Middletown, California
Encyclopedia
Middletown is a census-designated place
(CDP) in Lake County
, California
, United States
. Middletown is located 11 miles (18 km) south of Lower Lake
, at an elevation of 1099 feet (335 m). The population was 1,323 at the 2010 census, up from 1,020 at the 2000 census. Middletown was given its name because it is halfway between Lower Lake and Calistoga
to the south.
, the CDP has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²), all of it land.
and the Twin Pine Casino located on the local Rancheria south of the town.
was 717.4 people per square mile (277.0/km²). The racial makeup of Middletown was 985 (74.5%) White, 5 (0.4%) African American, 28 (2.1%) Native American, 18 (1.4%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 225 (17.0%) from other races
, and 62 (4.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 413 persons (31.2%).
The Census reported that 1,317 people (99.5% of the population) lived in households, 6 (0.5%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 508 households, out of which 189 (37.2%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 223 (43.9%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 72 (14.2%) had a female householder with no husband present, 41 (8.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 36 (7.1%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 4 (0.8%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 140 households (27.6%) were made up of individuals and 52 (10.2%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59. There were 336 families
(66.1% of all households); the average family size was 3.15.
The population was spread out with 376 people (28.4%) under the age of 18, 114 people (8.6%) aged 18 to 24, 309 people (23.4%) aged 25 to 44, 374 people (28.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 150 people (11.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.4 years. For every 100 females there were 102.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.2 males.
There were 557 housing units at an average density of 302.0 per square mile (116.6/km²), of which 251 (49.4%) were owner-occupied, and 257 (50.6%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.1%. 659 people (49.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 658 people (49.7%) lived in rental housing units.
of 2000, there were 1,020 people, 392 households, and 263 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 395.6 people per square mile (152.6/km²). There were 427 housing units at an average density of 165.6 per square mile (63.9/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 83.73% White, 0.39% African American, 1.86% Native American, 1.67% Asian, 0.69% Pacific Islander, 8.24% from other races
, and 3.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 22.84% of the population.
There were 392 households out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% were married couples
living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 26.6% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 110.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.2 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $35,278, and the median income for a family was $38,571. Males had a median income of $33,214 versus $26,515 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $14,135. About 21.2% of families and 20.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.1% of those under age 18 and 28.3% of those age 65 or over.
, a New Age
retreat center with spring pools, conference facilities, daily activities and classes, is located northwest of town.
The Middletown Rancheria, an Indian
reservation of Pomo, Lake
Miwok
, Wappo
, and Wintu
is located just south of town.
Middletown is located in the 2nd Senate
District, represented by Democrat
Noreen Evans
, and in the 1st Assembly
District, represented by Democrat Wesley Chesbro
. Federally, Middletown is located in California's 1st congressional district
, which has a Cook PVI
of D +10 and is represented by Democrat Mike Thompson
.
Lake County has five districts. Middletown is a subset of District 1. As of January 2009, Jim Comstock is the supervisor of District 1.
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 Lake County
Lake County, California
Lake County is a county located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of California, north of the San Francisco Bay Area. It takes its name from Clear Lake, the dominant geographic feature in the county and the largest natural lake wholly within California...
, 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...
. Middletown is located 11 miles (18 km) south of Lower Lake
Lower Lake, California
Lower Lake is a census-designated place in Lake County, California, USA. Lower Lake is located east-southeast of Kelseyville, at an elevation of 1371 feet...
, at an elevation of 1099 feet (335 m). The population was 1,323 at the 2010 census, up from 1,020 at the 2000 census. Middletown was given its name because it is halfway between Lower Lake and Calistoga
Calistoga, California
Calistoga is a city in Napa County, California, United States. The population was 5,155 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , 99.30% of it land and 0.70% of it water.-Climate:...
to the south.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited 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 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²), all of it land.
History
The first house was built at the site by J.H. Berry in 1870. The town began in 1871. The Middleton post office opened in 1871 and changed its name to Middletown in 1875. Middletown enjoyed a robust quicksilver mining industry through the end of the 19th century. By the early 1900s, cattle and sheep ranching were prominent, along with some limited pear and walnut production. A resort economy sprung up around the various natural springs, and the area around Middletown attracted vacationers from the Bay Area through the 1950s. As travel costs decreased, tourism to the resorts diminished as patrons were able use air travel to vacation in more far flung places. Many of the resorts closed in the 1960s. In the 1970s and early 1980, exploitation of nearby geothermal resources brought an influx of workers into the local economy. Electrical power plants powered by "steam wells" were built in the mountains above Middletown. As housing prices in the Bay Area increased in the late 20th century, Middletown and nearby Hidden Valley Lake enjoyed a population boom as commuters moved to the Middletown area looking for affordable housing; keeping their jobs 50 to 100 miles away in Santa Rosa, Napa, and San Francisco. Middletown is currently populated primarily by commuters and retirees, enjoying a modest tourist trade based primarily on Harbin Hot SpringsHarbin Hot Springs
Harbin Hot Springs is a non-profit hot spring retreat and workshop center in Harbin Springs, Lake County, in Northern California, about two hours northeast of the San Francisco Bay Area.-History:...
and the Twin Pine Casino located on the local Rancheria south of the town.
