Lake County, California
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Lake County, California | |
| Image:Lake County ca seal.jpg | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of California | |
| Statistics | |
| Formed | 1861 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Lakeport |
| Area - Total - Land - Water | 3,443 km² (1,329 mi²) 3,258 km² (1,258 mi²) 185 km² (72 mi²), 5.38% |
| Population - (2000) - Density | 58,309 18/km² |
| Website: co.lake.ca.us | |
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. As of 2000 the population was 58,309. The county seat is Lakeport.
Contents |
[edit] History
Lake County was formed in 1861 from parts of Napa and Mendocino counties.
[edit] Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,443 km² (1,329 mi²). 3,258 km² (1,258 mi²) of it is land and 185 km² (72 mi²) of it (5.38%) is water.
The county is the location of the Lake County American Viticultural Area.
[edit] Cities and towns
[edit] Adjacent Counties
- Napa County, California - south
- Sonoma County, California - southwest
- Mendocino County, California - west, northwest
- Glenn County, California - northeast
- Colusa County, California - east
- Yolo County, California - southeast
[edit] Transportation Infrastructure
[edit] Major Highways
- Image:California 20.svg California State Route 20
- Image:California 29.svg California State Route 29
- Image:California 175.svg California State Route 175
[edit] Demographics
As of the census² of 2000, there were 58,309 people, 23,974 households, and 15,367 families residing in the county. The population density was 18/km² (46/mi²). There were 32,528 housing units at an average density of 10/km² (26/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 86.25% White, 2.11% Black or African American, 3.04% Native American, 0.83% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 4.11% from other races, and 3.50% from two or more races. 11.39% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 23,974 households out of which 26.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.70% were married couples living together, 11.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.90% were non-families. 29.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the county the population was spread out with 24.10% under the age of 18, 6.00% from 18 to 24, 23.60% from 25 to 44, 26.80% from 45 to 64, and 19.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 97.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $29,627, and the median income for a family was $35,818. Males had a median income of $35,771 versus $24,026 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,825. About 12.90% of families and 17.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.80% of those under age 18 and 7.30% of those age 65 or over.
Within Lake County are two incorporated cities, the county seat of Lakeport and Clearlake, the largest city, and the communities of Blue Lakes, Clearlake Oaks, Clearlake Park, Cobb, Finley, Glenhaven, Hidden Valley Lake, Kelseyville, Loch Lomond, Lower Lake, Lucerne, Middletown, Nice, Spring Valley, Upper Lake, and Witter Springs.
The income of residents of the county varies widely. Many wealthy people and retirees maintain residences near the lake, but many of these are unused except during the summer. Lake County is mostly agricultural, with a few tourist facilities and very little industry. Major crops include pears, walnuts and, increasingly, wine grapes.
The residential areas around the lake have a mix of older houses and middle and upper middle class homes as well as some which can only be classified as mansions. The southern part of the lake has an impoverished unincorporated settlement called "Southlake" which consists in large part of older smaller homes and fishing shacks. There are also a few apartment buildings in Lake County.
Of all California counties it has one of the highest proportions of families that get TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, often called "welfare"). This can be explained by the economic phenomenon that occurred in the late 1970s and early 1980s. As the resort trade in the area waned, many of the older resorts sat empty, and were rented out by the owners as permanent residences for very low prices. Seeing this, government officials sent many families on public assistance to the area. This rapidly changed the face of the county, and the effects in the form of the drug trade and high crime in the south lake area can still be seen today. Despite considerable real-estate sales in the last two years, which brought a concomitant rise in land prices, Lake County remains economically depressed compared to neighboring Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino counties.
The Clear Lake area, like many other poor rural regions in the US, has problems with drug abuse. Lake County was once notorious as a major source of methamphetamine. Like surrounding counties, isolated rural areas of Lake County provide a haven for marijuana growing. The county and city law enforcement agencies aggressively work to eradicate the problem.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Lake County government website
- Lake County visitor website
- In depth website about Middletown
- Observer American Clear Lake Newspaper
- Lake County Record Bee Newspaper
- In Lake County, Inhale, Exhale and Repeat Frequently
- The Ample Charms of a Well-Fed Lake, by Richerson & Richerson
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