Upper Sandusky, Ohio

Geography

Upper Sandusky is located at 40°49′47″N 83°16′45″W (40.829608, -83.279102).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.19 square miles (18.62 km²), of which 7.01 square miles (18.16 km²) is land and 0.18 square miles (0.47 km²) is water.

Business

Upper Sandusky is home to more than forty industrial firms, which make a variety of products for heavy industry and business. Upper Sandusky industries include the manufacturing of interior auto trim at M-Tek Incorporated; automotive and safety glass at Guardian Industries; wire mesh for concrete products at Engineered Wire Products; and plastic injection molded products at DuPont Liquid Packaging Systems.

Upper Sandusky’s diversity is reflected in the existence of numerous industries, such as metal toilet partitions at Mills Company; radio-controlled hydraulics at Ohio Power Systems; concrete sawing at San-Con Industries; walk ramps and roll up doors at Todco Door; plastic trim and weatherstrip at Uni-Grip Corporation; machining and machine manufacturing at Design Fabrication; custom conveyor systems and metal fabrication at the Deyco Corporation; glass recycling at Dlubak Glass; special metal cutting tools at Midwest Ohio Tool; loading docks, seals and shelters at Fairborn USA; twin cutting knives at Handy Twine Knife Company; welding and fabrication at Keaton Welding; and interior vehicle trim at M-Tek, Inc. Upper Sandusky recently became the corporate headquarters for the Ithaca Gun Company, a manufacturer of firearms with a new multimillion-dollar manufacturing facility.

The Star Theater in Upper Sandusky is a non-profit organization that began in the 1930s as a movie theater. In the 1970s, a group of people from Upper Sandusky who were interested in live theater began using the theater for on-stage events. In 1977, the theater re-opened as a community theater. The theater has workshops for young children and teenagers, as well as shows for the whole community. The theater continues to show movies even today. The Star theater is dependent upon members of the community to help sponsor shows as well as donate to the theater. The Star is a well used location for many entertainment attractions.

Highland Acres Industrial Park is a 90-acre (360,000 m²) industrial park which is home to Bridgestone Plant #1, an anti-vibration division, and Bridgestone APM Plant #2, which is a division of foam products.

Other industries include Diamond Roll Up Door, the manufacturer of roll-up truck doors; McGuire Automotive, the suppliers of automotive products; and several warehousing facilities. Building sites are available and offer a major gas distribution line.

Water for industrial purposes is available from the 125-acre (0.51 km²) addition to the Upper Sandusky Reservoir. Electric service is provided by American Electric Power and natural gas is provided by Columbia Gas of Ohio. Both utilities are deregulated.

SBC/AT&T provides telephone services, including fiber optics and wireless high speed internet. The City of Upper Sandusky municipal services for water and sewer have sufficient reserve to supply the needs of all demands. The excess water supply is 1.1 million gallons per day. The City of Upper Sandusky's sewer excess capacity is one million gallons per day.

Upper Sandusky is located midway between Cincinnati and Cleveland and within one hour of Columbus and Toledo. It is at the intersection of two major U.S. routes – The Historic Lincoln Highway (US 30) and US 23. North–South and East-West rail lines serve the city. Commercial, private and corporate air services are available at several major and regional airports. The Wyandot County Airport (56D) is located five miles (8 km) north of the city. Commercial development at the intersection of US 30 and US 23 continues to provide a variety of services for travelers and area residents.

The city of Upper Sandusky is located in an enterprise zone. The city solicits industry with programs such as tax abatement, revolving loan funds, industrial training programs and job creation tax credits.

Industrial wage and living costs are low in Upper Sandusky in comparison with metropolitan markets. The city has low water, sewer and sanitation rates, well-maintained infrastructure, and excellent schools. The community has had a stable tax base and a wide variety of job opportunities.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 6,596 people, 2,882 households, and 1,724 families residing in the city. The population density was 940.9 inhabitants per square mile (363.3/km²). There were 3,180 housing units at an average density of 453.6 per square mile (175.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.0% White, 0.3% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.3% of the population.

There were 2,882 households of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.3% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.2% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.83.

The median age in the city was 41 years. 22.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.2% were from 25 to 44; 25.3% were from 45 to 64; and 20.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.9% male and 53.1% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 6,533 people, 2,744 households, and 1,682 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,246.2 people per square mile (481.4/km²). There were 2,910 housing units at an average density of 555.1 per square mile (214.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.15% White, 0.18% Black or African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 1.45% from other races, and 0.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.71% of the population.

There were 2,744 households out of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.7% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.7% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the city, the population was spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 86.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,613, and the median income for a family was $45,236. Males had a median income of $29,829 versus $22,526 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,484. About 2.7% of families and 4.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.5% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people