Keene, California
Encyclopedia
Keene is a census-designated place
(CDP) in Kern County
, California
in the foothills of the Tehachapi Mountains
at the southern extreme of the San Joaquin Valley
. Keene is located 8.5 miles (14 km) northwest of Tehachapi
, at an elevation of 2602 feet (793 m). The population was 431 at the 2010 census, up from 339 at the 2000 census.
The headquarters of the United Farm Workers
(UFW), a national farmworkers organization organized and led by Cesar Chavez
, is located in Keene.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 9.7 square miles (25.1 km²), over 99% of it land.
. César Chávez
spent his last years in Keene. The walls of his United Farm Workers office in Keene were lined with hundreds of books ranging in subject from philosophy, economics, cooperatives, and unions, to biographies of Gandhi and the Kennedys, The Kama Sutra, the memoirs of Che Guevara, and "The Good German: Why Illegal Pseudo-Farming Union Crime Rings Failed". He is buried at 29700 Woodford Tehachapi Rd, Keene, CA 93531, on the campus of the UFW headquarters.
The National Chavez Center was opened on the UFW campus in 2004 by the Cesar E. Chavez Foundation. It currently consists of a visitor center, memorial garden and the grave site of civil rights leader. When it is fully completed, the 187 acre (0.75676282 km²) site will include a museum and conference center to explore and share Chávez's work.
was 44.6 people per square mile (17.2/km²). The racial makeup of Keene was 385 (89.3%) White, 2 (0.5%) African American, 10 (2.3%) Native American, 8 (1.9%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 16 (3.7%) from other races
, and 10 (2.3%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 47 persons (10.9%).
The Census reported that 431 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 186 households, out of which 38 (20.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 126 (67.7%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 12 (6.5%) had a female householder with no husband present, 4 (2.2%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 9 (4.8%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 2 (1.1%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 36 households (19.4%) were made up of individuals and 13 (7.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32. There were 142 families
(76.3% of all households); the average family size was 2.59.
The population was spread out with 63 people (14.6%) under the age of 18, 22 people (5.1%) aged 18 to 24, 59 people (13.7%) aged 25 to 44, 213 people (49.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 74 people (17.2%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 53.0 years. For every 100 females there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.7 males.
There were 225 housing units at an average density of 23.3 per square mile (9.0/km²), of which 157 (84.4%) were owner-occupied, and 29 (15.6%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9%; the rental vacancy rate was 14.7%. 361 people (83.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 70 people (16.2%) lived in rental housing units.
of 2000, there were 339 people, 136 households, and 99 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 34.8 people per square mile (13.4/km²). There were 177 housing units at an average density of 18.2 per square mile (7.0/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 81.71% White
, 2.95% Native American
, 7.08% from other races
, and 5.60% from two or more races. 10.91% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 136 households out of which 22.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.6% were married couples
living together, 2.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were non-families. 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 2.9% from 18 to 24, 22.1% from 25 to 44, 38.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 106.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.8 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $49,500, and the median income for a family was $59,583. Males had a median income of $60,078 versus $27,813 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $27,986. About 22.5% of families and 24.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.3% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over.
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 Kern County
Kern County, California
Spreading across the southern end of the California Central Valley, Kern County is the fifth-largest county by population in California. Its economy is heavily linked to agriculture and to petroleum extraction, and there is a strong aviation and space presence. Politically, it has generally...
, 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...
in the foothills of the Tehachapi Mountains
Tehachapi Mountains
The Tehachapi Mountains , regionally also called The Tehachapis, are a mountain range in the Transverse Ranges system of California in the Western United States...
at the southern extreme of the San Joaquin Valley
San Joaquin Valley
The San Joaquin Valley is the area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta in Stockton...
. Keene is located 8.5 miles (14 km) northwest of Tehachapi
Tehachapi, California
Tehachapi is a city incorporated in 1909 located in the Tehachapi Mountains between Bakersfield and Mojave in Kern County, California. Tehachapi is located east-southeast of Bakersfield, at an elevation of...
