| Watsonville | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| City of Watsonville | |
| Downtown Watsonville | |
| Location in Santa Cruz County and the state of California | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Santa Cruz |
| Area[1] | |
| • Total | 6.783 sq mi (17.569 km2) |
| • Land | 6.687 sq mi (17.319 km2) |
| • Water | 0.096 sq mi (0.250 km2) 1.42% |
| Elevation[2] | 29 ft (9 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 51,199 |
| • Density | 7,548.1/sq mi (2,914.2/km2) |
| Time zone | PST (UTC-8) |
| • Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) |
| ZIP codes | 95076-95077 |
| Area code(s) | 831 |
| FIPS code | 06-83668 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1660138 |
Watsonville is a city in Santa Cruz County, California, United States. The population was 51,199 according to the 2010 census.[3] Located on the central coast of California, the economy centers predominantly around the farming industry. It is known for growing strawberries, apples, lettuce and a host of other vegetables. Watsonville is home to people of varied ethnic backgrounds. There is a large Hispanic population, a small group of Croats, and a Filipino, Caucasian, and Japanese population that live and work in the city.
The Pajaro Valley, wherein Watsonville is located, has a climate that is usually pleasant — around 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the year. This climate makes Watsonville an attractive coastal environment for the neighboring inland communities with very hot summers. The Pajaro Valley Unified School District has an attendance of about 18,000 students kindergarten through 12th grades. There are several private religious-based schools in Watsonville such as Notre Dame School, Monte Vista Christian, Salesian Sisters and St. Francis. There are also several charter schools and the non-religious independent Pre-K through 12th grade Mount Madonna School. These schools provide a wide range of educational options for local families. Watsonville is generally conservative on the political spectrum and average in relationship to the neighboring communities of Salinas, Castroville, and Prunedale. The larger coastal town directly north of Watsonville is the city of Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz is a draw for many young college students who attend Cabrillo College or University of California, Santa Cruz. Because Watsonville and Santa Cruz are beach towns, they draw many visitors from San Jose and from the Central Valley areas. Like neighboring Salinas in Monterey County, Watsonville produces a variety of fruits and vegetables, primarily apples, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and table mushrooms.
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Watsonville is located on the Rancho Bolsa del Pajaro Mexican land grant made to Sebastian Rodríguez in 1837. Judge John H. Watson and D. S. Gregory laid out the town in 1852. Watsonville was incorporated on March 30, 1868.
The main industries in Watsonville are agriculture, construction, and manufacturing. Some of the largest companies headquartered in Watsonville are Driscoll's Strawberries, Martinelli's, California Giant, Lakeside Organic Gardens, Monterey Mushrooms, Graniterock, Granite Construction, West Marine, Vendwize, and Fox Racing Shox.
According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[4] the top employers in the city are:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pajaro Valley Unified School District | 2,061 |
| 2 | Watsonville Community Hospital | 693 |
| 3 | Fox Factory | 400 |
| 4 | City of Watsonville | 374 |
| 5 | West Marine | 279 |
| 6 | Target | 211 |
| 7 | S Martinelli & Co. | 180 |
| 7 | Couch Distributing | 170 |
| 9 | Salud Para La Gente | 160 |
| 10 | Mi Pueblo Food Center | 144 |
Watsonville is located at (36.920054, -121.763725)[5] in the Monterey Bay area, approximately 95 miles south of San Francisco at the southern end of Santa Cruz County.[6]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.8 square miles (18 km2), of which, 6.7 square miles (17 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it (1.42%) is water.
The National Weather Service cooperative station at the Watsonville Waterworks reports cool, relatively wet winters and mild, dry summers. Fog and low overcast is common in the night and morning hours, especially in the summer when warmer air from inland areas mixes with the cool, moist air near Monterey Bay.
January, normally the coldest month, has an average maximum of 59.9°F and an average minimum of 38.5°F. September, normally the warmest month, has an average maximum of 73.2°F and an average minimum of 51.7°F. There are an average of 4.9 days annually with highs of 90°F (32°C) or higher and an average of 13.5 days annually with lows of 32°F (0°C) or lower. Cool nights are common in the summer, due to the influence of chilly Monterey Bay. The record high temperature was 106°F on October 2, 1980. The record low temperature was 12°F on December 22, 1990.
