Menifee, California
Encyclopedia
Menifee is a relatively new city located in Southwestern Riverside County
, California
, United States
. The city is roughly 50 square miles (129.5 km²) in size. As of the 2010 census, Menifee has a population of about 77,519. The city of Menifee includes the communities of Menifee, Sun City, Quail Valley, Paloma Valley and portions of Romoland
.
Menifee is known for its views of the San Jacinto Mountains
, the San Bernardino Mountains
, Mt. Baldy
, and Santa Ana Mountains
above Lake Elsinore
.
Farming, which began in the mid-19th century, was concentrated in the Menifee area. Mining began in the early 1880s with the discovery of a significant quartz lode by miner Luther Menifee Wilson, from which Menifee derived its name.
Early development of the Menifee began with Sun City in the early 1960s as the concept of an active retirement community was envisioned by Del Webb
, a building contractor from Phoenix, Arizona
. Sun City is centrally located within Menifee with a mix of residential and commercial activity.
The Menifee area later grew during the late 1980s and into the early 1990s as a master-planned community. However, due to lack of resources such as industry-oriented occupations, and high-density retail and commercial businesses; has made many residents drive longer distances to nearby cities such as Temecula or Murrieta, to shop, dine, and work. There has been substantial growth in Menifee with many new home construction with large lakes, and fine amenities have attracted a lot of residents from the Inland Empire and Los Angeles to live.
On June 3, 2008, the residents of the communities encompassing the Menifee area voted to incorporate into Riverside County's 26th city. The new City of Menifee was officially established on October 1, 2008.
, Lake Elsinore
and on the southwest by the newly-incorporated City of Wildomar. To the east and northeast, the city borders unincorporated county territory. The city center of Menifee lies at the intersection of Newport Road and Interstate 215, which is located at 33°41′05"N 117°10′16"W
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city covers an area of 46.6 square miles (120.7 km²), 99.70% of it land, and 0.30% of it water.
Menifee has a Mediterranean climate
or Dry-Summer Subtropical (Köppen climate classification
Csa). Menifee enjoys plenty of sunshine throughout the year, with an average of 263 sunshine days and only 35 days with measurable precipitation annually.
The period of April through November is warm to hot and dry with average high temperatures of 83 - 101°F and lows of 32 - 50°F, though in the summer, temperatures can easily reach above 100, and occasionally above 105. The period of November through March is somewhat rainy, as shown in the table to left. At times, during the Winter, large dust storms start to form due to the large mass of humidity, and low, and flat land that is there.
was 1,663.3 people per square mile (642.2/km²). The racial makeup of Menifee was 55,444 (71.5%) White, 3,858 (5.0%) African American, 655 (0.8%) Native American, 3,788 (4.9%) Asian, 295 (0.4%) Pacific Islander, 9,642 (12.4%) from other races
, and 3,837 (4.9%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 25,551 persons (33.0%).
The Census reported that 77,331 people (99.8% of the population) lived in households, 81 (0.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 107 (0.1%) were institutionalized.
There were 27,461 households, out of which 9,729 (35.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 15,405 (56.1%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 2,743 (10.0%) had a female householder with no husband present, 1,324 (4.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,348 (4.9%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 184 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 6,591 households (24.0%) were made up of individuals and 4,153 (15.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82. There were 19,472 families
(70.9% of all households); the average family size was 3.35.
The population was spread out with 20,067 people (25.9%) under the age of 18, 6,460 people (8.3%) aged 18 to 24, 18,771 people (24.2%) aged 25 to 44, 17,571 people (22.7%) aged 45 to 64, and 14,650 people (18.9%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.1 years. For every 100 females there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.
There were 30,269 housing units at an average density of 649.5 per square mile (250.8/km²), of which 21,104 (76.9%) were owner-occupied, and 6,357 (23.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 4.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.8%. 58,330 people (75.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 19,001 people (24.5%) lived in rental housing units.
In 2010 Scott Mann lost his election to Tom Fuhrman. John Denver renewed his place on the council by winning over two challengers. Term limits of two four year terms for council persons won. "At large" voting for the city council was narrowly voted out in favor of four districts and a mayor at large.
The third city manager, Bill Rawlins was hired and took over in 2011 also. The first city manager was George Wentz. The second (an interim city manager) was Steve Harding.
