Alum Rock, California
Encyclopedia
Alum Rock is a census-designated place
(CDP) in Santa Clara County
, California
, United States
and a community of San Jose
. The CDP, which excludes all annexed areas, had a population of 15,536 at the 2010 census. Alum Rock was named after a rock formerly thought to be composed of alum
in nearby Alum Rock Park
. Formerly a separate town, much of the community is unincorporated surrounded by incorporated San Jose; neighborhoods between White Road and Capitol Avenue are part of a city/county agreement for annexation. James Lick High School
(which is part of the East Side Union High School District), Joseph George Middle School,
Ocala Middle School, and other schools in the Alum Rock Union School District
serve the neighborhood. Near the center of the community is a small neighborhood commercial strip along Alum Rock Avenue at White Road.
. In the 1980s and 1990s, Alum Rock's neighborhood became increasing older and more populated with Latino
immigrants as "white flight
" affected the area. Today, Alum Rock remains a unique community separated from the rest of San Jose.
The 5.4 magnitude “Alum Rock earthquake” occurred just northeast of the community on October 30, 2007, the strongest to hit the region since the Loma Prieta Earthquake
in 1989. No significant damage or injuries were reported.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²), all of it land.
was 12,899.0 people per square mile (4,980.3/km²). The racial makeup of Alum Rock was 6,581 (42.4%) White, 207 (1.3%) African American, 298 (1.9%) Native American, 2,039 (13.1%) Asian, 70 (0.5%) Pacific Islander, 5,466 (35.2%) from other races
, and 875 (5.6%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10,977 persons (70.7%).
The Census reported that 15,364 people (98.9% of the population) lived in households, 66 (0.4%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 106 (0.7%) were institutionalized.
There were 3,686 households, out of which 1,895 (51.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 2,064 (56.0%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 621 (16.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 335 (9.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 241 (6.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 23 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 444 households (12.0%) were made up of individuals and 181 (4.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.17. There were 3,020 families
(81.9% of all households); the average family size was 4.33.
The population was spread out with 4,383 people (28.2%) under the age of 18, 1,709 people (11.0%) aged 18 to 24, 4,708 people (30.3%) aged 25 to 44, 3,345 people (21.5%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,391 people (9.0%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31.7 years. For every 100 females there were 105.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.2 males.
There were 3,863 housing units at an average density of 3,207.3 per square mile (1,238.4/km²), of which 2,393 (64.9%) were owner-occupied, and 1,293 (35.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.2%. 9,541 people (61.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 5,823 people (37.5%) lived in rental housing units.
of 2000, there were 13,479 people, 3,345 households, and 2,736 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 12,044.7 people per square mile (4,646.7/km²). There were 3,411 housing units at an average density of 3,048.0/sq mi (1,175.9/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 44.14% White, 2.23% African American, 1.71% Native American, 8.70% Asian, 0.39% Pacific Islander, 36.89% from other races
, and 5.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 66.99% of the population.
There were 3,345 households out of which 44.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.4% were married couples
living together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.2% were non-families. 13.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.98 and the average family size was 4.17.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 30.6% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 17.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 105.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.0 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $54,567, and the median income for a family was $53,872. Males had a median income of $31,485 versus $28,154 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $15,359. About 8.2% of families and 10.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.6% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over.
Alum Rock is located in the 13th Senate
District, represented by Democrat
Elaine Alquist
, and in the 23rd Assembly
District, represented by Democrat Nora Campos
. Federally, Alum Rock is located in California's 16th congressional district
, which has a Cook PVI
of D +16 and is represented by Democrat Zoe Lofgren
.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County, California
Santa Clara County is a county located at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 it had a population of 1,781,642. The county seat is San Jose. The highly urbanized Santa Clara Valley within Santa Clara County is also known as Silicon Valley...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and a community of San Jose
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
. The CDP, which excludes all annexed areas, had a population of 15,536 at the 2010 census. Alum Rock was named after a rock formerly thought to be composed of alum
Alum
Alum is both a specific chemical compound and a class of chemical compounds. The specific compound is the hydrated potassium aluminium sulfate with the formula KAl2.12H2O. The wider class of compounds known as alums have the related empirical formula, AB2.12H2O.-Chemical properties:Alums are...
in nearby Alum Rock Park
Alum Rock Park
Alum Rock Park, founded in 1872, was the first municipal park in the U.S. state of California. Located in a valley in the Diablo Range foothills on the east side of San Jose, the 720 acre park offers 13 miles of trails, varying from fairly level along Penitencia Creek to sharp switchbacks...
