Coordinates: 41°1′40″N 81°43′47″W / 41.02778°N 81.72972°W / 41.02778; -81.72972
Country	United States
State	Ohio
County	Medina
Government
- Mayor	Robin L. Laubaugh
Area
- Total	9.5 sq mi (24.6 km2)
- Land	9.5 sq mi (24.6 km2)
- Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation [1]	1,168 ft (356 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	18,437
- Density	1,940.5/sq mi (749.2/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes	44281-44282
Area code(s)	330
FIPS code	39-80304[2]
GNIS feature ID	1065441[1]

Wadsworth is a city in Medina County, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1814, it was named after General Elijah Wadsworth, a Revolutionary War hero^{[citation needed]} Schapiro, Elanor Iler (1964). Wadsworth Heritage. Wadsworth, Ohio: Wadsworth News-Banner. pp. 1-6. .. The population was 18,437 at the 2000 census.

Geography

Wadsworth is located at 41°1'40" North, 81°43'47" West (41.027867, -81.729768)^[3].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.5 square miles (24.6 km²), all of it land.

The closest large cities are Cleveland and Akron.

Demographics

Per the City of Wadsworth, OH Demographic Study December, 2007

Population
As of the 2000 census, the population of Wadsworth was 18,437 ^[4] with an additional 3,996 residents in the township. ^[5]. The estimated population for 2007 is 20,417 ^[6], an increase of 10.7%. It is estimated that the population in this area will be 21,075 in 2012, representing a change of 4.3% from 2007. The current population is 48.4% male and 51.6% female. In 2007, the median age of the population in this area was 39.8, compared to the US median age which was 36.7. The population density is 2,126.1 people per square mile.^[7]

Households
There are currently 7,874 households in this selected geography. The Census revealed household counts of 7,263 in 2000, up from 6,153 in 1990, representing a change of 18.0%. It is estimated that the number of households in this area will be 8,189 in 2012, representing a change of 4.0% from the current year. For the current year, the average household size in this area is 2.57 persons. In 2007, the median number of years in residence in this geography's population is 5.76. The average household size in this geography was 2.54 people and the average family size was 3.18 people. The average number of vehicles per household in this geography was 2.0.^[8]

Income
In 2007, the median household income in this selected geography was $58,723, compared to the US median which was $51,680. The Census revealed median household incomes of $49,079 in 2000 and $32,110 in 1990 representing a change of 52.8%. It is estimated that the median household income in this area will be $65,264 in 2012, which would represent a change of 11.1% from the current year. In 2007, the per capita income in this area was $23,408, compared to the $US per capita, which was $25,232. The 2007 average household income for this area was $60,368, compared to the US average which was $65,273.^[7]

Race & Ethnicity
In 2007, the racial makeup of this selected area was as follows: 97.0% White; 0.5% Black; 0.2% Native American; 0.9% Asian/Pacific Islander; and 0.3% Other, which does not equal 100%.^[9] Changes in the population within each race and ethnicity category from the 1990 Census to the 2000 Census are as follows: 5.6% American Indian, Eskimo, Aleut Population; 44.0% Asian, Pacific Islander; -2.9% Black; 118.3% Hispanic Ethnicity; 168.8% Other; White 14.5%.^[7]

Housing
The median housing value in this area was $67,641 in 1990, compare this to the US median of $78,382 for the same year. The 2000 Census median housing value was $121,202, which is a 79.2% change from 1990. In 1990, there were 4,490 owner occupied housing units in this area vs. 5,480 in 2000. Also in 1990, there were 1,662 renter occupied housing units in this area vs. 1,783 in 2000. The average rent in 1990 was $307 vs. $488 in 2000.^[7]

The city of Wadsworth operates with the Wadsworth Police Department and the Wadsworth Fire Department, for public safety needs.^[10] The Police Department is staffed with a minimum of 3 officers 24 hours a day 7 days a week.^[11] The Fire Department is also staffed with firefighter/medics 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

Education

Wadsworth City Schools is the single largest employer in the city.^{[citation needed]} The district has benefitted from the support of the community passing six of the last seven levies put before the voters.^{[citation needed]}In addition, the district voters supported the recent Medina County Sales Tax (the first in Ohio) at a rate of 74% for the levy.^{[citation needed]}According to school district Treasurer Doug Beeman, revenues for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2007 out passed expenditures as the school system continues to manage the resources provided by the community.^{[citation needed]}

