Tecopa, California
Encyclopedia
Tecopa is a census-designated place
in the Mojave Desert
, in Inyo County
, California
, United States
. Tecopa is located 9 miles (14 km) south-southeast of Shoshone
, at an elevation of 1339 feet (408.1 m). The population was 150 at the 2010 census, up from 99 at the 2000 census.
One of Tecopa's popular features is its natural hot spring
s. Adjacent to the campground
are gender-segregated, no-clothing-mandatory, indoor hot pools for soaking. Access is included in camping fees. Tecopa was named after the Piaute leader Chief Tecopa
. There is also a natural hotspring located on BLM land just outside of town.
, the CDP has a total area of 18.7 square miles (48.4 km²), of which, 18.6 square miles (48.2 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.37%) is water.
was nearby. The present location was developed along the Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad
, which reached the site in 1907.
A post office operated at the original site of Tecopa from 1877 to 1881. A post office opened at the new site in 1907, was closed in 1931, and reopened in 1932.
was 8.0 people per square mile (3.1/km²). The racial makeup of Tecopa was 119 (79.3%) White, 1 (0.7%) African American, 8 (5.3%) Native American, 2 (1.3%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 1 (0.7%) from other races
, and 19 (12.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8 persons (5.3%).
The Census reported that 150 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 92 households, out of which 13 (14.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 22 (23.9%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 2 (2.2%) had a female householder with no husband present, 6 (6.5%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 6 (6.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 2 (2.2%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 56 households (60.9%) were made up of individuals and 28 (30.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.63. There were 30 families
(32.6% of all households); the average family size was 2.60.
The population was spread out with 19 people (12.7%) under the age of 18, 5 people (3.3%) aged 18 to 24, 17 people (11.3%) aged 25 to 44, 59 people (39.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 50 people (33.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 57.5 years. For every 100 females there were 138.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 133.9 males.
There were 159 housing units at an average density of 8.5 per square mile (3.3/km²), of which 57 (62.0%) were owner-occupied, and 35 (38.0%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 6.6%; the rental vacancy rate was 10.3%. 96 people (64.0% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 54 people (36.0%) lived in rental housing units.
of 2000, there were 99 people, 60 households, and 22 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 5.3 people per square mile (2.1/km²). There were 133 housing units at an average density of 7.2 per square mile (2.8/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 88.89% White
, 1.01% Black
or African American
, 7.07% Native American
, and 3.03% from two or more races. 4.04% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 60 households out of which 10.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 28.3% were married couples
living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 63.3% were non-families. 55.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 30.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.65 and the average family size was 2.50.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 10.1% under the age of 18, 4.0% from 18 to 24, 14.1% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 43.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 63 years. For every 100 females there were 80.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.0 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $12,344, and the median income for a family was $16,250. Males had a median income of $0 versus $31,250 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $10,395. There were 30.8% of families and 38.6% of the population living below the poverty line, including 100.0% of under eighteens and 27.0% of those over 64.
Tecopa is located in the 18th Senate
District, represented by Republican
Roy Ashburn
, and in the 18th Assembly
District, represented by Republican Bill Maze
. Federally, Tecopa is located in California's 25th congressional district
, which has a Cook PVI
of R +7 and is represented by Republican Buck McKeon
.
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...
in the Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
, in Inyo County
Inyo County, California
-National protected areas:* Death Valley National Park * Inyo National Forest * Manzanar National Historic Site-Major highways:* U.S. Route 6* U.S. Route 395* State Route 127* State Route 136* State Route 168* State Route 178...
, 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...
. Tecopa is located 9 miles (14 km) south-southeast of Shoshone
Shoshone, California
Shoshone is a census-designated place in Inyo County, California, United States. Shoshone is located on the Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad east of Epaulet Peak, at an elevation of 1585 feet . The population was 31 at the 2010 census, down from 52 at the 2000 census.The town was founded in 1910...
, at an elevation of 1339 feet (408.1 m). The population was 150 at the 2010 census, up from 99 at the 2000 census.
One of Tecopa's popular features is its natural hot spring
Hot spring
A hot spring is a spring that is produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater from the Earth's crust. There are geothermal hot springs in many locations all over the crust of the earth.-Definitions:...
s. Adjacent to the campground
Campsite
A campsite or camping pitch is a place used for overnight stay in the outdoors. In British English a campsite is an area, usually divided into a number of pitches, where people can camp overnight using tents or camper vans or caravans; this British English use of the word is synonymous with the...
are gender-segregated, no-clothing-mandatory, indoor hot pools for soaking. Access is included in camping fees. Tecopa was named after the Piaute leader Chief Tecopa
Chief Tecopa
Chief Tecopa was a Native American leader, his name means wildcat. Chief Tecopa was a leader of the Southern Nevada tribe of the Paiute in the Ash Meadows and Pahrump areas. In the 1840s Tecopa and his warriors engaged the expedition of Kit Carson and John C. Fremont in a three day battle at...
