Los Altos Hills, California
Encyclopedia
Los Altos Hills is an incorporated town in Santa Clara County
, California
, United States
. The population was 7,922 at the 2010 census. Located in Silicon Valley, Los Altos Hills is one of the wealthiest cities in the nation.
or industrial
zones. The town government contracts with Santa Clara County for police and fire services (making it a so-called "contract city
" under California law). The town's only retail
commercial operation is the book store on the campus of Foothill College
. The town also does not have a post office
, telephone exchange
, or library
. Mail delivery and telephone service are provided from nearby Los Altos
, so the town shares ZIP code
s and telephone exchange numbers with Los Altos. Town residents desiring library services must visit county-operated libraries in nearby Los Altos or Cupertino
.
The town's zoning regulations are among the strictest in California, requiring a minimum lot size of one acre (4,000 m²), setbacks from the property boundary, and easement
s for public pathways. Landowners are limited to one primary dwelling per lot, which effectively bans multifamily housing; this ban and the minimum lot size were upheld as constitutional by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in 1974. The ban on commercial zones was upheld by the California Court of Appeal
(First District) in 1973. The town is set in hilly terrain offering commanding views of the San Francisco Bay Area
. The median home price in 2009, according to MLS data was $2,435,000.
In 2000, the largest house in Silicon Valley at that time was built in the town. Larger ones have since been built elsewhere. The building was officially assessed by the county government as having 18000 square feet (1,672.3 m²) of interior space. The home is actually considerably larger due to below ground area that is not part of the official assessment. In reality, it remains one of largest homes in the area. In 2011, a house in Los Altos Hills sold for an estimated $100 million.
The town is also home to a convent
of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. In 2002, seven profitable hospital
s in the Catholic Healthcare West system formed their own system, the Daughters of Charity Health System, under the control of the Los Altos Hills convent.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 8.8 square miles (22.8 km²), all of it land.
Both the Altamont and Monte Vista Faults pass through the town.
As its name states, the town is located in a group of small hills. The town is also noted for being rather dry and hot in the summer, as the prevailing winds are blocked by the hills.
Water consumption in the town is also substantially higher than in the rest of the county due to the minimum lot size of 1 acres (4,046.9 m²).
was 900.0 people per square mile (347.5/km²). The racial makeup of Los Altos Hills was 5,417 (68.4%) White, 37 (0.5%) African American, 4 (0.1%) Native American, 2,109 (26.6%) Asian, 8 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 50 (0.6%) from other races
, and 297 (3.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 213 persons (2.7%).
The Census reported that 99.3% of the population lived in households and 0.7% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters.
There were 2,829 households, out of which 949 (33.5%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 2,204 (77.9%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 114 (4.0%) had a female householder with no husband present, 53 (1.9%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 53 (1.9%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 19 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 359 households (12.7%) were made up of individuals and 210 (7.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78. There were 2,371 families
(83.8% of all households); the average family size was 3.02.
The population was spread out with 1,811 people (22.9%) under the age of 18, 342 people (4.3%) aged 18 to 24, 1,083 people (13.7%) aged 25 to 44, 2,848 people (36.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,838 people (23.2%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50.2 years. For every 100 females there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.4 males.
There were 3,001 housing units at an average density of 341.0 per square mile (131.6/km²), of which 2,582 (91.3%) were owner-occupied, and 247 (8.7%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.2%. 7,162 people (90.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 707 people (8.9%) lived in rental housing units.
of 2000, there were 7,902 people, 2,740 households, and 2,339 families residing in the town. The population density
was 917.2 people per square mile (353.9/km²). There were 2,816 housing units at an average density of 326.9 per square mile (126.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 74.94% White, 21.10% Asian, 0.59% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.46% from other races
, and 2.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.15% of the population.
There were 2,740 households out of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 79.0% were married couples
living together, 4.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.6% were non-families. 10.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 4.0% from 18 to 24, 19.6% from 25 to 44, 35.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $173,570, and the median income for a family was $181,865. Males had a median income of $200,000+ versus $178,288 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $92,840. About 1.2% of families and 1.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.5% of those under age 18 and 2.0% of those age 65 or over.
In 2007, Los Altos Hills was ranked by CNN Money as having the 3rd highest median household income in the country.
