Roy, Washington

About Roy

Roy was originally inhabited solely by Nisqually Indians, until the 1840s, when settlers began to arrive.  In 1857, there were 415 people in Roy.  A railway was built through the region in 1873, and the town was named Media, due to it being the geographical center between Tenino and Tacoma.  The town was plotted in 1884 by James McNaught and Dr. Samuel Warren, and named for McNaught's son, Roy.  The citey was incorporated in 1908.  Currently, Roy celebrates its western heritage with three rodeos each year.

Geography

Roy is located in southern Pierce County, 20 miles south of Tacoma and 29 miles east of Olympia.  To the west and north are Joint Base Lewis McChord and the Nisqually Indian Community.  It is 8 miles north of Yelm, the closest concentrated population center.  Access to major metropolitan areas such as Seattle to the north and Portland, Oregon to the south can be gained by Interstate 5, approximately 16 miles away.  Pacific beaches around an hour away, and the Cascade Mountains and Mount Rainier are close by to the east.  Amtrak stations are available in Lacey and Tacoma for rail access along the western corridor, and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is about an hour to the north.  Spanaway airport also provides general aviation services for light craft, as do small airfields in Tacoma and Tumwater.

Roy Real Estate

Mean real estate prices in 2008:

All housing units $177,075
Detached houses $197,538
Mobile homes $38.056

Weather

The weather in Roy is characterized as a temperate climate.  It rarely experiences extreme temperatures.  Winters are rainy, with occasional snow, and summers are warm and dry.  The rainy months make Roy an easy place to garden, and spring is vibrantly colorful.

  Jan April July Oct
Avg. Temp 39 49 62 50
Precip in inches 6 4.5 1 4

Population

As of 2008, the population of Roy was 689 people.  Roy households were occupied by an average of 2.9 people.  The median age of residents was 34 years, compared to the Washington state average of 35.3 years.

Employment

Besides the U.S. Military, the top ten private sector employers in Pierce county are MultiCare Health System, Franciscan Health System, Fred Meyer Stores, Good Samaritan Hospital, Intel Corporation, Emerald Queen Casino, The Boeing Company, Comcast Cable, State Farm Insurance and Costco.  Most frequently, men are employed in the industries of construction, public administration, automotive and self-employed, while female workers are most frequently employed in health care, public administration education, manufacturing, and retail.  The nearby cities of Yelm, Olympia, Spanaway, Puyallup, and Tacoma offer other opportunities for employment.  Roy residents travel an average of 23 minutes each way for employment.

Income

As of 2008, the median household income in Roy was $42,148, compared to $32,727 in 2000.  The Washington state average was $58,000.  10.8% of Roy residents lived below the poverty line.

Cost of Living

As of December, 2009, the Cost of Living Index for Roy is 107, compared to the national average of areas participating in the Cost of Living Index of 100.

Roy Schools

Public schools in Roy are administered by the Bethel School District, which operates the Roy Elementary school.  272 students attend the K-6 school. 

Of Roy residents over the age of 25, 85.2% have achieved at least a high school diploma.  6.8% have earned a Bachelor's or higher.  There are many opportunities for post-secondary education in the region around Roy, including Pierce College at Fort Steilacoom, Clover Park Technical College, Bates Technical College, Green River Community College, South Puget Sound Community College, Pacific Lutheran University, University of Puget Sound, University of Washington Tacoma Campus, The Evergreen State College, and Saint Martin's University.