, which serves most of Menifee as well as parts of the City of Lake Elsinore and Wildomar and French Valley (northeast of the cities Temecula & Murrieta). Students in the high school level attend school in the Perris Union High School District
, which includes Paloma Valley High School in Menifee. In 2007, Heritage High School
was added to serve the Romoland/Menifee area. Menifee is also home to Mt. San Jacinto College
, Menifee Valley Campus which serves the Temecula, Murrieta and Menifee areas. Students are able to take the classes necessary in order to transfer to four-year college institutions. The community college also has a nursing program for those wanting to become Registered Nurses.
). There are four fire stations in Menifee and each station has a paramedic engine company. The Menifee Lakes station also has a truck company located there with specialized equipment.
and Newport Road/Dominegoni Expressway. Scott Road is also a main road. Future construction plans include expanding the four lane I-215 into an eight lane superhighway running south into the I-15 freeway towards San Diego. Menifee is located approximately one hour east of Orange County, 90 Minutes Southeast of Los Angeles
and one hour north of San Diego
.
RCTA provides bus service to local residents.
Riverside County, California
Riverside County is a county in the U.S. state of California. One of 58 California counties, it covers in the southern part of the state, and stretches from Orange County to the Colorado River, which forms the state border with Arizona. The county derives its name from the city of Riverside,...
, 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 city is roughly 50 square miles (129.5 km²) in size. As of the 2010 census, Menifee has a population of about 77,519. The city of Menifee includes the communities of Menifee, Sun City, Quail Valley, Paloma Valley and portions of Romoland
Romoland, California
Romoland is a census-designated place in Riverside County, California, United States. The population was 1,684 at the 2010 census, down from 2,764 at the 2000 census....
.
Menifee is known for its views of the San Jacinto Mountains
San Jacinto Mountains
The San Jacinto Mountains are a mountain range east of Los Angeles in southern California in the United States. The mountains are named for Saint Hyacinth . The Pacific Crest Trail runs along the spine of the range.The range extends for approximately from the San Bernardino Mountains southeast to...
, the San Bernardino Mountains
San Bernardino Mountains
The San Bernardino Mountains are a short transverse mountain range north and east of San Bernardino in Southern California in the United States. The mountains run for approximately 60 miles east-west on the southern edge of the Mojave Desert in southwestern San Bernardino County, north of the...
, Mt. Baldy
Mount San Antonio
Mount San Antonio, commonly known as Old Baldy or Mt Baldy, at , is the highest peak in the San Gabriel Mountains, and the highest point in Los Angeles County...
, and Santa Ana Mountains
Santa Ana Mountains
The Santa Ana Mountains are a short peninsular mountain range along the coast of Southern California in the United States. They extend for approximately 36 mi southeast of the Los Angeles Basin largely along the border between Orange and Riverside counties.- Geography :The range starts in the...
above Lake Elsinore
Lake Elsinore
Lake Elsinore, originally named Laguna Grande by the Spanish explorers, renamed for the town Lake Elsinore, California established on its northeastern shore April 9, 1888.-Limnology:...
.
History
The area was originally inhabited by the Luiseno and Pechanga Indian tribes. In the 18th century, the area fell under Spanish rule and was ceded by Mexico to the United States in 1850 as a result of the Mexican-American War.Farming, which began in the mid-19th century, was concentrated in the Menifee area. Mining began in the early 1880s with the discovery of a significant quartz lode by miner Luther Menifee Wilson, from which Menifee derived its name.
Early development of the Menifee began with Sun City in the early 1960s as the concept of an active retirement community was envisioned by Del Webb
Del Webb
Delbert Eugene Webb was an American construction magnate, real estate developer and sports-team owner, who is most significant for founding and developing the retirement community of Sun City, Arizona.-Early life:...
, a building contractor from Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
. Sun City is centrally located within Menifee with a mix of residential and commercial activity.
The Menifee area later grew during the late 1980s and into the early 1990s as a master-planned community. However, due to lack of resources such as industry-oriented occupations, and high-density retail and commercial businesses; has made many residents drive longer distances to nearby cities such as Temecula or Murrieta, to shop, dine, and work. There has been substantial growth in Menifee with many new home construction with large lakes, and fine amenities have attracted a lot of residents from the Inland Empire and Los Angeles to live.
On June 3, 2008, the residents of the communities encompassing the Menifee area voted to incorporate into Riverside County's 26th city. The new City of Menifee was officially established on October 1, 2008.
Geography
The city of Menifee is bordered on the north, west, and south by the cities of Perris, Canyon LakeCanyon Lake, California
Canyon Lake is a gated community in Riverside County, California, United States. One of only five gated cities in California, Canyon Lake began as a master-planned community developed by Corona Land Company in 1968. The “City of Canyon Lake” was incorporated on December 1, 1990. It geographically...
, Lake Elsinore
Lake Elsinore, California
For the lake see Lake Elsinore.Lake Elsinore or LE is a city in western Riverside County, California. The population was 51,821 at the 2010 census...
and on the southwest by the newly-incorporated City of Wildomar. To the east and northeast, the city borders unincorporated county territory. The city center of Menifee lies at the intersection of Newport Road and Interstate 215, which is located at 33°41′05"N 117°10′16"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 city covers an area of 46.6 square miles (120.7 km²), 99.70% of it land, and 0.30% of it water.
Top employers
According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:| # | Employer | # of employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mt. San Jacinto College Mt. San Jacinto College Mt. San Jacinto College is a community college in Riverside County, California, United States. MSJC consists of two large campuses: one located in San Jacinto and one in Menifee . In addition, classes are offered at a campus in Banning and a smaller facility located in Temecula... |
490 |
| 2 | Valley Health System | 300 |
| 3 | Bianchi International Bianchi International Bianchi International of Temecula, California is a worldwide producer of leather and nylon goods for the law enforcement industry. Since the 1970s they have produced items from gun holsters to duty belts and everything related in between... |
280 |
| 4 | Southern California Edison Southern California Edison Southern California Edison , the largest subsidiary of Edison International , is the primary electricity supply company for much of Southern California, USA. It provides 14 million people with electricity... |
218 |
| 5 | United States Postal Service United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States... |
200 |
| 6 | Life Care Centers of America | 130 |
| 7 | Target Target Corporation Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's... |
130 |
| 8 | Valley Pacific Concrete | 110 |
| 9 | Stater Bros. Stater Bros. Stater Bros. Markets is a privately held supermarket chain, based in San Bernardino, California, consisting of over 167 stores located throughout Southern California. Founded in Yucaipa, California in 1936 by Cleo and Leo Stater , it consisted of 167 stores as of February 23, 2009... |
110 |
| 10 | Amerimax Building Products | 106 |
Climate
Menifee has mild winters and hot, dry summers.- On average, the warmest month is July.
- The highest recorded temperature was 115°F in 1998.
- On average, the coolest month is December.
- The lowest recorded temperature was 14°F in 1976.
- The maximum average precipitation occurs in February.
Menifee has a Mediterranean climate
Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, and is a particular variety of subtropical climate...
or Dry-Summer Subtropical (Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Csa). Menifee enjoys plenty of sunshine throughout the year, with an average of 263 sunshine days and only 35 days with measurable precipitation annually.
The period of April through November is warm to hot and dry with average high temperatures of 83 - 101°F and lows of 32 - 50°F, though in the summer, temperatures can easily reach above 100, and occasionally above 105. The period of November through March is somewhat rainy, as shown in the table to left. At times, during the Winter, large dust storms start to form due to the large mass of humidity, and low, and flat land that is there.
Demographics
The 2010 United States Census reported that Menifee had a population of 77,519. 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 1,663.3 people per square mile (642.2/km²). The racial makeup of Menifee was 55,444 (71.5%) White, 3,858 (5.0%) African American, 655 (0.8%) Native American, 3,788 (4.9%) Asian, 295 (0.4%) Pacific Islander, 9,642 (12.4%) 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 3,837 (4.9%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 25,551 persons (33.0%).
The Census reported that 77,331 people (99.8% of the population) lived in households, 81 (0.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 107 (0.1%) were institutionalized.
There were 27,461 households, out of which 9,729 (35.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 15,405 (56.1%) 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, 2,743 (10.0%) had a female householder with no husband present, 1,324 (4.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,348 (4.9%) 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 184 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 6,591 households (24.0%) were made up of individuals and 4,153 (15.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82. There were 19,472 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...
(70.9% of all households); the average family size was 3.35.
The population was spread out with 20,067 people (25.9%) under the age of 18, 6,460 people (8.3%) aged 18 to 24, 18,771 people (24.2%) aged 25 to 44, 17,571 people (22.7%) aged 45 to 64, and 14,650 people (18.9%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.1 years. For every 100 females there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.
There were 30,269 housing units at an average density of 649.5 per square mile (250.8/km²), of which 21,104 (76.9%) were owner-occupied, and 6,357 (23.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 4.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.8%. 58,330 people (75.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 19,001 people (24.5%) lived in rental housing units.