Los Altos Hills is located in the 11th Senate
District, represented by Democrat
Joe Simitian
, and in the 21st Assembly
District, represented by Democrat Rich Gordon
. Federally, Los Altos Hills is located in California's 14th congressional district
, which leans strongly towards the Democrats (Cook PVI
of D +18) and is represented by Democrat Anna Eshoo
.
The Town of Los Altos Hills has a politically active citizenry and a 5 member elected City Council. The Town has several volunteer committees reporting to the City Council covering issues such as Open Space, Pathways, Environmental Initiatives, Education, Historical, Parks and Recreation,Community Relations Committee,Emergency Communications Committee, Environmental Design and Protection, Finance and Investment, Westwind Community Barn. Political issues that have been prominent in recent years include the return of public education to the Town, expansion of parks and recreation services, adding cell phone towers, the management and financing of a historic horse barn, and several environmental issues, including greater recycling of trash.
operated by the Foothill-De Anza Community College District
is in the city. The college has the district's headquarters.
The Pinewood School Upper Campus is also located in Los Altos Hills. Pinewood is a private coeducational K-12 school. The Upper Campus includes grades 7-12.
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...
. The population was 7,922 at the 2010 census. Located in Silicon Valley, Los Altos Hills is one of the wealthiest cities in the nation.
Strictly residential
The town has no commercialCommerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
or industrial
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
zones. The town government contracts with Santa Clara County for police and fire services (making it a so-called "contract city
Contract city
Contract city is a term used in the U.S. for a city which provides municipal services by contract with another unit of government, public agency or private organizations....
" under California law). The town's only retail
Retail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
commercial operation is the book store on the campus of Foothill College
Foothill College
Foothill College is a community college located in Los Altos Hills, California and is part of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District. It was founded on January 15, 1957 by Founding Superintendent and President Dr. Calvin C. Flint.-History:...
. The town also does not have a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, telephone exchange
Telephone exchange
In the field of telecommunications, a telephone exchange or telephone switch is a system of electronic components that connects telephone calls...
, or library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
. Mail delivery and telephone service are provided from nearby Los Altos
Los Altos, California
Los Altos is a city at the southern end of the San Francisco Peninsula, in the San Francisco Bay Area. The city is in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population was 28,976 according to the 2010 census....
, so the town shares ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
s and telephone exchange numbers with Los Altos. Town residents desiring library services must visit county-operated libraries in nearby Los Altos or Cupertino
Cupertino, California
Cupertino is an affluent suburban city in Santa Clara County, California in the U.S., directly west of San Jose on the western edge of the Santa Clara Valley with portions extending into the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The population was 58,302 at the time of the 2010 census. Forbes...
.
The town's zoning regulations are among the strictest in California, requiring a minimum lot size of one acre (4,000 m²), setbacks from the property boundary, and easement
Easement
An easement is a certain right to use the real property of another without possessing it.Easements are helpful for providing pathways across two or more pieces of property or allowing an individual to fish in a privately owned pond...
s for public pathways. Landowners are limited to one primary dwelling per lot, which effectively bans multifamily housing; this ban and the minimum lot size were upheld as constitutional by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in 1974. The ban on commercial zones was upheld by the California Court of Appeal
California Court of Appeal
The California Courts of Appeal are the state intermediate appellate courts in the U.S. state of California. The state is geographically divided into six appellate districts...
(First District) in 1973. The town is set in hilly terrain offering commanding views of the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
. The median home price in 2009, according to MLS data was $2,435,000.
In 2000, the largest house in Silicon Valley at that time was built in the town. Larger ones have since been built elsewhere. The building was officially assessed by the county government as having 18000 square feet (1,672.3 m²) of interior space. The home is actually considerably larger due to below ground area that is not part of the official assessment. In reality, it remains one of largest homes in the area. In 2011, a house in Los Altos Hills sold for an estimated $100 million.
The town is also home to a convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. In 2002, seven profitable hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
s in the Catholic Healthcare West system formed their own system, the Daughters of Charity Health System, under the control of the Los Altos Hills convent.
Geography and environment
Los Altos Hills is located at 37°22′17"N 122°8′15"W (37.371390, -122.137605).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 town has a total area of 8.8 square miles (22.8 km²), all of it land.
Both the Altamont and Monte Vista Faults pass through the town.
As its name states, the town is located in a group of small hills. The town is also noted for being rather dry and hot in the summer, as the prevailing winds are blocked by the hills.
