Steger, Illinois
Encyclopedia
The village of Steger (35 miles south of Chicago) lies along the dividing line on the south end of Cook
Cook County, Illinois
Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than...
County and north end of Will
Will County, Illinois
As of the census of 2000, there were 502,266 people, 167,542 households, and 131,017 families residing in the county. The population density was 600 people per square mile . There were 175,524 housing units at an average density of 210 per square mile...
County in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. The population was 9,682 at the 2000 census, and estimated to be 10,409 as of 2005.
History
In 1893, John Valentine Steger opened a piano factory on 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) of land alongside the railroad south of Chicago Heights. With 324 residents, the village incorporated in 1896. John Steger agreed to pay $400 toward incorporation costs to ensure that the name of the town be dubbed "Steger" rather than "Columbia Heights." Steger Pianos were made in the village until 1926. By 1920, Steger was considered by some as the “piano capital of the world,” producing more than a hundred pianos a day.Steger has been a regular stop on the annual Driving The Dixie event since its inception. This event involves participants driving down Historic Dixie Highway in the Chicago Southland and visiting various communities along the way.
Geography
Steger is located at 41°28′14"N 87°37′52"W (41.470530, -87.630984). According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the village has a total area of 3.5 square miles (9.1 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 9,682 people, 3,862 households, and 2,506 families residing in the village. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,747.3 people per square mile (1,062.0/km²). There were 4,051 housing units at an average density of 1,149.5 per square mile (444.3/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 87.61% White, 6.30% African American, 0.34% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 3.08% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.07% of the population.
There were 3,862 households out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% were non-families. 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the village the population was spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 33.1% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 100.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.8 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $43,275, and the median income for a family was $54,347. Males had a median income of $40,598 versus $26,398 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the village was $19,816. About 6.0% of families and 8.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.2% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Steger is divided between two congressional districts. The area in Cook County is in Illinois' 2nd congressional district, while the area in Will County is in the 11th districtIllinois' 11th congressional district
The 11th Congressional District of Illinois includes the towns of Joliet, Bloomington, Normal, Kankakee, LaSalle, Ottawa and Streator, and all or parts of Will, Kankakee, Grundy, LaSalle, Bureau, Woodford and McLean counties...
.
Sports
Steger Little League has won two District 6 championships.The first was in 1994 for the major division. The second was in 2007; minor division won with a score of 20-7.
The Steger Little League Major division team of 2008 included Elijah Trotier, Adam Pilota, Mack Newson, Liam Fagan, Robbie Toon, Sam Geraci, Nick Weygandt, Brandon Hickey, Danny McGelligott, and Rudy Juarez. Steger also has other sports available such as baseball, basketball, softball, volleyball, soccer, football, and cheerleading for basketball and football.