Emerson, Montverde

Government

Area

Population

**Emerson** is a city in central Montverde. It is the economic center and county seat of Emerson County. The city's population was 66,457 at the 2016 census. Emerson is a large suburban community within the St. Matthew's Metropolitan Area.

## History

Emerson was the first settlement in Emerson County. The city was founded to be a large suburb of St. Matthew's Metropolitan Area, which the city itself is less than 30 miles away.

## Geography

### **Topography**

Emerson is approximately 25 miles (40.23 km) driving distance west of St. Matthew's. The city lies within the Balmont Valley, a region most commonly known as "Central Montverde". Like St. Matthew's, the land is mostly flat and because of the bodies in water in the area, the soil is cultivated and used for farming.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.84 square miles, of which all 7.84 miles are land.

### **Climate**

Emerson has four distinct seasons, including hot, humid summers and cool winters. The temperature during the winter usually never drops below 40 degrees. Precipitation isn't common, but during the winter months about 8 inches of rain occurs annually. Because the city is located on the Emerson Bay, temperatures stay fluctuated throughout the year.

## Demographics

### **July 2016**

As of the census of July 2016, there were 52,689, and 21,452 households residing in the city. The population density was 6,720 inhabitants per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 55.0% White, 37.0% African American, 0.3% Native American, 3.2% Asian, 1.9% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.0% of the population.

### **August 2016**

The Union Census reported the population to be 66,457 in August 2016, though the estimated population was higher, meaning the city's population declined during this period.

## Government

### **City Government**

The city has a mayor-council government, allowed through its charter. The charter also allows Emerson to use a fudged population, with a threshold of 2.5.

The city is also the county seat and is home to the county meeting center, court, and other chamber and other government sub-departments.

### **County Government**

The city serves as the seat of Emerson County, although some of the government buildings are scattered geographically across the county. The city is in the 1st ward of Emerson County, and anything east of the city is 2nd Ward; west becomes the 3rd Ward.

## Economy

Because Emerson is a suburban city, most of the jobs in the city proper are operated by Emerson County and The City of Emerson. ProSaic, a power company, is located in Downtown Emerson.

### **Top Employers**

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 3

### **Shopping**

* The Oaks Shopping Center; a large mall in the Fair Oaks neighborhood.

## Public Safety

### **Fire Department**

The city's fire services are provided by the Emerson County Fire Department, who's central offices are adjacent to the police headquarters.

### **Law Enforcement**

The city is patrolled by the Emerson County Police Department, who have their central command headquarters in the city.

### **Crime**

Crime is a consistent problem in the southwest area of the city, where many of the citizens are unemployed or have generally low-income households.

## Education

### **Schools**

Schools in Emerson are operated by Emerson County Public Schools, the second largest school district in Montverde. Schools in the city include:

* Emerson High School

* Emerson Primary School
* Gorman High School (Private)
* North Emerson Primary School

### **Colleges**

* Emerson Community College (Main Campus)
* Emerson University

## Sports

The Emerson Cowboys of Emerson University play at ProSaic Field in the town of Fair Oaks adjacent to the city. Most of the large sports franchises are located in neighboring St. Matthew's.

## Transportation

Emerson County Rapid Transit (ECRT) Controls and maintains bus lines throughout the county. The agency has several lines that traverse the city and it's outskirts.

###

The central highway that runs through the city is Interstate 10, running west to east and bisecting the city north-south, which continues eastward to St. Matthew's. The Emerson Freeway ventures north-south and runs along the western boundary of the city.