Raymond, Washington

Raymond is a city in Pacific County, Washington, United States. The population was 2,882 at the 2010 census. The 2020 census showed the population of 3,081, an increase of 6.4%. The town's economy has traditionally been based on logging and fishing, together with a limited amount of tourism.

History

Raymond was incorporated on August 6, 1907. Raymond was named after L.V. Raymond, who was the first postmaster in Raymond. In the early years, Raymond's business section was built on stilts five or six feet above the tidelands and sloughs that crisscrossed the site. Elevated sidewalks and streets connected most of the buildings. Raymond claimed a population of 6,000 in the year 1913 and had a reputation as a wild and wooly lumber mill town. City fathers resisted the unwanted reputation with promotions of Raymond as "The Empire City of Willapa Harbor" and "The City That Does Things". Lyricist Robert Wells, who wrote "The Christmas Song" with Mel Tormé, was born in Raymond in 1922.

Raymond is the city where the grunge band Nirvana played their first gig, on March 7, 1987.

Raymond saw an influx of cannabis manufacturing and agricultural jobs after the passing of Initiative 502 in November 2012, which legalized the recreational use of marijuana. Raymond has embraced all aspects of this lucrative industry by welcoming many new start-up businesses including commercial marijuana grow operations, marijuana-infused goods manufacturing, as well as retail marijuana stores.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water.

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Raymond has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.

On June 27, 2021, Raymond reached a maximum recorded temperature of 103 degrees Fahrenheit.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Raymond had a population of 3,081. The median age was 42.2 years. 23.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 104.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 100.8 males age 18 and over.

0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 1,254 households in Raymond, of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 40.2% were married-couple households, 22.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Number !! Percent

| White || 2,095 || 68.0%

| Black or African American || 11 || 0.4%

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 86 || 2.8%

| Asian || 181 || 5.9%

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 8 || 0.3%

| Some other race || 327 || 10.6%

| Two or more races || 373 || 12.1%

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 552 || 17.9%

2010 census

At the 2010 census there were 2,882 people, 1,151 households, and 698 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,279 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 75.9% White, 0.9% African American, 2.5% Native American, 6.8% Asian, 10.1% from other races, and 3.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 16.2%.

Of the 1,151 households 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.4% were non-families. 33.4% of households were one person and 15.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.10.

The median age was 41 years. 23.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.2% were from 25 to 44; 27.5% were from 45 to 64; and 18.4% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.9% male and 50.1% female.

2000 census

At the 2000 census there were 2,975 people, 1,192 households, and 760 families living in the city. The population density was 776.4 people per square mile (299.9/km). There were 1,338 housing units at an average density of 349.2 per square mile (134.9/km). The racial makeup of the city was 83.70% White, 0.24% African American, 2.72% Native American, 7.06% Asian, 0.17% Pacific Islander, 3.16% from other races, and 2.96% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.18%.

Museums

The Northwest Carriage Museum contains a collection of historic carriages, buggies, and sleighs, including a Shelburne landau that was used in Gone with the Wind and Jezebel. The Seaport Museum provides exhibits and artifacts of Raymond's maritime and logging history.

Parks and recreation

The Willapa Hills Trail courses through Raymond and incorporates the Raymond Wildlife-Heritage Sculpture Corridor, a collection of steel sculptures first installed in 1993. The city contains over 200 such artworks.