Rosamond, California


Rosamond is a census-designated place in Kern County, California, USA, near the Los Angeles county line. Rosamond is north of Palmdale, in the Antelope Valley, the westernmost desert valley of the Mojave Desert. It is also south of Mojave, and north of Lancaster at an elevation of. According to 2010 United States census data, the town population was 18,150.
The Postal Service shows portions of Rosamond as having the names Tropico Village, California, named after a mine, and Willow Springs.
Rosamond Skypark Airport, Federal Aviation Administration identifier L00, is located at and features a paved runway.
Wired telephone numbers in Rosamond follow the format 256-xxxx and the entire city is included in ZIP Code 93560.
Rosamond contains the Rosamond urban area, according to the 2010 Census. The Rosamond urban area had a population of 16,000, with a land area of and a population density of 2,528 per square mile in 2010.

History

Rosamond was established in 1877 as a townsite owned by the Southern Pacific Railroad; it was named for the daughter of one of the railroad's officials. The first local industries were mining and cattle. During the 1890s, gold was discovered in the area, quickly drawing miners and prospectors. After the initial boom, gold mining gradually declined, though it had a second, smaller boom during the 1930s. In 1933, Muroc Army Air Field was established some 20 miles away; it was later renamed Edwards Air Force Base in honor of fallen test pilot Glenn Edwards.
The Rosamond post office opened in 1885, closed in 1887, and re-opened in 1888.

Geography

Rosamond sits in the northern end of the Antelope Valley, the westernmost valley of the Mojave Desert. Because the elevation is above sea level, the area, like the other parts of the Mojave Desert region, is referred to as the High Desert. Some cities and communities within the trading area of Rosamond include Lancaster, Palmdale, Hi Vista, Roosevelt, Redman, Lake Los Angeles, Quartz Hill, Ridgecrest, and Santa Clarita. Residents of these desert cities and unincorporated communities share Sierra Highway, Angeles Forest Highway, Angeles Crest Highway, and the Antelope Valley Freeway for commutes to the San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles Basin in order to get to work.
Willow Springs lies west of central Rosamond and was a watering hole for stagecoach travelers for generations, though its springs have dried up. Willow Springs Raceway is nearby, which hosts a variety of motor racing events, attracting people from all over Southern California and beyond.
Rosamond is located at.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of, of which, of it is land and of it is water.

Demographics

2010

At the 2010 census Rosamond had a population of 18,150. The population density was 346.8 people per square mile. The racial makeup of Rosamond was 11,294 White, 1,476 African American, 221 Native American, 658 Asian, 66 Pacific Islander, 3,258 from other races, and 1,177 from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6,230 persons
The census reported that 18,145 people lived in households, 5 lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized.
There were 6,197 households, 2,603 had children under the age of 18 living in them, 3,254 were opposite-sex married couples living together, 843 had a female householder with no husband present, 390 had a male householder with no wife present. There were 432 unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 40 same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,317 households were one person and 342 had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.93. There were 4,487 families ; the average family size was 3.43.
The age distribution was 5,290 people under the age of 18, 1,956 people aged 18 to 24, 4,708 people aged 25 to 44, 4,716 people aged 45 to 64, and 1,480 people who were 65 or older. The median age was 32.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.2 males.
There were 6,968 housing units at an average density of 133.1 per square mile, of the occupied units 4,202 were owner-occupied and 1,995 were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 4.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 12.7%. 12,388 people lived in owner-occupied housing units and 5,757 people lived in rental housing units.

2000

At the 2000 census there were 14,349 people, 4,988 households, and 3,626 families in the CDP. The population density was 274.7 people per square mile. There were 5,597 housing units at an average density of 107.2 per square mile. The racial makeup of the CDP was 72.01% White, 6.62% Black or African American, 1.32% Native American, 3.01% Asian, 0.23% Pacific Islander, 11.65% from other races, and 5.16% from two or more races.
Of the 4,988 households 41.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.7% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.3% were non-families. 21.9% of households were one person and 6.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.38.
The age distribution was 32.9% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 7.9% 65 or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.5 males.
The median household income was $42,307 and the median family income was $46,918. Males had a median income of $42,484 versus $26,745 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $17,440. About 11.6% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.2%
of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

There are five schools in Rosamond: Rosamond Elementary School, West Park Elementary School, Tropico Middle School, Rosamond High School and Rare Earth High School.

People

People from Rosamond include: