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Clairton is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, along the Monongahela River. The population was 8,491 at the 2000 census. The city was the setting for the movie The Deer Hunter (1978). It also is home to Clairton Works, the largest coke manufacturing facility in the United States.
Geography
Clairton is located at (40.296419, -79.887090).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.8 km² (3.0 mi²). 7.1 km² (2.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.6 km² (0.2 mi²) of it (8.31%) is water.
History
Clairton’s existence began when the United States Steel Company acquired the town’s site just after the turn of the century as a location for an integrated steel mill. The site had more than a thousand acres (4 km²) of level land suitable for a large industrial complex. In January of 1922, the City of Clairton was incorporated as a City of the Third Class with a population of approximately 11,000. This incorporation was prompted by industry, which was taxed by the three boroughs -Clairton, Wilson and North Clairton - which were chartered separately prior to the incorporation of the City of Clairton.
During the next several decades, growth and advancement indicated a thriving city. As the steel mill expanded, the population of Clairton grew. Clairton took on a life of its own, including a business district and educational, religious, and cultural facilities. However, with the decline of the steel industry in the early 1980’s, Clairton began to experience severe problems in its employment and tax base, which spurred a major economic shock to the community.
In 1988, the City of Clairton was designated as a distressed municipality by the Commonwealth’s Department of Community Affairs (DCA). Pursuant to Act 47 of 1987 (the Financially Distressed Municipalities Act), DCA commissioned the development of a recovery plan for Clairton. (Steel Valley Council of Governments- City of Claiton)-http://users.adelphia.net/~svcog/Clairton.html
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 8,491 people, 3,710 households, and 2,203 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,187.8/km² (3,072.3/mi²). There were 4,350 housing units at an average density of 608.5/km² (1,573.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 69.12% White, 28.32% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.28% from other races, and 2.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.73% of the population.
There were 3,710 households out of which 23.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.3% were married couples living together, 19.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.6% were non-families. 36.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.1% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 24.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 83.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,596, and the median income for a family was $31,539. Males had a median income of $29,399 versus $21,743 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,608. About 15.4% of families and 19.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.9% of those under age 18 and 14.0% of those age 65 or over.
Overview
The downtown area is the remnant of a once productive shopping district, while the residential areas are the remains of the employee housing for Clairton Works. The collapse of the steel industry in the area left a large portion of the population jobless, and since then large parts of the city have descended into poverty and crime. The city lacks the funding to carry out the demolition of condemned buildings, so empty storefronts and houses, often covered in graffiti and grime, plague the area. Local groups have tried to encourage recovery of the area, but have often been met with failure due to lack of funding or interest. One of these groups, the Community Economic Development Corporation of Clairton (CEDCC), in conjunction with Allegheny County, Allegheny County Housing Authority, and the State of Pennsylvania, recently finished construction of a housing development to encourage people to own rather than rent.
External links
"Clairton, Pennsylvania"