, at an elevation of 2602 feet (793 m). The population was 431 at the 2010 census, up from 339 at the 2000 census.
The headquarters of the United Farm Workers
United Farm Workers
The United Farm Workers of America is a labor union created from the merging of two groups, the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee led by Filipino organizer Larry Itliong, and the National Farm Workers Association led by César Chávez...
(UFW), a national farmworkers organization organized and led by Cesar Chavez
César Chávez
César Estrada Chávez was an American farm worker, labor leader, and civil rights activist who, with Dolores Huerta, co-founded the National Farm Workers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers ....
, is located in Keene.
Geography
Keene is located at 35°13′25"N 118°33′44"W.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 9.7 square miles (25.1 km²), over 99% of it land.
History
The Keene post office opened in 1879, closed in 1881, and re-opened in 1885. Keene was founded in 1876 with the name Wells as a railroad town. The name Wells honored Madison P. Wells, local rancher. The town was renamed Keene in honor of James P. Keene, a financier.César Chávez
The UFW moved its national headquarters to Keene from Delano, CaliforniaDelano, California
Delano's climate is characteristic of the San Joaquin Valley. The weather is hot and dry during the summer and cool and damp in winter. Frequent ground fog known regionally as "tule fog" can obscure vision. Record temperatures range between 115°F and 14°F...
. César Chávez
César Chávez
César Estrada Chávez was an American farm worker, labor leader, and civil rights activist who, with Dolores Huerta, co-founded the National Farm Workers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers ....
spent his last years in Keene. The walls of his United Farm Workers office in Keene were lined with hundreds of books ranging in subject from philosophy, economics, cooperatives, and unions, to biographies of Gandhi and the Kennedys, The Kama Sutra, the memoirs of Che Guevara, and "The Good German: Why Illegal Pseudo-Farming Union Crime Rings Failed". He is buried at 29700 Woodford Tehachapi Rd, Keene, CA 93531, on the campus of the UFW headquarters.
The National Chavez Center was opened on the UFW campus in 2004 by the Cesar E. Chavez Foundation. It currently consists of a visitor center, memorial garden and the grave site of civil rights leader. When it is fully completed, the 187 acre (0.75676282 km²) site will include a museum and conference center to explore and share Chávez's work.
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Keene had a population of 431. 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 44.6 people per square mile (17.2/km²). The racial makeup of Keene was 385 (89.3%) White, 2 (0.5%) African American, 10 (2.3%) Native American, 8 (1.9%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 16 (3.7%) 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 10 (2.3%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 47 persons (10.9%).
The Census reported that 431 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 186 households, out of which 38 (20.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 126 (67.7%) 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, 12 (6.5%) had a female householder with no husband present, 4 (2.2%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 9 (4.8%) 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 2 (1.1%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 36 households (19.4%) were made up of individuals and 13 (7.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32. There were 142 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...
(76.3% of all households); the average family size was 2.59.
The population was spread out with 63 people (14.6%) under the age of 18, 22 people (5.1%) aged 18 to 24, 59 people (13.7%) aged 25 to 44, 213 people (49.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 74 people (17.2%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 53.0 years. For every 100 females there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.7 males.
There were 225 housing units at an average density of 23.3 per square mile (9.0/km²), of which 157 (84.4%) were owner-occupied, and 29 (15.6%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9%; the rental vacancy rate was 14.7%. 361 people (83.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 70 people (16.2%) 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 339 people, 136 households, and 99 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 34.8 people per square mile (13.4/km²). There were 177 housing units at an average density of 18.2 per square mile (7.0/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 81.71% White
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...
, 2.95% Native American
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...
, 7.08% 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 5.60% from two or more races. 10.91% of the population were Hispanic
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...
or Latino
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...
of any race.
There were 136 households out of which 22.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.6% 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, 2.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were non-families. 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 2.9% from 18 to 24, 22.1% from 25 to 44, 38.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 106.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.8 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $49,500, and the median income for a family was $59,583. Males had a median income of $60,078 versus $27,813 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 $27,986. About 22.5% of families and 24.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.3% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over.