California City, California
California City, abbreviated as Cal City, is a city incorporated in 1965 located in the northern Antelope Valley in Kern County, California, United States, north of the city of Los Angeles. The population was 14,120 at the 2010 census. Covering, California City is known for having the third-largest land area of any city in the state of California. It was a master-planned community, created in the post-World War II boom years with grand aspirations, that failed to grow and fill the lots, blocks, and streets that were laid out in the remote Mojave desert.
Much of the workforce of Edwards Air Force Base, which is located southeast of the city, is made up of city residents. Other major sources of employment include California City Correctional Center ; Mojave Air and Space Port and its flight test operations; and the Hyundai/Kia Proving Grounds located in the rural southwestern part of the city. California City has a PGA golf course, one prison, one municipal airport, and was home to the California City Whiptails, a now defunct professional independent baseball league team associated with the Pecos League.
History
Early
The area where California City now exists was largely uninhabited prior to the 1960s. Padre Francisco Garcés, a Franciscan missionary, camped at Castle Butte in what is now California City in 1776 during the Juan Bautista de Anza expedition of Alta California.In the late 19th century, the Twenty Mule Team Trail, which carried loads of borax to the railhead in Mojave from Harmony Borax Works mines in the east, ran through the California City area.
Town
California City, which incorporated on December 10, 1965, had its origins in 1958 when Columbia University sociology professor and real estate developer Nat Mendelsohn purchased of Mojave Desert land with the aim of master-planning California's next great city. He designed his model city, which he hoped would one day rival Los Angeles in size, around a Central Park with a artificial lake. Growth fell well short of his expectations and by the time Mendelsohn sold his shares in the town in 1969, only 1,300 people had moved in. Satellite photos underscore its claim to being California's third-largest city by land area.Although areas of California City have not developed as expected, California City has grown from 3,200 people in 1985 to over 14,000 in 2018. Cerro Coso Community College closed escrow on in the heart of California City for a community college to serve Edwards AFB, California City, Mojave, Boron, North Edwards and the entire high desert in the Antelope Valley.
The first post office opened in 1960.
Geography
Although one of California's smaller cities in terms of population, California City is the third largest city in California by land area. Located in the northern Antelope Valley in Kern County, California, the city is northwest of Edwards Air Force Base, east of Tehachapi, north of Lancaster, southwest of Ridgecrest, east of the city of Bakersfield, and north of the city of Los Angeles.Climate
Demographics
2000
According to the census of 2000, there were 8,385 people in 3,067 households, including 2,257 families, in the city. As of 2006 the city's population grew 8.9% from 12,106 to 13,219. California City outpaced rivals Palmdale and Lancaster, making the city the 12th fastest growing city in California. This also made California City the fastest growing city in the Antelope Valley. The population density was. There were 3,560 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city was 68.19% White, 12.82% Black or African American, 1.56% Native American, 3.73% Asian, 0.32% Pacific Islander, 7.43% from other races, and 5.94% from two or more races. 16.96% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.Of the 3,067 households 39.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.8% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 21.2% of households were one person and 7.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.15.
The age distribution was 30.7% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $45,735, and the median family income was $51,402. Males had a median income of $44,657 versus $28,152 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,902. About 12.5% of families and 17.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.0% of those under age 18 and 12.4% of those age 65 or over.
31% of the male population were public administrators in 2006. Public administration is the most common job in California City.
Although the growth of the city has not met its founders' expectations, California City has seen substantial population growth over the past several years. The Demographic Research Unit of the California Department of Finance estimated California City's population at 12,048 as of January 1, 2006. California City's population increased an estimated 4.2% in 2005, over three times the growth rate of the state as a whole. California City currently ranks 345th out of 478 incorporated cities in California, up from 348th in 2005.
In the 2004 Presidential election, 66% voted for the Republican candidate, and 32% voted for the Democratic candidate. In 2016 the vote for president was 53% Republican and 40% Democratic.
2010
At the 2010 census California City had a population of 14,120. The population density was 69.3 people per square mile. The racial makeup of California City was 9,188 White, 2,150 African American, 132 Native American, 367 Asian, 59 Pacific Islander, 1,431 from other races, and 793 from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5,385 persons.The Corrections Corporation of America prison on the east side of town with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Marshals Service contracts, contains 2,304 prisoners, almost entirely of Hispanic ethnicity, which are included in the U.S. Census Bureau statistics.
The census reported that 11,506 people lived in households, no one lived in non-institutionalized group quarters and 2,614 were institutionalized.
There were 4,102 households, 1,611 had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,980 were opposite-sex married couples living together, 630 had a female householder with no husband present, 287 had a male householder with no wife present. There were 335 unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 22 same-sex married couples or partnerships. 949 households were one person and 312 had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.80. There were 2,897 families ; the average family size was 3.30.
The age distribution was 3,449 people under the age of 18, 1,294 people aged 18 to 24, 4,617 people aged 25 to 44, 3,570 people aged 45 to 64, and 1,190 people who were 65 or older. The median age was 34.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 144.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 160.1 males.
There were 5,210 housing units at an average density of 25.6 per square mile, of the occupied units 2,474 were owner-occupied and 1,628 were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 8.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 22.5%. 6,584 people lived in owner-occupied housing units and 4,922 people lived in rental housing units.