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Manchester, Washington
The public pier and waterfront at Manchester during a summer low tide. Bainbridge Island is in the background on the left, and Seattle is far away on the right.
The public pier and waterfront at Manchester during a summer low tide. Bainbridge Island is in the background on the left, and Seattle is far away on the right.
Location of Manchester, Washington
Location of Manchester, Washington
Country United States
State Washington
County Kitsap
Area
 • Total 5.65 sq mi (14.64 km2)
 • Land 2.93 sq mi (7.58 km2)
 • Water 2.73 sq mi (7.06 km2)
Elevation
30 ft (9 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 5,413
 • Density 1,851/sq mi (714.6/km2)
Time zone UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code
98353
Area code(s) 360
FIPS code 53-42450
GNIS feature ID 1512426

Manchester is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 5,714 at the 2020 census. Manchester is located on the Puget Sound approximately 10 miles from downtown Seattle, and is adjacent to county seat Port Orchard to its east. Today, Manchester labels itself as a village. It is small in size but is home to a Kitsap Regional Library (KRL) branch, a post office, an elementary school, and a beachfront park to serve its residents.

History

Manchester was established in the 1860s and was originally known as Brooklyn, after the borough in New York City. The name was changed to Manchester in 1892 in honor of the city of Manchester, England. Manchester was accessible by land via Shelton/Allyn/Belfair, however, the main population center, Seattle, had only boat access. After a permanent dock was built in 1908, regular steamboat service connected Manchester to nearby communities like Colby, Southworth, and Harper, and to Seattle across the water.

From 1925 to 1936, a ferry route across Puget Sound connected Manchester with Alki Point in West Seattle. When the Alki Point dock washed away in 1936, the Seattle terminus was shifted to Colman Dock on the Seattle central waterfront. Ferry service was discontinued in 1949 and has never resumed.

In 1940, the US Navy built a pier nearby for refueling ships. The fuel pier saw heavy use during World War II, and still operates today.

In 1953, the library in Manchester was slated for destruction. The town pulled together and a new library was constructed in 1954. Today, Manchester has excellent views of Seattle, Mt. Rainier, and Puget Sound, has a public boat launch, a boat parade on the opening day of boating season, and salmon sponsors bakes at the Manchester library.

Geography

Manchester is located at 47°33′08″N 122°33′00″W / 47.552305°N 122.549984°W / 47.552305; -122.549984 (47.552305, -122.549984).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 6.0 square miles (15.5 km²), of which, 2.9 square miles (7.6 km²) of it is land and 3.0 square miles (7.9 km²) of it (51.00%) is water.

Climate

This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Manchester has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.

Demographics

2020 census

According to the 2020 census, Manchester's population was 5,714. The population density was 1,850.7 people per square mile, and there were 2,373 housing units, of which 2,246 were occupied. Within Manchester's population, 86.2% of residents were White, 1.2% Black or African American, 0.5% Native American, 2.4% Asian, 1.6% Pacific Islander, and 5.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race made up 6.4% of the population.

There were 2,077 households in the CDP, with an average household size of 2.73 people and an average family size of 3.04. Of the households, 58.5% were married couples living together, 16.7% had a female householder with no spouse present, and 15.2% had a male householder with no spouse present. 25.8% of the population was under age 18, while 14.9% were over age 65.

The median household income in Manchester was $80,045, while the median income for a family was $82,455. Married-couple families had the highest median income of any household type. at $106,066. For the entire CDP, the per-capita income was $34,000. 11.7% of the population was below the federal poverty line, including 17% of people under age 18 and 6.3% of people over age 65.

Education and culture

Manchester is a part of South Kitsap School District. The CDP itself is home to an elementary school, Manchester Elementary, that enrolled 413 students across grades Pre K-5 as of the 2020-2021 school year. Manchester Elementary feeds into John Sedgwick Middle School and South Kitsap High School.

Manchester also has a library, which in 2021 underwent renovations to update the interior and expand the building itself, including the addition of solar panels to offset future energy costs. Volunteer group Friends of the Manchester Library hosts a variety of fundraising and community events throughout the year. These events range from Fathers' Day salmon bakes and a Christmas tree lighting to summer farmers' markets and plant sales.  

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See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Manchester (Washington) para niños

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