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Inkster, Michigan
City of Inkster
Facing west at Beech Daly and Michigan Avenue
Facing west at Beech Daly and Michigan Avenue
Location within Wayne County
Location within Wayne County
Inkster, Michigan is located in Michigan
Inkster, Michigan
Inkster, Michigan
Location in Michigan
Inkster, Michigan is located in the United States
Inkster, Michigan
Inkster, Michigan
Location in the United States
Country  United States
State  Michigan
County Wayne
Settled 1835
Incorporation 1926 (village)
1964 (city)
Government
 • Type Council–manager
Area
 • City 6.25 sq mi (16.20 km2)
 • Land 6.25 sq mi (16.19 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
623 ft (190 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • City 26,088
 • Density 4,172.08/sq mi (1,610.91/km2)
 • Metro
4,285,832 (Metro Detroit)
Time zone UTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
Zip code(s)
48141
Area code(s) 313 and 734
FIPS code 26-40680
GNIS feature ID 0629039

Inkster is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. A western suburb of Detroit, Inkster is located about 14 miles (23 km) southwest of downtown Detroit. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 26,088.

History

The area was originally inhabited by Native Americans. It was settled by non-indigenous people in 1825. A post office named "Moulin Rouge" was established there in December 1857. Robert Inkster, a Scotsman born March 27, 1828, in Lerwick, Shetland, operated a steam sawmill on present-day Inkster Road near Michigan Avenue in the early 1860s.

The post office was renamed "Inkster" in July 1863. The village had a station on the Michigan Central Railroad by 1878. It incorporated as a village in 1926 from parts of Nankin Township and Dearborn Township. After much legal wrangling by the city of Dearborn, Dearborn Township, and the village of Inkster to sort out final borders for these communities, Inkster was incorporated as a city in 1964.

In the 1920s and 1930s, African-Americans working in Henry Ford's Dearborn factories settled in Inkster, as it was closer to their work than Detroit, while they were not allowed to live in Dearborn itself.

As a result of the police beating of Floyd Dent in January 2015, which was caught on a police vehicle's dash cam and released to the public, the victim was awarded $1.4 million. A special assessment of Inkster residents will pay for the settlement, on their July 1, 2015, property tax bill.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.25 square miles (16.19 km2), all land.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1930 4,440
1940 7,044 58.6%
1950 16,728 137.5%
1960 39,097 133.7%
1970 38,595 −1.3%
1980 35,190 −8.8%
1990 30,772 −12.6%
2000 30,115 −2.1%
2010 25,369 −15.8%
2020 26,088 2.8%
U.S. Decennial Census
Inkster Michigan City Hall
Inkster City Hall

2020 census

Inkster city, Michigan – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2000 Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 7,379 4,959 4,562 24.50% 19.55% 17.49%
Black or African American alone (NH) 20,267 18,413 18,984 67.30% 72.58% 72.77%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 111 70 83 0.37% 0.28% 0.32%
Asian alone (NH) 1,023 409 197 3.40% 1.61% 0.76%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 3 4 3 0.01% 0.02% 0.01%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 83 46 153 0.28% 0.18% 0.59%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) 767 815 1,308 2.55% 3.21% 5.01%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 482 653 798 1.60% 2.57% 3.06%
Total 30,115 23,369 26,088 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 25,369 people, 9,821 households, and 6,175 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,059.0 inhabitants per square mile (1,567.2/km2). There were 11,647 housing units at an average density of 1,863.5 per square mile (719.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 73.2% African American, 20.5% White, 0.3% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.7% from other races, and 3.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.6% of the population.

There were 9,821 households, of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 25.7% were married couples living together, 30.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.1% were non-families. 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.24.

The median age in the city was 34.2 years. 27.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.4% were from 25 to 44; 24.8% were from 45 to 64; and 11.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.8% male and 53.2% female.

Education

Portions of Inkster are within the Wayne-Westland Community Schools, Westwood Community Schools, Taylor School District, and the Romulus School District.

Westwood operates Daly Elementary School and the Tomlinson Middle School in Inkster. Robichaud High School in Dearborn Heights is the district high school.

Wayne-Westland operates David Hicks Elementary School in Inkster. The portions of Inkster that are located in the Wayne-Westland district are zoned to Hicks. One portion of the Hicks zone is assigned to Marshall Upper Elementary School, Stevenson Middle School in Westland, John Glenn High School, all in Westland. Another portion of the Hicks zone is assigned to Adams Upper Elementary School in Westland, Franklin Middle School in Wayne, and Wayne Memorial High School in Wayne.

Portions of Inkster that had been in the Taylor School District prior to the dissolution of the Inkster School District are assigned to Taylor Parks Elementary School, Hoover Middle School, and Taylor High School in Taylor.

Romulus Senior High School is the Romulus district's secondary school.

Burger Baylor School for Students with Autism of the Garden City School District is located in Inkster, in the former Baylor-Woodson Elementary School.

Education history

Inkster High School Michigan
Inkster High School, now closed

Previously most of Inkster was within the Inkster Public Schools district. As of summer 2013, the Inkster Public Schools District was entirely dissolved. The remaining students were split up among the Taylor, Romulus, Wayne-Westland and Westwood districts. Inkster High School, the high school of the Inkster district, closed in 2013. Areas were given to the new districts by quadrants. Students north of Michigan Avenue and west of Middlebelt were rezoned to Wayne-Westland. Students north of Michigan Avenue and east of Middlebelt were rezoned to Westwood. Students south of Michigan Avenue and west of Middlebelt were rezoned to Romulus. Students south of Michigan and east of Middlebelt were rezoned to Taylor.

Areas of Inkster in the Taylor district were zoned to Harry S. Truman High School, until it merged into Taylor High in 2018.

Notable people

  • Vern Buchanan, U.S. Representative of Florida, grew up in Inkster and graduated from Inkster High in 1969
  • Geraldine Doyle, woman who might have served as model for iconic "We Can Do It!" poster
  • Marcus Fizer, professional basketball player
  • Wade Flemons, noted R&B singer, musician and songwriter, wrote "Stand By Me" sung by The Platters; member of Earth, Wind, and Fire, until 1973
  • Earl Jones, middle-distance runner, bronze medalist in 1984 Olympics
  • Jewell Jones, youngest person in Michigan to be elected councilman and then elected state representative
  • J'Leon Love, professional boxer
  • Keshawn Martin, professional football player
  • Jeralean Talley, the world's oldest living person until her death
  • Tyrone Wheatley, professional football player, MVP of 1993 Rose Bowl for Michigan, born in Inkster
  • The Marvelettes, R&B singing trio in Vocal Group Hall of Fame
    • Katherine Anderson
    • Gladys Horton
    • Georgeanna Tillman
    • Wanda Young
    • Juanita Cowart

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Inkster (Míchigan) para niños

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