Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index Staunton is a city located in Macoupin County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 5,030. Table of contents 1 Geography 2 Demographics 3 History 4 External Link Geography Staunton is located at 39°0'39" North, 89°47'16" West (39.010777, -89.787711)1. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.0 km² (2.3 mi²). 5.9 km² (2.3 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.30% water. Demographics As of the census of 2000, there are 5,030 people, 2,020 households, and 1,383 families residing in the city. The population density is 851.8/km² (2,204.6/mi²). There are 2,153 housing units at an average density of 364.6/km² (943.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 98.77% White, 0.10% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.08% from other races, and 0.46% from two or more races. 0.74% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 2,020 households out of which 32.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.6% are married couples living together, 11.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% are non-families. 28.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 15.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.45 and the average family size is 3.00. In the city the population is spread out with 25.6% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 84.8 males. The median income for a household in the city is $35,893, and the median income for a family is $44,630. Males have a median income of $35,000 versus $21,121 for females. The per capita income for the city is $16,905. 6.6% of the population and 4.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 10.0% are under the age of 18 and 4.0% are 65 or older. History Staunton was one of the first areas settled in Macoupin County. The settlement of the area initially involved people moving up from Southern Illinois. Staunton became organized as a village in 1846. It became a city in 1898. Farming was the initial major industry. Around the turn of the century, coal mining would reshape Staunton and communities around it. Staunton and Macoupin County both peaked in population in the early 20th Century. As coal mining declined, the population also declined. However, Staunton has remained relatively stable recently. Population loss has been halted, and the population is again climbing. The growing St. Louis Metro East region provides employment for the community. The largest employer within the town remains the school district. A great deal of history dealing with Staunton, Illinois, and the surrounding region can be found in the book Staunton in Illinois. As of October, 2003, this was available from the City Government. External Link http://www.stauntonil.com This article is from Wikipedia. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.