| June 9, 2001 Census shows where the boys (and
girls) are
By REBECCA COOK
Associated Press Writer
SEATTLE (AP) _ Looking for love? The U.S. Census can tell you where to
go in Washington to find a man or woman.
The
census reveals male-female ratios for every town in the state. But
before you rush out to seek your soul mate in cities with the most
guys or gals, beware _ the census can be a fickle matchmaker.
Airway
Heights looks like prime territory for any Miss Lonelyheart. With a
male-female ratio of three-to-one, the small town outside Spokane has
the highest concentration of testosterone in the state.
And
the city of 4,500 is packed with men who spend lots of time dreaming
about that special someone.
"I
like quiet moments at home with my woman accompanied by some nice
mellow music, while we enjoy each other's company," says William
Davis, a single man who enjoys lifting weights in his spare time.
"Your
womanly hand will be recognized, appreciated and desired," says Sahara
Anthony, another eligible bachelor.
But
something holds these romantic souls back. It's not fear of commitment
_ it's the armed guards and barbed wire. Anthony and Davis are both
incarcerated at Airway Heights Corrections Center, along with 2,100
other men included in the census tally. Their lovelorn musings came
from www.prisonpenpals.com, a national web site for prisoners'
personal ads.
Visiting
hours at Airway Heights are weekdays, 12:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
On
the other side of the state, sunny Sequim boasts the most women, with
a female-male ratio of three-to-two. And they don't have to lock them
in at night.
"I say,
that's good news," silver-haired Sequim shopkeeper Jim Grubbs said with
a wink.
Sorry,
ladies _ he's taken. Jim and Sue Grubbs own Lady Truffles, a decidedly
frilly interior design and women's clothing boutique. Business is
booming.
It's no
coincidence that Sequim is a popular retirement center with the highest
median age in Washington, 59.3. Women tend to outlive men: the average
life expectancy in America is 74 for men, 80 for women.
But
don't assume that single women of a certain age in Sequim are unhappy
with the male-female ratio.
"I'm
perfectly fine," said Barbara Stouffer, a widow who volunteers at the
Sequim Visitors Center. "I don't have a social life. I have a dog."
Sometimes, you don't need any help from the census to find clues to a
town's gender balance. For instance, as you enter the pretty little
beach town of Langley, where 58 percent of the population is female,
the first stores to greet you are a hair salon and a pregnancy testing
center.
"We've never had any male-bashing. It's just that women rule," said
Maureen Cooke, owner of a lush gourmet food and kitchenware store in
Langley. Most of the businesses in this quaint Whidbey Island town are
owned by women.
"South
Whidbey seems to be a very nurturing, healing kind of place, especially
for women," Cooke said. She sat next to a stack of books for sale titled
"Menopaws: The Silent Meow."
Judy
Richlin, who works at Cooke's store, says the gentle, kind atmosphere
in Langley is a natural outgrowth of the female population. Just don't
cross them.
"A few
women come along and do that, 'I'm not going to talk to you because
you're women, you're obviously not in power,'" Richlin said, shaking her
head incredulously. "They learn very quickly who's running the show."
There's
not a beauty salon to be found in the small mountain town of Elbe, near
Mount Rainier, where men outnumber women two-to-one. A bait shop and a
hamburger joint greet visitors as they round the bend into Elbe.
The
census counted only 15 people over age 18 in Elbe, so it didn't take a
lot of men to tip the gender scales. But the mainly manly census count
reflects the reality of the former mill town, residents say.
"There's no family orientation," said Rick Adams, who owns the
combination gas station/grocery/hardware store/bait shop.
When
Elbe's two mills shut down, family-wage jobs disappeared. Now, Adams
counts three types of bachelors in town: unemployed loggers, climbers
drawn there for outdoor recreation, and a growing contingent of
vaguely shady men who seem to have little interest in honest work.
"This
is not a place to come and get a guy," warned Adams, father of two,
although he admits the climbing enthusiasts seem like a nice sort.
Adams
hopes the growing tourism trade will eventually provide year-round
jobs that will bring families, and women, back to Elbe.
"We
need to have a civilizing force here," he said.
___
On the Net:
http://www.census.gov
|