. There is also a natural hotspring located on BLM land just outside of town.
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 18.7 square miles (48.4 km²), of which, 18.6 square miles (48.2 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.37%) is water.
History
William D. and Robert D. Brown, brothers, founded the town in 1875, and named it Brownsville. When Jonas Osborne bought out the Browns, he renamed the town Tecopa. Mines developed nearby in the 1860s and Tecopa served as the settlement. The town's original site was 5 miles (8 km) southeast of Resting Springs. Kasson, CaliforniaKasson, California
Kasson is a former settlement in Inyo County, California.It was located northwest of the original site of Tecopa.A post office operated at Kasson for a period during 1879. The name Kasson honors Amasa C. Kasson, an investor in the site....
was nearby. The present location was developed along the Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad
Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad
The Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad, the T&T, was a class II railroad extending through remote reaches of the Mojave Desert from the Santa Fe Railway railhead at Ludlow, California, through Death Valley and Amargosa Valley, terminating at the Mining towns of Tonopah and Goldfield in the Great Basin...
, which reached the site in 1907.
A post office operated at the original site of Tecopa from 1877 to 1881. A post office opened at the new site in 1907, was closed in 1931, and reopened in 1932.
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Tecopa had a population of 150. 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 8.0 people per square mile (3.1/km²). The racial makeup of Tecopa was 119 (79.3%) White, 1 (0.7%) African American, 8 (5.3%) Native American, 2 (1.3%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 1 (0.7%) 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 19 (12.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8 persons (5.3%).
The Census reported that 150 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 92 households, out of which 13 (14.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 22 (23.9%) 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, 2 (2.2%) had a female householder with no husband present, 6 (6.5%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 6 (6.5%) 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 2 (2.2%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 56 households (60.9%) were made up of individuals and 28 (30.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.63. There were 30 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...
(32.6% of all households); the average family size was 2.60.
The population was spread out with 19 people (12.7%) under the age of 18, 5 people (3.3%) aged 18 to 24, 17 people (11.3%) aged 25 to 44, 59 people (39.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 50 people (33.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 57.5 years. For every 100 females there were 138.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 133.9 males.
There were 159 housing units at an average density of 8.5 per square mile (3.3/km²), of which 57 (62.0%) were owner-occupied, and 35 (38.0%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 6.6%; the rental vacancy rate was 10.3%. 96 people (64.0% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 54 people (36.0%) 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 99 people, 60 households, and 22 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 5.3 people per square mile (2.1/km²). There were 133 housing units at an average density of 7.2 per square mile (2.8/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 88.89% White
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...
, 1.01% Black
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...
or African American
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...
, 7.07% Native American
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 3.03% from two or more races. 4.04% of the population were Hispanic
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...
or Latino
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...
of any race.
There were 60 households out of which 10.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 28.3% 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, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 63.3% were non-families. 55.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 30.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.65 and the average family size was 2.50.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 10.1% under the age of 18, 4.0% from 18 to 24, 14.1% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 43.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 63 years. For every 100 females there were 80.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.0 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $12,344, and the median income for a family was $16,250. Males had a median income of $0 versus $31,250 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 $10,395. There were 30.8% of families and 38.6% of the population living below the poverty line, including 100.0% of under eighteens and 27.0% of those over 64.
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...
Tecopa is located in the 18th 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...
Roy Ashburn
Roy Ashburn
Roy Arthur Ashburn is an American politician from Kern County, California. A Republican, he served as a California State Senator from 2002 to 2010 representing the 18th district. He previously served three terms in the California State Assembly, representing the 32nd district and 12 years on the...
, and in the 18th 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 Bill Maze
Bill Maze
Bill Maze is an American politician from California and a member of the Republican Party. Maze is the president of Citizens for Saving California Farming Industries, a non-profit dedicated to dividing California into two states....
. Federally, Tecopa is located in California's 25th congressional district
California's 25th congressional district
California's 25th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California that covers part of Los Angeles County and extends out to broad stretches of interior California along the Nevada border. It includes the cities of Santa Clarita, Palmdale, Lancaster, and the...
, 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 +7 and is represented by Republican Buck McKeon
Howard McKeon
Howard Philip "Buck" McKeon is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education and career:...
.