Occidental, California
Encyclopedia
Occidental is a census-designated place
(CDP) in Sonoma County
, California
, United States
. The population was 1,115 at the 2010 census, down from 1,272 at the 2000 census.
station reports that Occidental has cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers.
Average January temperatures range from 41.8 °F (5.4 °C) to 54.5 °F (12.5 °C) and average July temperatures range from 51.4° to 77.9 °F (25.5 °C). The record highest temperature was 103 °F (39.4 °C) on July 22, 2006, and the record lowest temperature was 28 °F (-2.2 °C) on March 11, 2006. There are an average of 12.8 days with highs of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher and an average of 2.1 days with lows of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower.
Average annual rainfall is 55.19 inches (1,401.8 mm). The wettest year was 1983 with 111.21 inches (2,824.7 mm) and the dryest year was 1976 with 20.75 inches (527.1 mm). The most rainfall in one month was 36.62 inches (930.1 mm) in January 1995. The most rainfall in 24 hours was 8.51 inches (216.2 mm) on January 5, 1966. Average annual snowfall is only 0.2 inches (5.1 mm). The maximum snowfall was 11 inches (279.4 mm) in January 1974.
connecting Cazadero
to the Sausalito
ferry. In return for donating right-of-way to the railroad, a local landowner named "Dutch Bill" Howards received a lifetime railway pass, and the station was named after him.
The railway caused a rapid expansion of the timber industry, and by 1877 there were six sawmills in the Occidental area. Trains also brought vacationers from San Francisco.
was 224.5 people per square mile (86.7/km²). The racial makeup of Occidental was 992 (89.0%) White, 7 (0.6%) African American, 7 (0.6%) Native American, 31 (2.8%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 23 (2.1%) from other races
, and 55 (4.9%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 81 persons (7.3%).
The Census reported that 100% of the population lived in households.
There were 532 households, out of which 134 (25.2%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 228 (42.9%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 44 (8.3%) had a female householder with no husband present, 25 (4.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 39 (7.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 14 (2.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 172 households (32.3%) were made up of individuals and 40 (7.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10. There were 297 families
(55.8% of all households); the average family size was 2.65.
The population was spread out with 192 people (17.2%) under the age of 18, 52 people (4.7%) aged 18 to 24, 264 people (23.7%) aged 25 to 44, 462 people (41.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 145 people (13.0%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48.5 years. For every 100 females there were 103.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.8 males.
There were 673 housing units at an average density of 135.5 per square mile (52.3/km²), of which 68.6% were owner-occupied and 31.4% were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 4.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.6%. 70.3% of the population lived in owner-occupied housing units and 29.7% lived in rental housing units.
of 2000, there were 1,272 people, 524 households, and 319 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 255/sq mi (99/km²). There were 632 housing units at an average density of 127/sq mi (49/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 92.77% White, 0.55% African American, 0.79% Native American, 1.18% Asian, 0.24% Pacific Islander, 1.57% from other races
, and 2.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.64% of the population.
There were 524 households out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.2% were married couples
living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.1% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 22.8% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 33.3% from 45 to 64, and 8.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $54,000, and the median income for a family was $71,375. Males had a median income of $46,806 versus $29,306 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $25,970. About 7.9% of families and 9.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.7% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
Occidental is located in the 2nd Senate District
and in the 1st Assembly District
. Federally, Occidental is located in California's 6th congressional district
.
There was a point in the early 1990s when the town was also a center of the "neo-hippie" movement in Sonoma County, but high property prices and other economic pressures have since driven out the young families that fed this movement.
For many years Occidental has been known for its Italian restaurants, which serve generous family-style dinners for a fixed price (following the European custom). The two Italian restaurants today are the Union Hotel (founded in 1879) at 3703 Main Street and Negri's at 3700 Bohemian Highway. More recently, the large number of craft breweries and wineries in the area have made Barley and Hops Tavern and Sonoma Fine Wine store in downtown Occidental local and tourist destinations.
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 Sonoma County
Sonoma County, California
Sonoma County, located on the northern coast of the U.S. state of California, is the largest and northernmost of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. Its population at the 2010 census was 483,878. Its largest city and county seat is Santa Rosa....