Average annual rainfall is 22.42 inches, with measurable precipitation falling on an average of 61 days each year. The wettest year on record was 1983 with 48.35 inches and the driest year was 1976 with 10.66 inches. The most rainfall in one month was 15.99 inches in February 1998. The most rainfall in 24 hours was 5.93 inches on February 14, 2000. Although significant snowfall occurs several times a year on the higher mountains nearby, measurable snowfall is a rarity along Monterey Bay.[7] On February 26, 2010 there was slight snowfall in Watsonville, though it was such a small amount that it could not be measured.
The City of Watsonville has habitat areas that support the endangered species Santa Cruz Tarweed on the California coastal prairie ecosystem. Considerable population growth occurred since 1980, requiring preparation of a number of Environmental Impact Reports, with resultant development removing certain lands of the city from productive natural habitat.
Most of the coastal land adjacent to Watsonville is part of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, a designation championed by former Congressman Leon Panetta. Heading away from the coast, the backdrop features the southern end of the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Watsonville wetlands — also referred to as Watsonville sloughs — are a system of fresh water sloughs in and around the City of Watsonville, California, which have since 1990 benefited from private and municipal efforts to restore and protect them.[8] They are described in the book "Watching the Watsonville Wetlands" by Jerry Busch, Gary Kittleson and Christine Johnson-Lyons and published by Watsonville Wetlands Watch, which has worked to protect the sloughs.[9] The wetlands are home to approximately nine species of fish and over 200 species of waterfowl, raptors and song birds.[10][11]
Watsonville provides a wide variety of recreational opportunities including hiking, boating, festivals, sports, birdwatching, and beach access.
Watsonville is home to the annual Strawberry Festival, which includes a wide variety of strawberry based foods, live music, vendors, and rides.[12]
Watsonville Municipal Airport (WVI) is home to the annual Watsonville Fly-in and Air Show, which showcases both military and civilian aircraft and includes a small car show.[13]
Near the end of every summer, the Santa Cruz County fair has drawn visitors from across and outside the county to its many attractions including rides, food, art exhibits, flower exhibits, pony rides, petting zoos, dog shows, and live music performances, among other things.[14]
The fair grounds also host a number of different events including car races at the Ocean Speedway, dog training programs, wedding receptions, the annual Santa Cruz County Science Fair, and the Scottish Renaissance Festival.[15]
The City maintains 28 unique parks, including a skate park, indoor soccer field, lake with boat rentals and RV camping, BBQ areas, handball courts, an art gallery, tennis courts, and volleyball courts.[16]
Hiking trails positioned throughout the city as well as a nature center provide the public with an intimate view of The Watsonville Wetlands.[17][18]
A number of trail heads have been built throughout the city, which provide access to the Pajaro River and its tributaries via The Pajaro River Levee Trail Park. The levee trails are a popular spot for walking, running, and biking. In 2010 the City of Watsonville was awarded a $424,000 grant to create a public access point to the Pajaro River for canoes and kayaks, including a parking lot, trail and public restroom.[19][20]
The City operates one of two parks at Pinto Lake, which includes a small craft launch ramp, group picnic areas, RV park, volleyball, children's playground, boat rentals, fishing, and bird watching.[21] The second park at Pinto Lake is operated by The County of Santa Cruz.
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 398 |
|
|
| 1870 | 1,151 | 189.2% | |
| 1880 | 1,799 | 56.3% | |
| 1890 | 2,149 | 19.5% | |
| 1900 | 3,528 | 64.2% | |
| 1910 | 4,446 | 26.0% | |
| 1920 | 5,013 | 12.8% | |
| 1930 | 8,344 | 66.4% | |
| 1940 | 8,937 | 7.1% | |
| 1950 | 11,572 | 29.5% | |
| 1960 | 13,293 | 14.9% | |
| 1970 | 14,569 | 9.6% | |
| 1980 | 23,543 | 61.6% | |
| 1990 | 31,099 | 32.1% | |
| 2000 | 44,265 | 42.3% | |
| 2010 | 51,199 | 15.7% | |
The 2010 United States Census[22] reported that Watsonville had a population of 51,199. The population density was 7,547.7 people per square mile (2,914.2/km²). The racial makeup of Watsonville was 22,399 (43.7%) White, 358 (0.7%) African American, 629 (1.2%) Native American, 1,664 (3.3%) Asian, 40 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 23,844 (46.6%) from other races, and 2,265 (4.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 41,656 persons (81.4%).
