Los Banos, California

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Los Banos is a city in Merced County, California near the junction of California State Route 152 and Interstate 5. The population was 25,869 at the 2000 census. As of 2006 the World Gazetteer calculates the population as 35,054. The name los banos has its origins with Spanish and was named after the nearby creek and the seasonal spring baths that feed natural wetlands in the western San Joaquín Valley. The original Spanish spelling was Los Baños, meaning "the baths". Its official spelling is without the eñe. However most official signs even on the Interstate 5 do insert the tilde above the n. It can be pronounced as if the eñe were present as in "los banyos" or as it is spelled, as an anglicized "loss bannis".

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 City Features
4 External links

[edit] Geography

Los Banos is located at 37°3′44″N, 120°50′39″W (37.062356, -120.844174)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 21.1 km² (8.2 mi²). 20.8 km² (8.0 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (1.47%) is water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 25,869 people, 7,721 households, and 6,223 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,242.3/km² (3,218.7/mi²). There were 8,049 housing units at an average density of 386.5/km² (1,001.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 58.61% White, 4.25% African American, 1.35% Native American, 2.34% Asian, 0.33% Pacific Islander, 26.90% from other races, and 6.21% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 50.44% of the population.

There were 7,721 households out of which 48.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.5% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.4% were non-families. 15.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.33 and the average family size was 3.69.

In the city the population was spread out with 35.1% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 16.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 99.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $43,690, and the median income for a family was $45,304. Males had a median income of $38,294 versus $27,994 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,582. About 9.8% of families and 12.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.9% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] City Features

The centerpiece of downtown Los Banos is the newly created Miller Plaza which honors early California founder Henry Miller. The 10 acre half-oval public plaza features a monumental scale bronze arrangement of Miller with cattle. Miller was the largest land owner in the United States and was the founder of the Miller-Lux Corporation which was headquartered in Los Banos.