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Whittier

  •   State: 
    California
      County: 
    Los Angeles County
      City: 
    Whittier
      County FIPS: 
    06037
      Coordinates: 
    33°57′56″N 118°1′28″W
      Area total: 
    14.66 sq mi (37.98 km²)
      Area land: 
    14.65 sq mi (37.94 km²)
      Area water: 
    0.02 sq mi (0.04 km²)
      Elevation: 
    367 ft (112 m)
      Established: 
    1898; Incorporated February 25, 1898
  •   Latitude: 
    33,98
      Longitude: 
    -118,035
      Dman name cbsa: 
    Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
      Timezone: 
    Pacific Standard Time (PST) UTC-8:00; Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) UTC-7:00
      ZIP codes: 
    90601
    90602
    90603
    90604
    90605
    90606
    90607
    90608
    90609
      GMAP: 

    Whittier, Los Angeles County, California, United States

  •   Population: 
    87,306
      Population density: 
    5,824.9 residents per square mile of area (2,249.0/km²)
      Household income: 
    $63,927
      Households: 
    27,699
      Unemployment rate: 
    9.10%
  •   Sales taxes: 
    8.25%
      Income taxes: 
    9.30%

Whittier was incorporated in 1898 and became a charter city in 1955. The 14.7-square-mile (38.0 km²) city had 87,306 residents as of the 2020 United States census, an increase of 1,975 from the 2010 census figure. The city is named for the Quaker poet John Greenleaf Whittier, who wrote a dedication poem for the city. Whittiers was once the largest walnut grower in the U.S., and a major producer of pampas grass. After World War II, the city grew rapidly, driven by housing shortages in southern California. It was annexed by Los Angeles in 1955, and became the first city annexed by the city of Los Angeles on March 8, 1961. The new Civic Center complex was completed in 1961, and the new City Council met in new chambers for the first time on February 8, 1962. The City Council added the Whitter Line in 1973, adding the city's portion of East Los Angeles Boulevard to the Los Angeles City and East L.A. Unified Railways, which runs from Los Angeles to downtown Los Angeles, was built in the 1970s and 1980s. It is one of the fastest-growing railroads in the United States, with a ridership of more than 1 million per year. The town is home to Whitters College, a private liberal arts college, which offers a variety of programs for students. It also has a public library, a park, and a community center.

Etymology

Whittier is the primary city name, but also City Industry, City Of Industry, Pico Rivera are acceptable city names or spellings. Whittier was named after John Greenleaf Whittier, a respected Quaker poet. The city still bears his name and is rooted in the Quaker tradition. A statue of him sits in Whitter's Central Park, and another representing his poem "The Barefoot Boy" used to reside by the City Hall and is now in front of the main library. The town is located on the banks of the San Francisco Bay, and was founded in 1836 by Quaker Jonathan Bailey and his wife, Rebecca. It is now home to the California State Museum, which has a small exhibit at the WhITTier museum. The museum is open to the public and features exhibits on Quaker history, literature, architecture and the arts.

History

Whittier's roots can be traced to Spanish soldier Manuel Nieto. In 1887, Whittier became the largest walnut grower in the United States. The first Quaker meeting house was built on the corner of Comstock Avenue and Wardman Street in 1887. In 1955, the new Civic Center complex was completed and the City Council met in new chambers for the first time on March 8, 1955. The city continued to grow as the City annexed portions of Whittiers Boulevard and East Whistier. In 1961, the 1961 annexation added over 28,000 people to the population, bringing the total to about 67,000. After World War II, the sub-dividing of orange groves began, driven by housing shortages in southern California. The present meeting house, dedicated in 1975, features many architectural elements and materials from the 1917 building, including the stained glass windows and mahogany paneling. The main church is no longer the main church, but is now the main meeting house of the Mendenhall College, a private liberal arts college. The town is located on the banks of the San Gabriel River, which is known as Pio Pico State Historic Park. It is also home to the California State University, Los Angeles, and the University of California, San Diego. The City of Los Angeles is the home of the California Institute of the Arts, which was founded in 1966. The University of Southern California is located in Los Angeles and is the largest university in the state, with more than 4,000 students.

Geography

Whittier is bordered by the community of Hacienda Heights to the northeast, City of Industry to the north, and several other unincorporated communities in the San Gabriel Valley mostly along its northern sections. The city is about 15 miles (24 km) inland of the Pacific Ocean, resulting in higher daytime temperatures. Since it lies at a higher elevation than the cities further west, cold air drains into the lower elevation of the Los Angeles Basin which results in warmer night-time lows. Rainfall follows a Mediterranean pattern with most rain falling during the winter months, while summers tend to be rather dry. The mean annual rainfall is about 14 inches (360 mm). The city has a total area of 14.7 square miles (38 km²), virtually all land. The area centered around Philadelphia Street and Greenleaf Avenue is known as Uptown Whittier and contains the traditional central business core. Just north of Central Park are the neighborhoods known as Central Park and Hadley-Greenleaf. They have been designated historic districts by the city Historic Resources Commission, and together comprise most of the area of the Whittmore Historic Neighborhood Association. The eastern parts of East Whittiers, developed in the 1950s and 1960s, are known as Friendly Hills, which was developed at the same time as Murphy Ranch and Leffingwell Ranch. In and abutting the hills north of the historic districts is Starlite Estates, which has a small cluster of homes along Earlham Drive.

Demographics

The 2010 United States Census reported that Whittier had a population of 85,331. There were 29,591 housing units at an average density of 2,017.8 per square mile (779.1/km²), of which 16,207 (57.3%) were owner-occupied, and 12,66 (42%) were occupied by renters. The median household income during 2016-2020 was $76,026, and 9.5% of the population was living in poverty. The racial makeup of the city was 48.7% White (24.5%) and 24.3% Non-Hispanic white, 24.2% White Hispanic), 1.5%. African American, 1.1% Native American, 5.3%. Asian, 0.0% Asian Pacific American, and 8.4% from two or more races. Hispanic and Latino Americans were 65.8%. 16.6% of. the population were foreign born, and 3.1%. of people were veterans. The population was spread out, with 21,686 people (25.4%) under the age of 18, 9,198 people (10.8%) aged 18 to 24, 23,627 people (27.7%) aged 25 to 44, 20,819 people (24%) aged 45 to 64, and 10,001 people (11.7%). The median age was 35.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.0 males. The city had a median income of $68,522, with 124% of population living below the federal poverty line.

Economy

Whittier's Redevelopment Agency has numerous projects underway to revitalize the community. The Whittwood Town Center anchored by JC Penney, Target, PetSmart, Sears, Vons, and Kohl's has made way for Red Robin and Chick-fil-A. The city still waits to attract more well known businesses and open new residential town homes with the revival of its Uptown district. The agency is working on developing a 480-acre (1.9 km²) project area near Whittier Blvd. The master plan was adopted in June 2005 by the City Council. In 2019, the city's first food hall, Poet Gardens, opened in UptOWN Whittmore. The top employers in the city are: Walmart, Target and Kmart, according to the 2013 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, and the top employer in the community is the Whittable School District, which has more than 2,000 students. The school district is the largest in the state, followed by the University of California, Los Angeles and the California State University, San Diego. The district is home to the California Institute of the Arts, the California Center for the Arts and the Center for Continuing Study of the Built Environment, among other colleges and universities. It is also the home of the California Museum of Natural History, which was founded in 1891. The museum is located on the former site of the Whittlewood Mall, which opened in 1883. It was later moved to a new location on the outskirts of the city.

Arts and culture

Whittier is home to the following places listed in the National Register of Historic Places: Rose Hills Memorial Park, the largest single-location cemetery in the world. The Whittier Museum is open for public tour Fridays and Saturdays from 1 to 4 p.m. and is free of charge. Pio Pico State Historic Park, California Historical Landmark No. 127: The Casa de Governor Pío Pico, home of the last Mexican Governor of California. Reform School for Juvenile Offenders, closed May 27, 2004 and currently being redeveloped for business and residential use. Whittwood Branch Library on Santa Gertrudes Avenue. The city is located in the Central Coast region of California, and is located near the San Francisco Bay Area and the San Diego River. The town is located on the California coast and is known as the "Gateway to the West" because of its proximity to San Diego and the Golden Gate Bridge. It is also known as "The City of the Giants" due to its large number of historic buildings, many of which date back to the early 1800s. It was named after the city's first mayor, William "Bill" W. W. "Wally" Withers, who was elected mayor in 1894. The current mayor, Bill Lomax, was elected for a second term in 1998. He was re-elected in 2008. The mayor's office is located at 6755 Newlin Ave, in the heart of the city, and he is the current mayor of the town.

Government

Whittier uses a councilmanager form of government. Until 2014, all five city council members were elected at-large with the mayor being elected by the council. Following the 2016 elections, four members of the city council were elected in districts to four-year terms. The council also appoints a city manager. The current mayor of Whittier is Joe Vinatieri. The city council is currently made up of Fernando Dutra, Octavio Martinez, Cathy Warner, and mayor pro tempore Jessica Martinez. In the U.S. House of Representatives, the city is in California's 38th congressional district. In California's 32nd Senate District, the town is represented by Republican Kelly Seyarto, and in the 57th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Lisa Calderon. The mayor is elected to a two-year term, while the city manager is appointed to a four- year term. The town is located in the Central Coast region of California and is in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is located on the California coast and has a population of around 50,000. It was founded in 1883. It has been the site of the California National Guard from 1883 to 1891. It also hosts the California Air National Guard, which was formed in 1887. The U.N. has a consulate in the city, which is based in the town. It opened in 1891 and has been there since 1894. It currently has one of the busiest airports in California.

Education

Whittier has five high schools, California High School, La Serna High. School, Pioneer High School and Santa Fe High School. Adults may attend the Whittier Adult School. The city also has three private Catholic elementary schools, K-8. The schools are operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Rio Hondo College, Southern California University of Health Sciences, and historic Whitier College are nearby. The Whittiers are members of the Friends Council on Education and the Association of Christian Schools International. They have a licensed preschool and an elementary school (TK-6th grade) The city is also a member of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and the American Council of the Arts (ACA). It is home to the California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA), which has a campus in Los Angeles County. It is also the home of Sierra Vista High School (Sierra Vista Homeschooling), which is a homeschooling hq. It also has an alternative continuation high school Frontier High School which is located outside the city limits in unincorporated L.A. County. There is also one alternative continuation school, Sierra Vista Home School, which is based in the City of Santa Fe Springs. There are no high schools in the city, but both California High and Pioneer High lie outside the town limits. The town has a number of private schools, including St. Bruno's Parish School, St Gregory The Great Parish School and Trinity Lutheran School.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Whittier, Los Angeles County, California = 1. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 52. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 10. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Whittier = 6.2 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 87,306 individuals with a median age of 35 age the population grows by 0.76% in Whittier, Los Angeles County, California population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 5,824.9 residents per square mile of area (2,249.0/km²). There are average 2.96 people per household in the 27,699 households with an average household income of $63,927 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 9.10% of the available work force and has dropped -6.24% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 18.42%. The number of physicians in Whittier per 100,000 population = 213.2.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Whittier = 14.4 inches and the annual snowfall = 0 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 31. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 278. 89 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 47.8 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 45, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Whittier, Los Angeles County, California which are owned by the occupant = 55.97%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 51 years with median home cost = $343,330 and home appreciation of -10.63%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $7.73 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $5,036 per student. There are 23.4 students for each teacher in the school, 38631 students for each Librarian and 952 students for each Counselor. 7.70% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 14.10% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 7.18% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).

  • Whittier's population in Los Angeles County, California of 1,590 residents in 1900 has increased 54,91-fold to 87,306 residents after 120 years, according to the official 2020 census.

    Approximately 51.11% female residents and 48.89% male residents live in Whittier, Los Angeles County, California.

    As of 2020 in Whittier, Los Angeles County, California are married and the remaining 45.68% are single population.

  • 32.7 minutes is the average time that residents in Whittier require for a one-way commute to work. A long commute can have different effects on health. A Gallup poll in the US found that in terms of mental health, long haul commuters are up to 12 percent more likely to experience worry, and ten percent less likely to feel well rested. The Gallup poll also found that of people who commute 61­–90 minutes each day, a whopping one third complained of neck and back pain, compared to less than a quarter of people who only spend ten minutes getting to work.

    80.03% of the working population which commute to work alone in their car, 12.71% of the working population which commutes to work in a carpool, 2.58% of the population that commutes using mass transit, including bus, light rail, subway, and ferry. 2.11% of the population that has their home as their principal place of work.

  • Of the total residential buildings in Whittier, Los Angeles County, California, 55.97% are owner-occupied homes, another 41.85% are rented apartments, and the remaining 2.18% are vacant.

  • The 56.73% of the population in Whittier, Los Angeles County, California who identify themselves as belonging to a religion are distributed among the following most diverse religions.

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