. Formerly a separate town, much of the community is unincorporated surrounded by incorporated San Jose; neighborhoods between White Road and Capitol Avenue are part of a city/county agreement for annexation. James Lick High School
James Lick High School
James Lick High School is a high school in the East Side Union High School District located in San Jose.-History:Lick High School was built in 1950 and is the oldest of the eleven high schools in the ESUHSD...
(which is part of the East Side Union High School District), Joseph George Middle School,
Ocala Middle School, and other schools in the Alum Rock Union School District
Alum Rock Union School District
The Alum Rock Union School District operates nineteen elementary schools and seven middle schools in the greater San Jose, California, USA area.-External links:* * Alum Rock, California...
serve the neighborhood. Near the center of the community is a small neighborhood commercial strip along Alum Rock Avenue at White Road.
History
In the 19th century and early 20th century Alum Rock was mostly fruit orchard land. During the 1940s and 1950s, developers began building residential housing and formed the community of Alum Rock. During that time, Alum Rock Avenue and a passenger railroad passed through the town on the way to Alum Rock ParkAlum Rock Park
Alum Rock Park, founded in 1872, was the first municipal park in the U.S. state of California. Located in a valley in the Diablo Range foothills on the east side of San Jose, the 720 acre park offers 13 miles of trails, varying from fairly level along Penitencia Creek to sharp switchbacks...
. In the 1980s and 1990s, Alum Rock's neighborhood became increasing older and more populated with Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
immigrants as "white flight
White flight
White flight has been a term that originated in the United States, starting in the mid-20th century, and applied to the large-scale migration of whites of various European ancestries from racially mixed urban regions to more racially homogeneous suburban or exurban regions. It was first seen as...
" affected the area. Today, Alum Rock remains a unique community separated from the rest of San Jose.
The 5.4 magnitude “Alum Rock earthquake” occurred just northeast of the community on October 30, 2007, the strongest to hit the region since the Loma Prieta Earthquake
Loma Prieta earthquake
The Loma Prieta earthquake, also known as the Quake of '89 and the World Series Earthquake, was a major earthquake that struck the San Francisco Bay Area of California on October 17, 1989, at 5:04 p.m. local time...
in 1989. No significant damage or injuries were reported.
Geography
Alum Rock is located at 37°22′3"N 121°49′32"W (37.367590, -121.825473).According to the United States Census Bureau
United 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 CDP has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
These figures do not include any part of Alum Rock which has been incorporated into San Jose at the time of the census.2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Alum Rock had a population of 15,536. The population densityPopulation 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 12,899.0 people per square mile (4,980.3/km²). The racial makeup of Alum Rock was 6,581 (42.4%) White, 207 (1.3%) African American, 298 (1.9%) Native American, 2,039 (13.1%) Asian, 70 (0.5%) Pacific Islander, 5,466 (35.2%) 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 875 (5.6%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10,977 persons (70.7%).
The Census reported that 15,364 people (98.9% of the population) lived in households, 66 (0.4%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 106 (0.7%) were institutionalized.
There were 3,686 households, out of which 1,895 (51.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 2,064 (56.0%) were opposite-sex 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, 621 (16.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 335 (9.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 241 (6.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
POSSLQ
POSSLQ is an abbreviation for "Persons of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters," a term coined in the late 1970s by the United States Census Bureau as part of an effort to more accurately gauge the prevalence of cohabitation in American households....