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Middletown had a population of 1,323. 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 717.4 people per square mile (277.0/km²). The racial makeup of Middletown was 985 (74.5%) White, 5 (0.4%) African American, 28 (2.1%) Native American, 18 (1.4%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 225 (17.0%) 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 62 (4.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 413 persons (31.2%).
The Census reported that 1,317 people (99.5% of the population) lived in households, 6 (0.5%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 508 households, out of which 189 (37.2%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 223 (43.9%) 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, 72 (14.2%) had a female householder with no husband present, 41 (8.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 36 (7.1%) 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 4 (0.8%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 140 households (27.6%) were made up of individuals and 52 (10.2%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59. There were 336 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...
(66.1% of all households); the average family size was 3.15.
The population was spread out with 376 people (28.4%) under the age of 18, 114 people (8.6%) aged 18 to 24, 309 people (23.4%) aged 25 to 44, 374 people (28.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 150 people (11.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.4 years. For every 100 females there were 102.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.2 males.
There were 557 housing units at an average density of 302.0 per square mile (116.6/km²), of which 251 (49.4%) were owner-occupied, and 257 (50.6%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.1%. 659 people (49.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 658 people (49.7%) 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 1,020 people, 392 households, and 263 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 395.6 people per square mile (152.6/km²). There were 427 housing units at an average density of 165.6 per square mile (63.9/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 83.73% White, 0.39% African American, 1.86% Native American, 1.67% Asian, 0.69% Pacific Islander, 8.24% 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 3.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 22.84% of the population.
There were 392 households out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% 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, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 26.6% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 110.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.2 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $35,278, and the median income for a family was $38,571. Males had a median income of $33,214 versus $26,515 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 $14,135. About 21.2% of families and 20.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.1% of those under age 18 and 28.3% of those age 65 or over.
Tourist attractions
Harbin Hot SpringsHarbin Hot Springs
Harbin Hot Springs is a non-profit hot spring retreat and workshop center in Harbin Springs, Lake County, in Northern California, about two hours northeast of the San Francisco Bay Area.-History:...
, a New Age
New Age
The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...
retreat center with spring pools, conference facilities, daily activities and classes, is located northwest of town.
The Middletown Rancheria, an Indian
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
reservation of Pomo, Lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
Miwok
Miwok
Miwok can refer to any one of four linguistically related groups of Native Americans, native to Northern California, who spoke one of the Miwokan languages in the Utian family...
, Wappo
Wappo
The Wappo are a group of Native Americans who traditionally lived in Northern California in the areas of Napa Valley, the south shore of Clear Lake, Alexander Valley, and Russian River. When Mexicans arrived to colonize California, Wappo villages existed near the present-day towns of Yountville,...
, and Wintu
Wintu
The Wintu are Native Americans who live in what is now Northern California. They are part of a loose association of peoples known collectively as the Wintun . Others are the Nomlaki and the Patwin...
is located just south of town.
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...
Middletown is located in the 2nd 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...
Noreen Evans
Noreen Evans
Noreen Evans is an American politician in the California State Senate. She is a Democrat representing the 2nd district, encompassing Humboldt, Mendocino, Lake, and Napa counties, as well as parts of Sonoma and Solano counties....
, and in the 1st 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 Wesley Chesbro
Wesley Chesbro
Wesley P. Chesbro is a Democratic politician from California. He is currently the Assembly member for the 1st Assembly district in California. Previously, Chesbro served as a State Senator from California's 2nd district from 1998 until 2006...
. Federally, Middletown is located in California's 1st congressional district
California's 1st congressional district
California's 1st congressional district is a congressional district located in the U.S. state of California and presently consists of the northern coastline and includes Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino and Napa counties and parts of Sonoma and Yolo counties.The district is currently...
, 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 +10 and is represented by Democrat Mike Thompson
Mike Thompson
Michael C. Thompson , is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1999. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes Napa, Lake, Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte Counties as well as parts of Yolo and Sonoma Counties....
.
Lake County has five districts. Middletown is a subset of District 1. As of January 2009, Jim Comstock is the supervisor of District 1.
Further reading
- Our small town: a brief history of Middletown, Lake County, California community treasures (1999).
- Campbell, W. L. (Rohnert Park, Calif., 2000). The development of first, second, and third grade mathematics benchmark tests for the Middletown Unified School District: alignment with the state standards
- Moratto, M. J. (1974). An evaluation of the archaeological resources near Middletown, California San Francisco: Archaeological Research Laboratory, Dept. of Anthropology, San Francisco State University
- Lusk, W. C., Reed, A. D., & Houston, C. E. (1963). Potential economic value of agricultural water in the Middletown Area of Lake County Kelseyville, University of California, Agricultural Extension Service.
- United States. (1965). Project report on the recreation potentialities of the proposed Middletown Project, Lake County, California San Francisco: The Service
- Tritchler, C. (1992). Middletown Cemetery, Butts Canyon Road and Highway 29, Lake County, Middletown, California: an inventory of gravesites, Middletown Cemetery District