Government
On June 3, 2008, voters elected to incorporate Menifee as a general law city. The new City of Menifee was officially established on October 1, 2008 and is the 26th city located within Riverside County. It was first governed by a five-member city council consisting of Wallace Edgerton as the Mayor; Darcy Kuenzi as the Mayor Pro-Tem; and Fred Twyman, John Vaughn Denver, and Scott Mann as council members. In 2010, Fred Twyman was elected Vice Mayor (a new terminology). Wallace Edgerton was re-elected Mayor.In 2010 Scott Mann lost his election to Tom Fuhrman. John Denver renewed his place on the council by winning over two challengers. Term limits of two four year terms for council persons won. "At large" voting for the city council was narrowly voted out in favor of four districts and a mayor at large.
The third city manager, Bill Rawlins was hired and took over in 2011 also. The first city manager was George Wentz. The second (an interim city manager) was Steve Harding.
Education
Elementary and middle school level education in Menifee is provided by the Menifee Union School DistrictMenifee Union School District
Menifee Union School District is a school district located in the newly incorporated City of Menifee, California. The district plans on adding at least two more schools in addition to the ones listed below...
, which serves most of Menifee as well as parts of the City of Lake Elsinore and Wildomar and French Valley (northeast of the cities Temecula & Murrieta). Students in the high school level attend school in the Perris Union High School District
Perris Union High School District
The Perris Union High School District is a school district located in Perris, California. It has schools in Perris and in nearby Romoland and Menifee...
, which includes Paloma Valley High School in Menifee. In 2007, Heritage High School
Heritage High School (Romoland, California)
Heritage High School is a public four-year high school located in Romoland, California. It is part of the Perris Union High School District. It opened its first school year on August 8, 2007 with freshmen and sophomores classes...
was added to serve the Romoland/Menifee area. Menifee is also home to Mt. San Jacinto College
Mt. San Jacinto College
Mt. San Jacinto College is a community college in Riverside County, California, United States. MSJC consists of two large campuses: one located in San Jacinto and one in Menifee . In addition, classes are offered at a campus in Banning and a smaller facility located in Temecula...
, Menifee Valley Campus which serves the Temecula, Murrieta and Menifee areas. Students are able to take the classes necessary in order to transfer to four-year college institutions. The community college also has a nursing program for those wanting to become Registered Nurses.
Public safety
The City of Menifee contracts for police service with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department through the Perris Valley Station. Fire protection and emergency medical services is contracted with the Riverside County Fire Department through a cooperative agreement with CAL FIRE (California Department of Forestry and Fire ProtectionCalifornia Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is the State of California's agency responsible for fire protection in State Responsibility Areas of California as well as the administration of the state's private and public forests. It is often referred to as The California Department of...
). There are four fire stations in Menifee and each station has a paramedic engine company. The Menifee Lakes station also has a truck company located there with specialized equipment.
Transportation
The primary routes in Menifee are Interstate 215Interstate 215
Interstate 215 is the designation for several Interstate Highways in the United States, all of which are related to Interstate 15:*Interstate 215 , a regional bypass in Southern California*Interstate 215 , part of the Las Vegas Beltway...
and Newport Road/Dominegoni Expressway. Scott Road is also a main road. Future construction plans include expanding the four lane I-215 into an eight lane superhighway running south into the I-15 freeway towards San Diego. Menifee is located approximately one hour east of Orange County, 90 Minutes Southeast of Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
and one hour north of San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
.
RCTA provides bus service to local residents.
Notable natives and residents
- Mike MetzgerMike MetzgerMike Metzger is an American Freestyle Motocross rider. In the 2002 X-Games he won the Freestyle and Big Air events and got second place in Step Up, earning him an estimated $100,000 in three days. In 2003 he also got first place in Big Air...
a famous motocrossMotocrossMotocross is a form of motorcycle sport or all-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed off road circuits. It evolved from trials, and was called scrambles, and later motocross, combining the French moto with cross-country...
rider, the 'godfather' of FMXFMXFMX is an acronym used to describe several things:*Famoxadone, a pesticide abbreviated as FMX*FMX , a system employing audio noise reduction*Freestyle Motocross...
. - Audie MurphyAudie MurphyAudie Leon Murphy was a highly decorated and famous soldier. Through LIFE magazine's July 16, 1945 issue , he became one the most famous soldiers of World War II and widely regarded as the most decorated American soldier of the war...
had a ranch in the area. - Bill Gould member of the band KeenwildKeenwildKeenwild is a duo formed by Jeney Keenwild and Bill Keenwild in the fall of 2002 that has performed at many venues across the western United States. Keenwild is based in Temecula California.-Group formation:...
.