Spreckels is a census-designated place located in the Salinas Valley of Monterey County, California, United States. Spreckels is located south of Salinas, at an elevation of 62 feet. The population was 673 at the 2010 census, up from 485 at the 2000 census. Spreckels is one of the best-preserved company towns in the United States. It was built to house workers for the Spreckels Sugar Company plant which operated there from 1899 until 1982, named after its founder "Sugar King" Claus Spreckels. When it opened, the Spreckels plant was the world's largest sugar beet factory, each day consuming 13 million gallons of water to process 3000 tons of beets. Spreckels is associated with the writer John Steinbeck, who lived and worked there for a time, and used it as a setting in Tortilla Flat. Spreckels was used as a location for the 1955 Steinbeck movie East of Eden.
At the 2010 census Spreckels had a population of 673. The population density was 5,509.4 people per square mile. The racial makeup of Spreckels was 483 White, 0 African American, 13 Native American, 26 Asian, 0 Pacific Islander, 130 from other races, and 21 from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 193 people. The whole population lived in households, no one lived in non-institutionalized group quarters and no one was institutionalized. There were 229 households, 89 had children under the age of 18 living in them, 134 were opposite-sex married couplesliving together, 27 had a female householder with no husband present, 12 had a male householder with no wife present. There were 7 unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 2 same-sex married couples or partnerships. 45 households were one person and 17 had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.94. There were 173 families ; the average family size was 3.38. The age distribution was 172 people under the age of 18, 44 people aged 18 to 24, 173 people aged 25 to 44, 208 people aged 45 to 64, and 76 people who were 65 or older. The median age was 39.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.7 males. There were 246 housing units at an average density of 2,013.8 per square mile, of the occupied units 160 were owner-occupied and 69 were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.6%; the rental vacancy rate was 2.8%. 467 people lived in owner-occupied housing units and 206 people lived in rental housing units.
2000
At the 2000 census there were 485 people, 171 households, and 127 families in the CDP. The population density was 3,629.3 people per square mile. There were 176 housing units at an average density of 1,317.0 per square mile. The racial makeup of the CDP was 86.39% White, 0.62% African American, 1.65% Native American, 2.68% Asian, 6.80% from other races, and 1.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 27.63%. Of the 171 households 40.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.7% were married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.7% were non-families. 17.0% of households were one person and 6.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.20. The age distribution was 29.1% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males. The median household income was $58,009 and the median family income was $51,250. Males had a median income of $22,250 versus $24,750 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $19,752. None of the families and 1.1% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteen and none of those over 64. The elementary school is the only school in town.