, and 23 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 444 households (12.0%) were made up of individuals and 181 (4.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.17. There were 3,020 families
Family (U.S. Census)
A family or family household is defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes as "a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. They do not include same-sex married couples even if the marriage was performed in a state...
(81.9% of all households); the average family size was 4.33.
The population was spread out with 4,383 people (28.2%) under the age of 18, 1,709 people (11.0%) aged 18 to 24, 4,708 people (30.3%) aged 25 to 44, 3,345 people (21.5%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,391 people (9.0%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31.7 years. For every 100 females there were 105.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.2 males.
There were 3,863 housing units at an average density of 3,207.3 per square mile (1,238.4/km²), of which 2,393 (64.9%) were owner-occupied, and 1,293 (35.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.2%. 9,541 people (61.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 5,823 people (37.5%) lived in rental housing units.
2000
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 13,479 people, 3,345 households, and 2,736 families residing in the CDP. 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 12,044.7 people per square mile (4,646.7/km²). There were 3,411 housing units at an average density of 3,048.0/sq mi (1,175.9/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 44.14% White, 2.23% African American, 1.71% Native American, 8.70% Asian, 0.39% Pacific Islander, 36.89% 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 5.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 66.99% of the population.
There were 3,345 households out of which 44.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.4% 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, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.2% were non-families. 13.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.98 and the average family size was 4.17.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 30.6% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 17.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 105.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.0 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $54,567, and the median income for a family was $53,872. Males had a median income of $31,485 versus $28,154 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 CDP was $15,359. About 8.2% of families and 10.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.6% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
In the state legislatureCalifornia State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
Alum Rock is located in the 13th Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
District, represented by Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Elaine Alquist
Elaine Alquist
Elaine Kontominas Alquist is currently a Democratic State Senator from California's 13th Senate District...
, and in the 23rd Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
District, represented by Democrat Nora Campos
Nora Campos
Nora Campos is a California State Assembly member representing the 23rd district. She was formerly elected to the San Jose City Council in a special election in March 2001 and was twice overwhelmingly re-elected to represent the residents of District 5, allowing her to represent her community on...
. Federally, Alum Rock is located in California's 16th congressional district
California's 16th congressional district
California's 16th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California that covers part of Santa Clara County and includes much of central San Jose.The district is currently represented by Democrat Zoe Lofgren....
, which has a Cook PVI
Cook Partisan Voting Index
The Cook Partisan Voting Index , sometimes referred to as simply the Partisan Voting Index , is a measurement of how strongly an American congressional district or state leans toward one political party compared to the nation as a whole...
of D +16 and is represented by Democrat Zoe Lofgren
Zoe Lofgren
Zoe Lofgren is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1995. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is based in San Jose.-Early life, education, and early career:...
.
See also
- Penitencia CreekPenitencia CreekUpper Penitencia Creek is actually one of two creeks by the name Penitencia Creek in northeastern Santa Clara Valley of California. They are both tributaries of Coyote Creek....
- Alum Rock ParkAlum Rock ParkAlum Rock Park, founded in 1872, was the first municipal park in the U.S. state of California. Located in a valley in the Diablo Range foothills on the east side of San Jose, the 720 acre park offers 13 miles of trails, varying from fairly level along Penitencia Creek to sharp switchbacks...
- light rail stations
- Penitencia Creek (VTA)Penitencia Creek (VTA)Penitencia Creek is a light rail station operated by Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority . This station is served by VTA's Alum Rock-Santa Teresa line.The station was opened in 2004 as part of VTA's Capitol light rail extension.-Location:...
- McKee (VTA)McKee (VTA)McKee is a light rail station operated by Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority . This station is served by VTA's Alum Rock–Santa Teresa line.The station was opened in 2004 as part of VTA's Capitol light rail extension.-Location:...
- Alum Rock (VTA)Alum Rock (VTA)Alum Rock Transit Center is a light rail and bus station operated by Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority . This station is served by VTA's Alum Rock–Santa Teresa line.The station was opened in 2004 as part of VTA's Capitol light rail extension....
- Penitencia Creek (VTA)