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.^{[citation needed]}

Wadsworth City School district operates eight schools. There are 5 elementary schools (kindergarten through grade 4), 1 intermediate school (grades 5 and 6), 1 middle school (grades 7 and 8), and 1 high school (grades 9 through 12). The total enrollment is approximately 4,849 students.^{[citation needed]}

Wadsworth City Schools continue to excel in a variety of areas including achieving a rating of “Excellent” from the Ohio Department of Education the last five years.^[12] This rating is the result of the State Report Card, which measures student performance on achievement tests, student attendance rate, and graduation rate.^[13]

The district offers a host of extracurricular activities in which students can participate including sports, vocal and instrumental music, Drama Club, Academic Challenge, N.F.L.^{[citation needed]} Speech and Debate, Chess Club, and Student Council to name a few. The district is referred to as “AAA” because students excel in “academics,” “athletics,” and the “arts.”^{[citation needed]}There is also a before and after school child care program called Bear Cub Academy.^{[citation needed]}Bear Cub is an affordable program for students in kindergarten through sixth grade that includes homework help, enrichment, tutoring, games and activities for kids.^{[citation needed]}

Parents are very active in the district with numerous booster clubs to support academics, sports, and band. W.H.Y.S. (Wadsworth Home Youth School) is the Parent-Teacher volunteer organization that supports the Wadsworth City School System by fostering a closer relation between home and school.^{[citation needed]}

Blue Tip Festival

The Blue Tip Festival is a five day celebration of the Wadsworth, Ohio community. It starts with a world class parade and the lighting of a giant, twenty foot blue tip match which lights downtown Wadsworth during the festival's duration. The festival then offers attendants their choice of amusement rides, festival foods, midway games, contests, a vibrant local merchant's tent, and other entertainment. Additional events like the Wadsworth Running Club's "Matchstick 4 Mile" foot race and the Blue Tip Idol singing contest challenge area athletes and performers to shine. Special events over the years have included passenger train rides on the Blue Tip Express, Community Challenges between local organizations, big top circus performances, paint ball shooting ranges, pony rides, bingo tents, and assorted musical performances. Each year the Festival tries bring a hint of novelty to mix in with its annual parade and carnival tradition. The year 2009 will mark the 37th annual Blue Tip Festival.

The Blue Tip Festival takes its name from the historic strike-anywhere blue tip matches which were once manufactured in Wadsworth, Ohio. While the match manufacturing business left Wadsworth in the 1980s, the Blue Tip Festival has retained the match name and the use of its giant match as both a nod to our community's past and as a celebratory icon of the modern American community that is Wadsworth. Today, the Festival is run by a non-profit organization staffed entirely by volunteers, affectionately referred to as the Blue Tip Festival Committee. The time, talent, and dedication of these volunteers, as well as that of dozens of area groups, businesses, organizations and individuals, keeps the Blue Tip Festival tradition going year after year, all while distributing thousands of dollars of proceeds to Wadsworth area non-profit groups.^[14]

Notable natives

• Steven Sweet, drummer of band Warrant (American band)
• Andy Sonnanstine, Tampa Bay Rays Major League pitcher^{[citation needed]}
• Michael Foreman, American astronaut^{[citation needed]}
• Scott Fletcher, Texas Rangers Major League second baseman^{[citation needed]}
• Nancy Everhard, actress^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Wadsworth Public Library

References

External links

• History of Wadsworth
• Downtown Wadsworth
• The Medina County Community Advocate
• The Official City of Wadsworth Web Site
• Wadsworth City Schools
• Local Business Directory
• Wadsworth Chamber of Commerce
• Blue Tip Festival Official Home Page

• Wadsworth, Ohio is at coordinates 41°01′40″N 81°43′47″W / 41.027867°N 81.729768°W / 41.027867; -81.729768 (Wadsworth, Ohio)Coordinates: 41°01′40″N 81°43′47″W / 41.027867°N 81.729768°W / 41.027867; -81.729768 (Wadsworth, Ohio)

v • d • e Municipalities and communities of Medina County, Ohio County seat: Medina Cities Brunswick | Medina | Rittman‡ | Wadsworth Villages Chippewa Lake | Creston‡ | Gloria Glens Park | Lodi | Seville | Spencer | Westfield Center Townships Brunswick Hills | Chatham | Granger | Guilford | Harrisville | Hinckley | Homer | Lafayette | Litchfield | Liverpool | Medina | Montville | Sharon | Spencer | Wadsworth | Westfield | York Unincorporated communities Homerville | Litchfield | Valley City Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties