It would have made more sense to start here and work my way south. However, since I have San Luis Obispo up, and only decided on Santa Cruz and Monterey after I put that entry up, I will do Santa Cruz now followed by Monterey, and then do the rest of the counties in the order I described in the first entry: Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Bernardino, Imperial, San Diego, Orange, and Los Angeles (which I will split into multiple diaries).
I haven’t been able to find election data for the unincorporated places, so I started working on a data science project in which I predict how an area voted in 2016 based on race, income, and education statistics. This project is still a work in progress, though I hope to finish it when I start writing about Monterey County.
Demographics (2010): 59.6% Non-Hispanic White, 32.0% Hispanic, 4.2% Asian, 1.1% Black
Population (2018): 262,382
Growth rate: Slow (7% since 2000)
President: 73.0% D/24.9% R (2004); 77.3% D/19.8% R (2008); 75.4% D/20.0% R (2012); 73.3% D/17.3% R (2016)
MHI (2000): $53,998
% Bachelor’s (2000): 34.2%
Before California became a state on September 9, 1850, Santa Cruz County was originally Branciforte, named after one of three secular pueblos founded by the Spanish in then-Alta California. In April 1850, the name was changed to Santa Cruz (Spanish for “Holy Cross”).
In most of the first half of the 20th century, Santa Cruz was a very Republican county. The economy originally was based on milling lumber, lime cement, and tanning leather. As the natural resources became depleted, the economy shifted more to tourism with the famous Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk opening in 1907. Santa Cruz continued to lean Republican through the 1960s. The opening of the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) in 1965 moved the county to a Democratic Partisan Voting Index (PVI) in the 1970s. The blue trend accelerated in the 1980s to the point that Santa Cruz now PVI-wise is only less Democratic than San Francisco and Alameda County.
The Loma Prieta earthquake, well known for the damage it caused in the San Francisco Bay Area, also hit Santa Cruz hard. The earthquake’s epicenter was in the Santa Cruz Mountains in the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park and was named after the Loma Prieta Peak. Until foreshocks in June 1988 and August 1989, this part of the San Andreas Fault had been quiet since the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
Land use was brought back to the foreground after Loma Prieta. There already wasn’t much land to work with, as Santa Cruz County has less land than every other California county except San Francisco, and attempts at rent control in the 1970s and 1980s failed. They also had to find a balance between tourism, education, agriculture, environmental protections, and more recently Silicon Valley commuters. The median monthly rent in Santa Cruz is $3,000.
The county is divided into four distinct areas: the rugged north coast; the urban area of the county’s largest city of Santa Cruz and the towns of Capitola, Aptos, and Soquel; the San Lorenzo River Valley; and the fertile southern region which includes the county’s second-largest city of Watsonville. Now I will move on to the Santa Cruz area.
Santa Cruz-Capitola-Aptos-Soquel
Demographics (2010): 71.3% Non-Hispanic White, 19.7% Hispanic, 4.3% Asian, 1.2% Black
Population (2018): 10,080
President: 73.1% D/25.1% R (2004), 77.6% D/19.9% R (2008), 76.2% D/20.3% R (2012), 74.1% D/19.2% R (2016)
MHI (2000): $46,048
% Bachelor’s (2000): 34.6%
Capitola originated from the Soquel Landing, where in the 1850s produce and lumber from further inland were sold. Later Capitola became a beach resort, the oldest on the West Coast.
Demographics (2010): 81.7% Non-Hispanic White, 9.8% Hispanic, 4.0% Asian, 0.9% Black
Population (2010): 6,220
President: .% D/.% R (2004); .% D/.% R (2008); .% D/.% R (2012); .% D/.% R (2016)
MHI (2000): $61,843
% Bachelor’s (2000): 41.3%
Aptos prospered with the logging of redwoods in the late 19th/early 20th century. When the trees were gone, they grew apples. One of the first high-altitude flights was performed here in 1905 when pilot Daniel Maloney tested some tandem-wing gliders designed by engineer John Joseph Montgomery and attached to hot air balloons. Later in the 1960s the town developed with the opening of Cabrillo College.
Demographics (2010): 62.8% Non-Hispanic White, 28.0% Hispanic, 4.5% Asian, 1.4% Black
Population (2010): 17,158
President: .% D/.% R (2004); .% D/.% R (2008); .% D/.% R (2012); .% D/.% R (2016)
MHI (2000): $47,949
% Bachelor’s (2000): 29.2%
Named after evergreen live oak trees, Live Oak had an economy that was mainly based on agriculture. Wheat and oats were farmed first, followed by produce and then chickens were raised. After the hardships of the 1930s, with the Great Depression and diseases striking the chickens, the 1940s brought development with paved roads. The 1950s saw Live Oak develop further into a suburb of Santa Cruz.
Demographics (2010): 87.6% Non-Hispanic White, 8.0% Hispanic, 1.4% Asian, 0.6% Black
Population (2010): 1,037
President: .% D/.% R (2004); .% D/.% R (2008); .% D/.% R (2012); .% D/.% R (2016)
MHI (2000): Unknown
% Bachelor’s (2000): Unknown
Formerly known as Tuxedo Junction, Mount Hermon is home to the first water-powered sawmill in California as well as the Hotel Tuxedo. Later the hotel was renamed Zayante Inn, after the nearby Zayante Creek. The town was renamed Mount Hermon after the biblical mountain, the highest point in Syria, and was set up to be a Christian retreat center. The inn was destroyed by fire in 1921. Today, the Mount Hermon Christian Conference Center is on the site where Zayante Inn used to be.
Demographics (2010): 84.8% Non-Hispanic White, 8.2% Hispanic, 3.3% Asian, 0.5% Black
Population (2010): 1,041
President: .% D/.% R (2004); .% D/.% R (2008); .% D/.% R (2012); .% D/.% R (2016)
MHI (2000): Unknown
% Bachelor’s (2000): Unknown
Pasatiempo was founded by professional golfer Marion Hollins, who established Cypress Point golf club in the mid-1920s. Later she would build Pasatiempo Estates, which consists of golf courses and residential areas. She wanted to expand the area further with a park, horse trails, and beach club, but the Great Depression made those plans unfeasible. In a shakeup at the Estates, she left and moved to Monterey. The original clubhouse, the Hollins House, still stands today.
Demographics (2010): 73.8% Non-Hispanic White, 19.5% Hispanic, 2.5% Asian, 1.1% Black
Population (2010): 5,046
President: .% D/.% R (2004); .% D/.% R (2008); .% D/.% R (2012); .% D/.% R (2016)
MHI (2000): Unknown
% Bachelor’s (2000): Unknown
Pleasure Point is known for its surf culture that goes back decades. At the beginning of the 20th century, San Francisco saloon owner John J. Henchy built the Pleasure Point Roadhouse in a part of town that overlooks Monterey Bay. The house was built in Early Craftsman style, whose values included enjoying one’s work, living simple, and staying connected to nature. Many materials used to build the house were kept as close as possible to their natural state. Later the Night Fighters tried to get the roadhouse preserved as a community center, but it was demolished in 2008.
The Pleasure Point Night Fighters originally served as a nighttime volunteer fire service during Prohibition. After disbanding when its members left to serve in World War II, it was revived later by Jim Phillips, who made many contributions to surf culture. Much later, they did Pack Your Trash, which began a trend of beach cleanup organizations.
Demographics (2010): 74.7% Non-Hispanic White, 16.7% Hispanic, 3.7% Asian, 0.9% Black
Population (2010): 9,644
President: .% D/.% R (2004); .% D/.% R (2008); .% D/.% R (2012); .% D/.% R (2016)
MHI (2000): $55,230
% Bachelor’s (2000): 32.9%
Located on a floodplain around Soquel Creek, the town of Soquel has a long history of flooding. At least eight floods have occurred here since 1890 with severe damage happening in 1931, 1937, 1940, 1955, and 1982. The first “Acid Test” party that advocated for LSD use was held in Soquel in 1965, a year before California made the drug illegal.
Demographics (2010): 69.6% Non-Hispanic White, 22.6% Hispanic, 2.6% Asian, 1.4% Black
Population (2010): 4,917
President: .% D/.% R (2004); .% D/.% R (2008); .% D/.% R (2012); .% D/.% R (2016)
MHI (2000): $39,057
% Bachelor’s (2000): 31.2%
Also a beach town, Twin Lakes is also known for hiking opportunities.
San Lorenzo River Valley
Demographics (2010): 86.2% Non-Hispanic White, 8.3% Hispanic, 1.1% Asian, 0.5% Black
Population (2010): 6,234
President: .% D/.% R (2004); .% D/.% R (2008); .% D/.% R (2012); .% D/.% R (2016)
MHI (2000): $57,241
% Bachelor’s (2000): 31.6%
The mountain of Ben Lomond nearby was named by Scottish settler John Burns, the first wine merchant in the area, after a mountain in Scotland with the same name. At the time the community was originally named Pacific Mills, after a local sawmill. The redwood trees made this area one of the first logging centers in the Santa Cruz County. The residents in 1887 voted to adopt the name of the mountain Ben Lomond. Ben Lomond is Brittonic for “beacon peak”.
Demographics (2010): 88.3% Non-Hispanic White, 6.3% Hispanic, 1.9% Asian, 0.3% Black
Population (2010): 2,678
President: .% D/.% R (2004); .% D/.% R (2008); .% D/.% R (2012); .% D/.% R (2016)
MHI (2000): Unknown
% Bachelor’s (2000): Unknown
The aforementioned Scottish settler John Burns also named this community, after a line in “The Banks O’ Doon”, a song by Robert Burns (no relation). This area also began as a logging camp. Today, there isn’t much of a city center, but the area is home to the Bonny Doon Vineyard.
Demographics (2010): 86.0% Non-Hispanic White, 7.4% Hispanic, 1.6% Asian, 1.1% Black
Population (2010): 4,923
President: .% D/.% R (2004); .% D/.% R (2008); .% D/.% R (2012); .% D/.% R (2016)
MHI (2000): $60,455
% Bachelor’s (2000): 30.2%
Named after a small river in the area after being called Lorenzo, Boulder Creek was the upper end of the San Lorenzo Valley Logging Flume. Later, a new rail line was set up to bring the logs to Santa Cruz.
Demographics (2010): 84.4% Non-Hispanic White, 10.1% Hispanic, 1.0% Asian, 0.5% Black
Population (2018): 1,991
President: .% D/.% R (2004); .% D/.% R (2008); .% D/.% R (2012); .% D/.% R (2016)
MHI (2000): Unknown
% Bachelor’s (2000): Unknown
As was typical of communities in the Santa Cruz Mountains, logging was the dominant industry in Brookdale. The town was founded by Judge James Harvey Logan. Logan was also a horticulturist and created the loganberry by planting blackberries next to red raspberries. The loganberry has the shape of a blackberry with the color of a red raspberry. The Brookdale Lodge, which opened in 1870, is the biggest local business and is famous for the stream running through its dining room. In the 1920s and 1930s, the lodge was the second-most popular resort in California and hosted many famous patrons such as President Herbert Hoover and actresses Marilyn Monroe, Joan Crawford, and Hedy Lamarr. When working to establish the United Nations in 1945, many leaders and diplomats also patronized the lodge. After going through some difficult times, including changes in ownership several times and fires in 1956, 2005, and 2009, the lodge is now undergoing extensive renovations.
Demographics (2010): 86.6% Non-Hispanic White, 7.0% Hispanic, 1.7% Asian, 0.6% Black
Population (2010): 4,057
President: .% D/.% R (2004); .% D/.% R (2008); .% D/.% R (2012); .% D/.% R (2016)
MHI (2000): $48,102
% Bachelor’s (2000): 51.1%
Felton was named after Oakland mayor John B. Felton and was the lower end of the San Lorenzo Valley Logging Flume. The rail line connecting Felton with Alameda and San Jose helped to transport materials from the forests to San Francisco for rebuilding after the 1906 earthquake. Tourism grew in the 1960s with the Roaring Camp Railroad, which recreated an 1880s logging camp.
Demographics (2010): 82.8% Non-Hispanic White, 10.1% Hispanic, 1.8% Asian, 0.5% Black
Population (2010): 1,137
President: .% D/.% R (2004); .% D/.% R (2008); .% D/.% R (2012); .% D/.% R (2016)
MHI (2000): Unknown
% Bachelor’s (2000): Unknown
Lompico was founded in 1927 as a community of summer cabin homes. In the 1960s many hippies moved here, and the community was visited by singers Jerry Garcia and Janis Joplin.
Southern Santa Cruz County
Demographics (2010): 81.4% Hispanic, 13.7% Non-Hispanic White, 3.3% Asian, 0.7% Black
Population (2018): 53,920
President: 72.7% D/26.1% R (2004), 80.5% D/17.9% R (2008), 81.9% D/16.1% R (2012), 81.6% D/13.7% R (2016)
MHI (2000): $37,617
% Bachelor’s (2000): 8.7%
With an economy based on agriculture and some construction and manufacturing, Watsonville is conservative compared to nearby communities, though of course well left of the national average. The city was named after Judge John H. Watson, who helped plan the city in 1852. At the turn of the 20th century, a railway aided in the transport of produce from the area by boat to San Francisco.
Demographics (2010): 65.4% Hispanic, 30.6% Non-Hispanic White, 2.6% Asian, 0.3% Black
Population (2010): 3,478
President: .% D/.% R (2004); .% D/.% R (2008); .% D/.% R (2012); .% D/.% R (2016)
MHI (2000): $45,558
% Bachelor’s (2000): 18.1%
Amesti was named after Basque Jose Amesti, the chief administrator (alcalde), of Monterey who was granted Rancho Los Corralitos (”little corrals” in Spanish) by Alta California Governor Manuel Micheltorena in 1844. Like most of the Pajaro Valley in the south of the county, agriculture is the biggest sector of the economy.
Demographics (2010): 71.6% Non-Hispanic White, 22.9% Hispanic, 2.1% Asian, 0.7% Black
Population (2010): 2,326
President: .% D/.% R (2004); .% D/.% R (2008); .% D/.% R (2012); .% D/.% R (2016)
MHI (2000): $70,781
% Bachelor’s (2000): 33.0%
Located near the lowest tributary of the Pajaro River, Corralitos has a more diverse economy than much of the Pajaro Valley. Corralitos has a Market & Sausage Company that is a draw for residents and visitors from throughout the county.
Demographics (2010): 80.2% Non-Hispanic White, 13.8% Hispanic, 2.5% Asian, 0.6% Black
Population (2010): 3,409
President: .% D/.% R (2004); .% D/.% R (2008); .% D/.% R (2012); .% D/.% R (2016)
MHI (2000): $72,438
% Bachelor’s (2000): 43.0%
Day Valley was named after the Day family, who settled in the area.
Demographics (2010): 70.7% Hispanic, 23.6% Non-Hispanic White, 3.3% Asian, 1.4% Black
Population (2010): 3,070
President: .% D/.% R (2004); .% D/.% R (2008); .% D/.% R (2012); .% D/.% R (2016)
MHI (2000): $40,600
% Bachelor’s (2000): 7.1%
Freedom is adjacent to and blends in with Watsonville.
Demographics (2010): 71.9% Hispanic, 22.0% Non-Hispanic White, 4.1% Asian, 0.8% Black
Population (2010): 7,321
President: .% D/.% R (2004); .% D/.% R (2008); .% D/.% R (2012); .% D/.% R (2016)
MHI (2000): $53,875
% Bachelor’s (2000): 8.8%
Interlaken was named after a Swiss town with the same name, which is German for “among the lakes”.
Demographics (2010): 78.3% Non-Hispanic White, 13.1% Hispanic, 4.1% Asian, 0.9% Black
Population (2018): 2,843
President: .% D/.% R (2004); .% D/.% R (2008); .% D/.% R (2012); .% D/.% R (2016)
MHI (2000): Unknown
% Bachelor’s (2000): Unknown
Spanish for “jungle”, and named after the thick conifer forests around the community, La Selva Beach was originally called Rob Roy by its founder, developer David Batchelor. Later another developer, Edward Burghard, changed the town’s name. The town has a 4th of July parade that is shorter than the official “World’s Shortest Parade” in nearby Aptos. It just isn’t as well-known.