Sun City, California
Encyclopedia
Sun City is a former census-designated place
(CDP) in Riverside County
, California
, United States
. It along with the neighboring communities of Quail Valley
and Menifee
incorporated as the City of Menifee on October 1, 2008. The population when Sun City was a CDP was 17,773 at the 2000 census. Located along Interstate 215 just south of the city of Perris
.
for senior citizen
s over age 55. The four-square mile residential community has two public golf courses, two recreation centers with tennis courts and swimming pools, and a commercial center of small shops for resident consumers.
Originally built in 1960, it was one of four "Sun Cities" designed by Del Webb
who later created retirement communities in Arizona, Nevada and Florida in the 1970s and '80s. The Del Webb company opened Sun City Palm Desert, California
east of Palm Springs
in 1991.
Another development boom arrived in the late 1980s and 1990s with Menifee as another master-planned community on the southeast edge of Sun City, and as of 2005, the one-square-mile area of homes, condos, schools, retail shops, golf courses and tennis courts still grows.
Menifee Valley Medical Center is a General Acute Care Hospital in Sun City with Basic Emergency Services as of 2005.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP had a total area of 7.8 square miles (20.2 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 17,773 people, 8,750 households, and 5,197 families residing in the community when it was still a CDP. The population density
was 2,280.0 people per square mile (879.8/km²). There were 9,440 housing units at an average density of 1,211.0 per square mile (467.3/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 89.63% White, 2.13% African American, 0.51% Native American, 1.19% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 4.11% from other races
, and 2.29% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.31% of the population.
There were 8,750 households out of which 12.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% were married couples
living together, 5.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.6% were non-families. 37.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 31.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.99 and the average family size was 2.57.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 14.2% under the age of 18, 2.6% from 18 to 24, 13.2% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 51.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 66 years. For every 100 females there were 78.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.9 males. Sun City is renowned for a large senior citizen population, most of them are white non-Hispanic Americans. Sun City has multiple ethnic ancestral groups and the area has a sizable American Jewish community.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $29,814, and the median income for a family was $38,131. Males had a median income of $41,174 versus $29,036 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $19,859. About 6.0% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.4% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.
Sun City is located in the 37th Senate
District, represented by Republican
Bill Emmerson
, and in the 65th Assembly
District, represented by Republican Paul Cook
. Federally, Sun City is located in California's 49th congressional district
, which has a Cook PVI
of R +10 and is represented by Republican Darrell Issa
.
Sun City and the Menifee Valley is a concentration of neoconservative Republican strength in the Inland Empire region of Southern California. The area was affected by the real estate boom-and-burst cycle from 2001 to 2007.
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 Riverside County
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...
. It along with the neighboring communities of Quail Valley
Quail Valley, California
Quail Valley is a former census-designated place in Riverside County, California, United States. On October 1, 2008, the community along with the neighboring communities of Sun City and Menifee incorporated as the City of Menifee....
and Menifee
Menifee, California
Menifee is a relatively new city located in Southwestern Riverside County, California, United States. The city is roughly in size. As of the 2010 census, Menifee has a population of about 77,519...
incorporated as the City of Menifee on October 1, 2008. The population when Sun City was a CDP was 17,773 at the 2000 census. Located along Interstate 215 just south of the city of Perris
Perris, California
Perris is a city in Riverside County, California, USA. At the 2010 census, the city population was 68,386, up from 36,189 at the 2000 census. The city is named in honor of Fred T. Perris, chief engineer of the California Southern Railroad...
.
History
Sun City is a master-planned communityPlanned community
A planned community, or planned city, is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are less frequent in planned communities since...
for senior citizen
Senior citizen
Senior citizen is a common polite designation for an elderly person in both UK and US English, and it implies or means that the person is retired. This in turn implies or in fact means that the person is over the retirement age, which varies according to country. Synonyms include pensioner in UK...
s over age 55. The four-square mile residential community has two public golf courses, two recreation centers with tennis courts and swimming pools, and a commercial center of small shops for resident consumers.
Originally built in 1960, it was one of four "Sun Cities" designed 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:...
who later created retirement communities in Arizona, Nevada and Florida in the 1970s and '80s. The Del Webb company opened Sun City Palm Desert, California
Sun City Palm Desert, California
Sun City Palm Desert is a gated community located in Riverside County, California, in the Palm Springs area, approximately east of Palm Springs in the Coachella Valley. The ZIP Code is 92211, and the community is inside area code 760....
east of Palm Springs
Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles east of Los Angeles and 136 miles northeast of San Diego...
in 1991.
Another development boom arrived in the late 1980s and 1990s with Menifee as another master-planned community on the southeast edge of Sun City, and as of 2005, the one-square-mile area of homes, condos, schools, retail shops, golf courses and tennis courts still grows.
Menifee Valley Medical Center is a General Acute Care Hospital in Sun City with Basic Emergency Services as of 2005.
Geography
Sun City is located at 33°42′30"N 117°11′57"W (33.708291, -117.199152).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 CDP had a total area of 7.8 square miles (20.2 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
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 17,773 people, 8,750 households, and 5,197 families residing in the community when it was still a 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 2,280.0 people per square mile (879.8/km²). There were 9,440 housing units at an average density of 1,211.0 per square mile (467.3/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 89.63% White, 2.13% African American, 0.51% Native American, 1.19% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 4.11% 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 2.29% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.31% of the population.
There were 8,750 households out of which 12.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% 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, 5.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.6% were non-families. 37.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 31.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.99 and the average family size was 2.57.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 14.2% under the age of 18, 2.6% from 18 to 24, 13.2% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 51.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 66 years. For every 100 females there were 78.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.9 males. Sun City is renowned for a large senior citizen population, most of them are white non-Hispanic Americans. Sun City has multiple ethnic ancestral groups and the area has a sizable American Jewish community.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $29,814, and the median income for a family was $38,131. Males had a median income of $41,174 versus $29,036 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 $19,859. About 6.0% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.4% of those under age 18 and 6.5% 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...
Sun City is located in the 37th 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 Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Bill Emmerson
Bill Emmerson
William "Bill" Emmerson is a Republican California State Senator, representing the 37th district in Riverside County, having been elected in a June 8, 2010 special election and sworn into office the next day...
, and in the 65th 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 Republican Paul Cook
Paul Cook (politician)
Paul Cook has represented California's 65th Assembly district since December 2006. Prior to his election he served as a member of the Yucca Valley city council from 1998 until 2006. He is a Republican.-Military career:...
. Federally, Sun City is located in California's 49th congressional district
California's 49th congressional district
California's 49th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California that currently covers much of northern San Diego County and southwestern Riverside County.The district is currently represented by Republican Darrell E...
, 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 R +10 and is represented by Republican Darrell Issa
Darrell Issa
Darrell Edward Issa is the U.S. Representative for , and previously the 48th, serving since 2001. He is a member of the Republican Party. He was formerly a CEO of Directed Electronics, the Vista, California-based manufacturer of automobile security and convenience products...
.
Sun City and the Menifee Valley is a concentration of neoconservative Republican strength in the Inland Empire region of Southern California. The area was affected by the real estate boom-and-burst cycle from 2001 to 2007.