The Census reported that 50,671 people (99.0% of the population) lived in households, 322 (0.6%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 206 (0.4%) were institutionalized.
There were 13,528 households, out of which 7,130 (52.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 7,231 (53.5%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 2,375 (17.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 903 (6.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 890 (6.6%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 107 (0.8%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 2,466 households (18.2%) were made up of individuals and 1,213 (9.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.75. There were 10,509 families (77.7% of all households); the average family size was 4.17.
The population was spread out with 16,111 people (31.5%) under the age of 18, 6,001 people (11.7%) aged 18 to 24, 14,834 people (29.0%) aged 25 to 44, 10,014 people (19.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 4,239 people (8.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29.2 years. For every 100 females there were 99.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.2 males.
There were 14,089 housing units at an average density of 2,077.0 per square mile (801.9/km²), of which 5,957 (44.0%) were owner-occupied, and 7,571 (56.0%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9%; the rental vacancy rate was 2.5%. 21,365 people (41.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 29,306 people (57.2%) lived in rental housing units.
As of the census[23] of 2000, there were 44,265 people, 11,381 households, and 8,865 families residing in the city. The population density was 6,969.4 people per square mile (2,691.5/km²). There were 11,695 housing units at an average density of 1,841.3 per square mile (711.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 43.00% White, 0.75% African American, 1.74% Native American, 3.29% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 45.92% from other races, and 5.18% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 75.12% of the population, with the majority of these being of Mexican origin.
Watsonville also has a large Asian-American presence consisting of Chinese, Japanese and Filipinos despite the fact that the percentage of city residents of Asian descent has dropped since 1960. The Chinese, Japanese and Filipinos had residential sections and opened many businesses to serve their customer base in town during the mid 20th century. The history of East Asians in Watsonville dates back to the late 19th century and are involved in the local agricultural industry. It is presumed that as a result of Japanese-American internment during WWII, local farm companies began to attract Mexican migrant labor to the area in higher numbers and the town's racial-ethnic composition became more Hispanic in the 1980s and 1990s.
There were 11,381 households out of which 49.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were married couples living together, 16.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.1% were non-families. 17.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.84 and the average family size was 4.26.
In the city the population was spread out with 34.0% under the age of 18, 11.8% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 15.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females there were 101.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,617, and the median income for a family was $40,293. Males had a median income of $26,701 versus $22,225 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,205. About 15.4% of families and 19.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.8% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.
In the state legislature Watsonville is located in the 15th Senate District, represented by Republican Abel Maldonado, and in the 28th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Luis Alejo. Federally, Watsonville is located in California's 17th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of D +17[24] and is represented by Democrat Sam Farr. The mayor of Watsonville is Daniel Dodge.
Watsonville does not practice water fluoridation. A proposal to fluoridate public water supplies narrowly failed a voter referendum in 2002, and the Martinelli beverage company has threatened to move a planned expansion elsewhere rather than use fluoridated water in its products. Local health-care professionals argue that the city is experiencing a tooth decay epidemic.[25]
After several years of legal wrangling,[25] Watsonville was cited in August 2010[26] for violating a California state law that requires fluoridating the water in a town over 10,000 people when outside money becomes available.[27]
The Santa Cruz Sentinel reported that "[i]n a 4-3 vote [on September 28, 2010], the City Council approved a contract for a $1.6 million grant from the California Dental Association Foundation to design and build a fluoridation system and operate it for two years."[28]
In comparison to nearby incorporated cities, Watsonville's overall crime index is 24.1% lower than Santa Cruz, 15.4% lower than Salinas, and 38.4% higher than Gilroy.[2][29][30] Watsonville is home to approximately 560 documented gang members and 9-10 known gangs. While gang activity is on the rise, crime itself continues to fall and is currently experiencing a 10 year low.[31][32]
The Monterey/Salinas metro area is served by a variety of local television stations, and is the 124th largest designated market area (DMA) in the U.S. with 222,900 homes:
Public schools in Watsonville fall under the jurisdiction of the Pajaro Valley Unified School District.[33]
All charter schools in Watsonville are under the jurisdiction of the Pajaro Valley Unified School District.
The following individuals were born in, or have resided in, Watsonville:
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