Westmorland, California
Encyclopedia
Westmorland is a city in Imperial County
, California
. Westmorland is located 8.5 miles (14 km) southwest of Calipatria
, The population was 2,225 at the 2010 census, up from 2,131 at the 2000 census. It is part of the El Centro Metropolitan Area.
Westmorland is on State Route 86
, which was upgraded to a new six-lane highway to reduce its infamous auto accident and fatality risk, while it connects with Brawley
, El Centro
and Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico
.
The post office, originally called Westmoreland, opened in 1909, closed in 1912, re-opened in 1919, renamed to Westmorland in 1936. Westmorland incorporated in 1934.
From the 1920s through the 1950s Westmorland was the site of illegal gaming establishments and many brothels, but these were later destroyed in an attempt to improve the town's image.
Westmorland has dealt with the image of high poverty
rates and prior to the 1990s North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA) economic boom, a nearly dead farm food shipping industry.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 0.4 square miles (1 km²), all of it land.
Westmorland is below sea level, sits behind a number of active earthquake
faults and experienced seismic activity in the past century (the 1907, 1916, 1925, 1940, 1948, 1965 and 1979 tremors). The 1987 Superstition Hills event caused serious damage in Westmorland and the Imperial valley.
was 3,769.7 people per square mile (1,455.5/km²). The racial makeup of Westmorland was 1,038 (46.7%) White, 21 (0.9%) African American, 38 (1.7%) Native American, 11 (0.5%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 1,042 (46.8%) from other races
, and 75 (3.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,938 persons (87.1%).
The Census reported that 2,225 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 631 households, out of which 336 (53.2%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 299 (47.4%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 174 (27.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 61 (9.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 61 (9.7%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 4 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 89 households (14.1%) were made up of individuals and 42 (6.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.53. There were 534 families
(84.6% of all households); the average family size was 3.82.
The population was spread out with 765 people (34.4%) under the age of 18, 234 people (10.5%) aged 18 to 24, 527 people (23.7%) aged 25 to 44, 449 people (20.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 250 people (11.2%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29.2 years. For every 100 females there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males.
There were 678 housing units at an average density of 1,148.7 per square mile (443.5/km²), of which 299 (47.4%) were owner-occupied, and 332 (52.6%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.9%. 1,066 people (47.9% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 1,159 people (52.1%) lived in rental housing units.
of 2000, there were 2,131 people, 625 households, and 501 families residing in the city. The population density
was 5,263.6 people per square mile (2,057.0/km²). There were 667 housing units at an average density of 1,647.5 per square mile (643.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 55.8% White
, 1.0% Black
or African American
, 0.7% Native American
, 0.3% Asian
, 0.1% Pacific Islander
, 39.4% from other races
, and 2.7% from two or more races. 82.2% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 625 households out of which 47.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.0% were married couples
living together, 19.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.7% were non-families. 17.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.4 and the average family size was 3.9.
In the city the population was spread out with 35.8% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 17.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.
The median income
for a household in the city was $23,365, and the median income for a family was $26,667. Males had a median income of $27,500 versus $19,107 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $8,941. About 27.3% of families and 27.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.9% of those under age 18 and 14.6% of those age 65 or over.
In the state legislature
Westmorland is located in the 40th Senate
District, represented by Democrat
Juan Vargas
, and in the 80th Assembly
District, represented by Republican
Bonnie Garcia
. Federally, Westmorland is located in California's 51st congressional district
, which has a Cook PVI
of D +7 and is represented by Democrat Bob Filner
.
Imperial County, California
Imperial County is a county located in the Imperial Valley, in the far southeast of the U.S. state of California, bordering both Arizona and Mexico. It is part of the El Centro Metropolitan Area, which encompasses all of Imperial County. The population as of 2000 was 142,361. The county seat is the...
, 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...
. Westmorland is located 8.5 miles (14 km) southwest of Calipatria
Calipatria, California
Calipatria is a city in Imperial County, California. Calipatria is located north of El Centro, It is part of the El Centro Metropolitan Area. The population was 7,705 at the 2010 census, up from 7,289 at the 2000 census, including 4000 inmates at Calipatria State Prison...
, The population was 2,225 at the 2010 census, up from 2,131 at the 2000 census. It is part of the El Centro Metropolitan Area.
Westmorland is on State Route 86
California State Route 86
State Route 86 is a north–south state highway in the southeastern desert region of Southern California, United States. It runs from State Route 111, near the Mexican border crossing at Calexico, north through the Imperial Valley via El Centro and Brawley, and around the west side of the...
, which was upgraded to a new six-lane highway to reduce its infamous auto accident and fatality risk, while it connects with Brawley
Brawley, California
Brawley is a city in Imperial County, California, United States. Brawley is located north of El Centro. The population was 24,953 at the 2010 census, up from 22,052 at the 2000 census. The town has a significant cattle and feed industry, and hosts the annual Cattle Call Rodeo. Year-round...