, 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 1,115 at the 2010 census, down from 1,272 at the 2000 census.
Geography
Occidental is located at 38.4074146°N 122.9483307°W. The CDP has a total area of 4.97 sq mi (12.9 km²), all land.Climate
The cooperative National Weather ServiceNational Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
station reports that Occidental has cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers.
Average January temperatures range from 41.8 °F (5.4 °C) to 54.5 °F (12.5 °C) and average July temperatures range from 51.4° to 77.9 °F (25.5 °C). The record highest temperature was 103 °F (39.4 °C) on July 22, 2006, and the record lowest temperature was 28 °F (-2.2 °C) on March 11, 2006. There are an average of 12.8 days with highs of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher and an average of 2.1 days with lows of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower.
Average annual rainfall is 55.19 inches (1,401.8 mm). The wettest year was 1983 with 111.21 inches (2,824.7 mm) and the dryest year was 1976 with 20.75 inches (527.1 mm). The most rainfall in one month was 36.62 inches (930.1 mm) in January 1995. The most rainfall in 24 hours was 8.51 inches (216.2 mm) on January 5, 1966. Average annual snowfall is only 0.2 inches (5.1 mm). The maximum snowfall was 11 inches (279.4 mm) in January 1974.
History
Founded in 1876, Occidental was a stop on the North Pacific Coast RailroadNorth Pacific Coast Railroad
The North Pacific Coast Railroad was a common carrier narrow gauge steam railroad begun in 1874 and sold in 1902 to new owners who renamed it the North Shore Railroad and which rebuilt the southern section into a standard gauge electric railroad.The NPC operated in the northern California...
connecting Cazadero
Cazadero, California
Cazadero is an unincorporated town and census-designated place in western Sonoma County, California, United States with a population of 354 as of the 2010 Census. Nearby towns include Jenner, Annapolis, Stewart's Point, Duncans Mills, Villa Grande, Rio Nido, Guerneville, Monte Rio, and The Sea Ranch...
to the Sausalito
Sausalito, California
Sausalito is a San Francisco Bay Area city, in Marin County, California, United States. Sausalito is south-southeast of San Rafael, at an elevation of 13 feet . The population was 7,061 as of the 2010 census. The community is situated near the northern end of the Golden Gate Bridge, and prior to...
ferry. In return for donating right-of-way to the railroad, a local landowner named "Dutch Bill" Howards received a lifetime railway pass, and the station was named after him.
The railway caused a rapid expansion of the timber industry, and by 1877 there were six sawmills in the Occidental area. Trains also brought vacationers from San Francisco.
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Occidental had a population of 1,115. 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 224.5 people per square mile (86.7/km²). The racial makeup of Occidental was 992 (89.0%) White, 7 (0.6%) African American, 7 (0.6%) Native American, 31 (2.8%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 23 (2.1%) 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 55 (4.9%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 81 persons (7.3%).
The Census reported that 100% of the population lived in households.
There were 532 households, out of which 134 (25.2%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 228 (42.9%) 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, 44 (8.3%) had a female householder with no husband present, 25 (4.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 39 (7.3%) 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 14 (2.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 172 households (32.3%) were made up of individuals and 40 (7.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10. There were 297 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...
(55.8% of all households); the average family size was 2.65.
The population was spread out with 192 people (17.2%) under the age of 18, 52 people (4.7%) aged 18 to 24, 264 people (23.7%) aged 25 to 44, 462 people (41.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 145 people (13.0%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48.5 years. For every 100 females there were 103.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.8 males.
There were 673 housing units at an average density of 135.5 per square mile (52.3/km²), of which 68.6% were owner-occupied and 31.4% were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 4.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.6%. 70.3% of the population lived in owner-occupied housing units and 29.7% 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 1,272 people, 524 households, and 319 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 255/sq mi (99/km²). There were 632 housing units at an average density of 127/sq mi (49/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 92.77% White, 0.55% African American, 0.79% Native American, 1.18% Asian, 0.24% Pacific Islander, 1.57% 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 2.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.64% of the population.
