The production of salt from diked Bay wetlands began in the Newark area in the 1850s. Acquisitions and mergers of salt companies ultimately resulted in formation of the Arden Salt Company, predecessor to Leslie Salt Company and today’s Cargill Salt. In 2003 the federal government purchased 15,000 acres of salt ponds from Cargill, including many in Newark, and began a 40-year wetland restoration project, the largest in the western United States.
The estimated population of Newark in 2008 is 43,872. The population is primarily White (40%), Hispanic/Latino (29%), and Asian (22%). African Americans represent 4 percent of the population. There are approximately 13 parks and sport play facilities located throughout the City. The recently constructed Silliman Activity Center incorporates a fitness center, teen area and a family aquatic center. The Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, headquartered in Newark, is the first urban National Wildlife Refuge established in the United States.
Newark Unified School District has one high school, one junior high school, and eight elementary schools. Newark is home to a new campus of Ohlone College. |
| Key Facts about Union City |
| Population-2008 est. (Percent population change since 2000) |
73,402 (+9.8%) |
| Percentage living in poverty / percentage of children living in poverty (2000) |
6.9% / 9.7% |
| Median Household Income (2006) |
$76,223 |
| Percent persons 25+ yrs. old with no high school diploma or GED (2006) |
17.1% |
| Percent pers. 25+ yrs. old with a bachelors or graduate/professional degree (2006) |
34.9% |
| Births per 1,000 teens age 15 -19 (2003-05) Union City / Alameda County |
19.3 / 27.4 |
| Unemployment Rate, April 2007/April 2008 |
4.1% / 4.9% |
| Owner-occupied housing units / Renter-occupied housing units (2006) |
67.3% / 32.7% |
| Percent of low-income households paying > 30% / >50% of income for housing (2000) |
67.7% / 37.3% |
| Estimated gap in child care slots, birth to 12 years old (2006) |
1,290 |
| Public school enrollment (2006-07) Newark Unified School District |
13,274 |
| Percent of students eligible for free/reduced price meals (2006-07) |
31.9% |
| English Learners (EL), percent of enrollment (2006-07) |
23.1% |
| Percent of 3rd graders at or above 50th National Percentile Rank in reading (2006-07) |
35% |
| High School Graduation Rate (2005-06) |
83.3% |
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