, El Centro
El Centro, California
El Centro is a city in and county seat of Imperial County, the largest city in the Imperial Valley and the east anchor of the Southern California Border Region, and the core urban area and principal city of the El Centro metropolitan area which encompasses all of Imperial County. El Centro is also...
and Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
The post office, originally called Westmoreland, opened in 1909, closed in 1912, re-opened in 1919, renamed to Westmorland in 1936. Westmorland incorporated in 1934.
From the 1920s through the 1950s Westmorland was the site of illegal gaming establishments and many brothels, but these were later destroyed in an attempt to improve the town's image.
Westmorland has dealt with the image of high poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
rates and prior to the 1990s North American Free Trade Agreement
North American Free Trade Agreement
The North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA is an agreement signed by the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America. The agreement came into force on January 1, 1994. It superseded the Canada – United States Free Trade Agreement...
(NAFTA) economic boom, a nearly dead farm food shipping industry.
Geography
Westmorland is located at 33°02′14"N 115°37′17"W.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 city has a total area of 0.4 square miles (1 km²), all of it land.
Westmorland is below sea level, sits behind a number of active earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
faults and experienced seismic activity in the past century (the 1907, 1916, 1925, 1940, 1948, 1965 and 1979 tremors). The 1987 Superstition Hills event caused serious damage in Westmorland and the Imperial valley.
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Westmorland had a population of 2,225. 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 3,769.7 people per square mile (1,455.5/km²). The racial makeup of Westmorland was 1,038 (46.7%) White, 21 (0.9%) African American, 38 (1.7%) Native American, 11 (0.5%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 1,042 (46.8%) 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 75 (3.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,938 persons (87.1%).
The Census reported that 2,225 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 631 households, out of which 336 (53.2%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 299 (47.4%) 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, 174 (27.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 61 (9.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 61 (9.7%) 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 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 89 households (14.1%) were made up of individuals and 42 (6.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.53. There were 534 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...
(84.6% of all households); the average family size was 3.82.
The population was spread out with 765 people (34.4%) under the age of 18, 234 people (10.5%) aged 18 to 24, 527 people (23.7%) aged 25 to 44, 449 people (20.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 250 people (11.2%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29.2 years. For every 100 females there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males.
There were 678 housing units at an average density of 1,148.7 per square mile (443.5/km²), of which 299 (47.4%) were owner-occupied, and 332 (52.6%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.9%. 1,066 people (47.9% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 1,159 people (52.1%) 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 2,131 people, 625 households, and 501 families residing in the city. 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 5,263.6 people per square mile (2,057.0/km²). There were 667 housing units at an average density of 1,647.5 per square mile (643.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 55.8% 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...
, 1.0% 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...
, 0.7% 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...
, 0.3% Asian
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...
, 0.1% Pacific Islander
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...
, 39.4% 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 2.7% from two or more races. 82.2% 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 625 households out of which 47.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.0% 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, 19.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.7% were non-families. 17.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.4 and the average family size was 3.9.
In the city the population was spread out with 35.8% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 17.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.
The median income
Income
Income is the consumption and savings opportunity gained by an entity within a specified time frame, which is generally expressed in monetary terms. However, for households and individuals, "income is the sum of all the wages, salaries, profits, interests payments, rents and other forms of earnings...
for a household in the city was $23,365, and the median income for a family was $26,667. Males had a median income of $27,500 versus $19,107 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 city was $8,941. About 27.3% of families and 27.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.9% of those under age 18 and 14.6% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
California 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...
Westmorland is located in the 40th 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...
Juan Vargas
Juan Vargas
Juan C. Vargas is a Senator in the State of California, 40th District. He is a Democrat and former member of the California State Assembly, San Diego City Council, and Order of the Jesuits, having fought for the poor, aged, and infirmed....
, and in the 80th 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
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...
Bonnie Garcia
Bonnie Garcia
Bonnie Garcia was the representative of California's 80th Assembly District, serving eastern Riverside County and all of Imperial County....
. Federally, Westmorland is located in California's 51st congressional district
California's 51st congressional district
California's 51st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California. The district includes all of Imperial County and the extreme southern portions of San Diego County that run across the U.S.-Mexico border...
, 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 +7 and is represented by Democrat Bob Filner
Bob Filner
Robert Earl Filner is the U.S. Representative for , and previously the 50th, serving since 1993, and Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party...
.
Schools
Westmorland children (grades K-8) use the Westmorland Elementary School District, while high-school age students use the neighboring Brawley Union High School District.Public safety
Westmorland has one of the smallest police departments in California, with a chief and five full-time officers with only four patrol cars. The Imperial County Fire Department provides fire and paramedic services.See also
- San Diego–Imperial, California
- El Centro Metropolitan Area