There were 524 households out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.2% 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, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.1% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 22.8% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 33.3% from 45 to 64, and 8.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $54,000, and the median income for a family was $71,375. Males had a median income of $46,806 versus $29,306 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 $25,970. About 7.9% of families and 9.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.7% of those under age 18 and none 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...
Occidental is located in the 2nd Senate District
California's 2nd State Senate district
California's 2nd State Senate District is one of 40 Senate Districts. It is currently represented by Democrat Noreen Evans of Santa Rosa.-District profile:...
and in the 1st Assembly District
California's 1st State Assembly district
California's 1st State Assembly District is one of 80 districts in the California State Assembly. It is currently represented by Democrat Wesley Chesbro of Arcata.-District profile:...
. Federally, Occidental is located in California's 6th congressional district
California's 6th congressional district
California's 6th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California that stretches up the Pacific coast north of the San Francisco Bay...
.
Gathering place
Occidental is unique for its high concentration of visionaries and famous artists during recent history, and was the hub of community-centered social movements in the late 1960s and early 1970s, giving rise to nearby communes such as Morningstar, Wheeler Ranch, and Star Mountain.There was a point in the early 1990s when the town was also a center of the "neo-hippie" movement in Sonoma County, but high property prices and other economic pressures have since driven out the young families that fed this movement.
For many years Occidental has been known for its Italian restaurants, which serve generous family-style dinners for a fixed price (following the European custom). The two Italian restaurants today are the Union Hotel (founded in 1879) at 3703 Main Street and Negri's at 3700 Bohemian Highway. More recently, the large number of craft breweries and wineries in the area have made Barley and Hops Tavern and Sonoma Fine Wine store in downtown Occidental local and tourist destinations.
Notable natives and residents
- Les ClaypoolLes ClaypoolLeslie Edward "Les" Claypool is an American musician and writer, best known as the lead vocalist and bassist in the band Primus. Claypool's playing style on the electric bass mixes tapping, flamenco-like strumming, whammy bar bends and slapping.Claypool has also self produced and engineered his...
- Nick GravenitesNick GravenitesNicholas George Gravenites , with stage names like Nick "The Greek" Gravenites and Gravy, is a blues, rock and folk singer–songwriter, and is best known for his work with Janis Joplin, Mike Bloomfield and several influential bands and names of the generation springing from the 1960s and 1970s...
- Mickey HartMickey HartMickey Hart is an American percussionist and musicologist. He is best known as one of the two drummers of the rock band the Grateful Dead. He was a member of the Grateful Dead from September 1967 to February 1971, and from October 1974 to August 1995...
- KitarōKitaro, better known as , is an award winning Japanese musician, composer and multi-instrumentalist who is regarded as one of the pioneers of new age music.-Early life:...
- Alicia Bay LaurelAlicia Bay LaurelAlicia Bay Laurel is an American artist, author, and musician. Laurel is best known for her 1970 book "Living On The Earth", a notable guide for participants in the American back-to-the-land movement of the 1960s and 1970s.Laurel grew up exposed to the arts, intellectual ideas and political activism...
- Terence McKennaTerence McKennaTerence Kemp McKenna was an Irish-American philosopher, psychonaut, researcher, teacher, lecturer and writer on many subjects, such as human consciousness, language, psychedelic drugs, the evolution of civilizations, the origin and end of the universe, alchemy, and extraterrestrial beings.-Early...
- Max ThieriotMax ThieriotMaximillion Drake "Max" Thieriot is an American actor. During the 2000s, he appeared in several Hollywood films, including My Soul to Take, Catch That Kid, The Pacifier, Nancy Drew, Jumper, and Kit Kittredge: An American Girl.-Career:Thieriot was signed to talent manager Don Gibble after taking...
lived here prior to moving into his own home in Manhattan BeachManhattan Beach, CaliforniaManhattan Beach is the wealthiest beachfront city located in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, USA. The city is on the Pacific coast, south of El Segundo, and north of Hermosa Beach. Manhattan Beach is the home of both beach and indoor volleyball, and surfing. During the winter, the...
. - Tom WaitsTom WaitsThomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...