Carnation, Washington

The Snoqualmie people have inhabited the Carnation area for more than 10,000 years.[9] Prior to American settement, the Snoqualmie had a large village spanning the Tolt River (Lushootseed: tultxʷ)[6] at its confluence with the Snoqualmie.[10] This village was highly important as it was the second-largest village in the Snoqualmie river valley. The village also had the best natural defenses in the Snoqualmie river valley.[11][12]

The most important building in the village was the x̌alalʔtxʷ (lit. "marked house").[5] The x̌alalʔtxʷ was a giant longhouse which served as a sort of capitol building, where council was held by both local elders and visiting leaders. It also was an education center for all the people living in the Snoqualmie valley. Elders taught valuable skills and knowledge, such as Snoqualmie language, customs, and laws.[11][12]

In the 19th century, the prominent Snoqualmie leader Patkanim (Lushootseed: p̓əƛ̕qidəb) was born in this village. At this time, Snoqualmie society began to centralize into a chiefdom. During the colonial period, the village served as the de-facto capital of the Snoqualmie chiefdom under Patkanim.[11][12]

The Snoqualmie Valley was resettled by Americans in the 1850s and 1860s following the signing of the 1855 Treaty of Point Elliot and the relocation of many of the Snoqualmie people to reservations like Tulalip. The community of Tolt was founded in 1865 and platted in 1902.[13][14] The name of the community was derived from an Anglicization of the Lushootseed name for the Tolt River and the Snoqualmie village (variously spelled as tultxʷ, dxʷtultxʷ, or tulq in Lushootseed).[5][6] Tolt was incorporated as a town on December 30, 1912, shortly after the arrival of the Milwaukee Road, which provided train connections to Monroe in the north.[15]

The valley was home to several dairy farms established in the 1900s, including a research farm for the Carnation Evaporated Milk Company. Following lobbying from the company and the approval of the state legislature, Tolt was renamed to "Carnation" in 1917.[15][8] The renaming of the town was opposed by local residents and members of the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe, and later changed back to Tolt on May 3, 1928.[7] The "Carnation" name remained on the post office and train depot, and continued to be used by outsiders.[15] Tolt was then renamed back to "Carnation" on October 29, 1951.[7] During the late 20th century, Carnation moved away from dairy farming and became a community for job centers in the Eastside, growing to a population of 2,158 by 2020.[8]

Carnation has a oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb).

At the census of 2010, there were 1,786 people in 631 households, including 474 families, in the city. The population density was 1,539.7 inhabitants per square mile (594.5/km²). There were 665 housing units at an average density of 573.3 per square mile (221.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 85.8% White, 0.9% African American, 1.0% Native American, 3.1% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 7.1% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.7%.[22]

Of the 631 households, 45.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.5% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 24.9% were non-families. 19.0% of households were one person, and 6.9% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.24.

The median age was 34.9 years. 30.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.4% were from 25 to 44; 27.7% were from 45 to 64; and 6% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.8% male and 50.2% female.

Carnation has a high rate of home ownership for King County; 73.31% of the homes in Carnation are occupied by people who own them.[23] This rate is considerably higher than nearby cities like Redmond (50.19%), Bellevue (53.78%), and Seattle (44.91%).

At the census of 2000, there were 1,893 people in 636 households, including 487 families, in the city. The population density was 1,728.4 inhabitants per square mile (667.3/km²). There were 650 housing units at an average density of 593.5 per square mile (229.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.76% White, 1.32% Native American, 3.59% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 1.80% from other races, and 1.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.91% of the population.

Of the 636 households, 48.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.8% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.4% were non-families. 17.5% of households were one person, and 7.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.98 and the average family size was 3.40.

In the city the population was spread out, with 34.4% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 37.5% from 25 to 44, 15.9% from 45 to 64, and 5.7% 65 or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.5 males.

The median household income was $60,156 and the median family income was $64,167. Males had a median income of $46,667 versus $33,281 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,907. About 5.8% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.5% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.