Water consumption in the town is also substantially higher than in the rest of the county due to the minimum lot size of 1 acres (4,046.9 m²).
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Los Altos Hills had a population of 7,922. 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 900.0 people per square mile (347.5/km²). The racial makeup of Los Altos Hills was 5,417 (68.4%) White, 37 (0.5%) African American, 4 (0.1%) Native American, 2,109 (26.6%) Asian, 8 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 50 (0.6%) 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 297 (3.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 213 persons (2.7%).
The Census reported that 99.3% of the population lived in households and 0.7% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters.
There were 2,829 households, out of which 949 (33.5%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 2,204 (77.9%) 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, 114 (4.0%) had a female householder with no husband present, 53 (1.9%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 53 (1.9%) 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 19 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 359 households (12.7%) were made up of individuals and 210 (7.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78. There were 2,371 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...
(83.8% of all households); the average family size was 3.02.
The population was spread out with 1,811 people (22.9%) under the age of 18, 342 people (4.3%) aged 18 to 24, 1,083 people (13.7%) aged 25 to 44, 2,848 people (36.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,838 people (23.2%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50.2 years. For every 100 females there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.4 males.
There were 3,001 housing units at an average density of 341.0 per square mile (131.6/km²), of which 2,582 (91.3%) were owner-occupied, and 247 (8.7%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.2%. 7,162 people (90.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 707 people (8.9%) 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 7,902 people, 2,740 households, and 2,339 families residing in the town. 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 917.2 people per square mile (353.9/km²). There were 2,816 housing units at an average density of 326.9 per square mile (126.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 74.94% White, 21.10% Asian, 0.59% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.46% 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 2.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.15% of the population.
There were 2,740 households out of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 79.0% 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, 4.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.6% were non-families. 10.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 4.0% from 18 to 24, 19.6% from 25 to 44, 35.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $173,570, and the median income for a family was $181,865. Males had a median income of $200,000+ versus $178,288 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 town was $92,840. About 1.2% of families and 1.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.5% of those under age 18 and 2.0% of those age 65 or over.
In 2007, Los Altos Hills was ranked by CNN Money as having the 3rd highest median household income in the country.
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...
Los Altos Hills is located in the 11th 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...
Joe Simitian
Joe Simitian
Saren Joseph Simitian is a Democratic California State Senator elected in 2004. Simitian represents the 11th Senate District, which encompasses all or part of 13 cities in San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties....
, and in the 21st 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 Rich Gordon
Rich Gordon
Richard S. Gordon is an American politician from Menlo Park, California who currently serves in the California State Assembly representing the 21st district...
. Federally, Los Altos Hills is located in California's 14th congressional district
California's 14th congressional district
California's 14th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California. It is located between San Francisco and San Jose. The district includes portions of San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties and most notably contains part of Silicon Valley. Major cities in...
, which leans strongly towards the Democrats (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 +18) and is represented by Democrat Anna Eshoo
Anna Eshoo
Anna Georges Eshoo is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district, which includes part of Silicon Valley, includes the cities of Redwood City, Sunnyvale, Mountain View and Palo Alto...
.
The Town of Los Altos Hills has a politically active citizenry and a 5 member elected City Council. The Town has several volunteer committees reporting to the City Council covering issues such as Open Space, Pathways, Environmental Initiatives, Education, Historical, Parks and Recreation,Community Relations Committee,Emergency Communications Committee, Environmental Design and Protection, Finance and Investment, Westwind Community Barn. Political issues that have been prominent in recent years include the return of public education to the Town, expansion of parks and recreation services, adding cell phone towers, the management and financing of a historic horse barn, and several environmental issues, including greater recycling of trash.
Education
The Foothill CollegeFoothill College
Foothill College is a community college located in Los Altos Hills, California and is part of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District. It was founded on January 15, 1957 by Founding Superintendent and President Dr. Calvin C. Flint.-History:...
operated by the Foothill-De Anza Community College District
Foothill-De Anza Community College District
The Foothill De Anza Community College District is a community college district headquartered on the grounds of Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, California. The district operates Foothill College and De Anza College in Cupertino.-External links:*...
is in the city. The college has the district's headquarters.
The Pinewood School Upper Campus is also located in Los Altos Hills. Pinewood is a private coeducational K-12 school. The Upper Campus includes grades 7-12.