Tulare

Tulare ((listen) tuu-LAIR-ee) is a city in Tulare County, California. It is located in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley, eight miles south of Visalia and sixty miles north of Bakersfield. The English name Tulare derives ultimately from Classical Nahuatl tllin, "sedge" or "reeds", by way of Spanish tule, which also exists in English as a loanword. The city is named for the Tulare Lake, once the largest freshwater lake west of the Great Lakes. In 1940, famed aerobatic stunt pilot J.G. "Tex" Rankin secured a U.S. War Department contract to open and operate a civilian flying school to train United States Army Air Corps flight cadets. At the end of World War II, a portion of Tagus Ranch served as a German POW camp. Tulare was the site of the National Championships for Track and Field in 1950, 1952, and 1962, as well as the Olympic Geathlon Trials in 1952. The population was 69,200 at the 2020 census, and is expected to grow to 80,000 by the 2050 census. The town was founded in 1872, by the Southern Pacific Railroad, and was named for Lake Tulare. In 1912, Hulett C. Merritt founded Tagus ranch, which at 7,000 acres (2,800 ha) was the largest fruit ranch in the world. The cotton strike of the California agricultural strikes of 1933 was planned by a group of seventy-eight men and women.

Etymology

The English name Tulare derives ultimately from Classical Nahuatl tllin, "sedge" or "reeds", by way of Spanish tule, which also exists in English as a loanword. The name is cognate with Tula, Tultepec, and Tultitlán.

History

Tulare was the site of the National Championships for the Decathlon in Track and Field in 1949, 1950, 1952, and 1962. Tulare was founded in 1872, by the Southern Pacific Railroad. In 1912, Hulett C. Merritt founded Tagus Ranch, which at 7,000 acres (2,800 ha) was the largest fruit ranch in the world. In 1940, famed aerobatic stunt pilot J.G. "Tex" Rankin secured a U.S. War Department contract to open and operate a civilian flying school to train United States Army Air Corps flight cadets. At the end of World War II, a portion of Tagus ranch served as a German POW camp. In 1942, Tulare Assembly Center was a temporary detention center for Japanese Americans. The first internee was inducted on April 27, 1942, and the last internee departed on September 4, 1942. In the latter part of 1942, internees began being moved to the ten more permanent "War Relocation Camps". The majority of internee were sent to the Gila River War Relocation Center in Arizona. The town was named for Lake Tulare. The lake had been named for the tule rush plant (Schoenoplectus acutus) (pictured left), a species of bulrush that predominantly lined the marshes and sloughs of its shore. In 1903, when the bonds were paid off early, they celebrated by having a bond-burning celebration.

Geography

Tulare is located at 36°1224N 119°2033W (36.206601, 119.342404). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 21.0 square miles (54 km²) The city is located in the Central Valley between Fresno and Bakersfield. Although the foothills of the Sierra Nevada are only about 20 miles east of town, they are seldom visible due to the chronically poor air quality and very high levels of airborne particulate matter, soot, and other pollution. The climate of this agricultural community is varied, with cool and damp winters with a mean temperature of 45 degrees, but very hot dry summers, with amean temperatures of 95 to 110 degrees. The mean average rainfall was 10 inches prior to the drought that began in 2012 and remains ongoing as of September 2018. The city consistently suffers from year round air pollution and air quality that is among the worst in the U.S. Because of both geographic conditions (hemmed in valley, weak winds) and the prevalence of diesel fuel exhaust from farming and truck traffic on Highway 99. Farming also exacerbates this because it kicks up tremendous amounts of dust, especially in the late summer and autumn months. The average annual rainfall in Tulare is 10 inches, with the average rainfall for the entire city being 20 inches. In the city, the average annual temperature is 45 degrees with the mean temperature for the city being 95 degrees for the summer.

Demographics

At the 2010 census Tulare had a population of 59,278. The racial makeup of Tulare was 36,347 (61.3%) White, 2,328 (3.9%) African American, 694 (1.2%) Native American, 1,276 (2.2) Asian, 80 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 15,713 (26.5%) from other races, and 2,840 (4.8%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 34,062 persons (57.5%). There were 18,863 housing units at an average density of 897.5 per square mile, of the occupied units 10,389 (58.6%) were owner-occupied and 7,331 (41.4%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.8%; the rental vacancy rate is 5.5%. 33,367 people (56.3% of the population) lived in owner- occupied housing units and 25,633 people (43.2% of population) living in rental housing units. The average household size was 3.33. There were 14,070 families (79.4% of households) with the average family size of 3.68. The median age was 29.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.6 males. ForEvery 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.9 males. The city's median income was $31,775.

Economy

The backbone of Tulare's economy continues to be its agricultural and dairy industry. Tulare County's 342,600 dairy cows produce more than 8.9 billion pounds of milk each year. The nation's largest single-site dairy complex, operated by Land O'Lakes, is located in Tulare. The World Ag Expo, held annually at the International Agri-Center, is the largest annual agricultural exposition in the world. Over 100,000 people from throughout the world visit the Expo annually. The city's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are: According to the city's2020 Comprehensive Annual financial report, thetop employers are: The city is home to the largest number of dairy cows in the United States, with more than 300,000 cows. The county fair, held since 1915, is also the home of the Tulare State Fair, which is held every year in the summer. The Tulare City Fair is held in the fall, and the city is the host city for the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum's annual Cowboy & Western Heritage Festival, which takes place in late September and early October. It is the only fair in the U.S. that is open to the public, with the exception of a handful of states that allow it to be open only to members of the military and the state of California. It has been open since 1915 and is one of the oldest county fairs in the country. It was founded by the California State Fair Board in 1883.

Government

The Mayor and Vice-Mayor are selected by the council for two-year terms. In the California State Legislature, Tulare is in the 16th Senate District, represented by Democrat Melissa Hurtado, and in the 26th Assembly District. The U.S. House of Representatives is represented by Republican Connie Conway. The mayor and vice-mayor of Tulare are chosen by the city council. The city is located in the Central Valley of California, near the border with Bakersfield. The town has a population of about 2,000 people. It is one of the fastest-growing cities in California, with a population growth rate of 1.7% in the last five years. It has the highest crime rate in the state, and the highest murder rate in California. It also has the lowest poverty rate, with the lowest rates in California and the United States, at 0.7%. The city has a high school graduation rate of 8.2%. It has a low unemployment rate, at 1.4%. It is the second-highest in California after San Diego. It had the highest poverty rate in 2008, with 1.8% of its residents living in poverty. It was the highest in California in 2007. The highest in 2008 was in San Diego County, with 2.9%. The lowest in 2007 was in Riverside County, at 2.3%. The town's lowest unemployment rate was 0.8%. It had a high rate in 2007, with 3.1%. The highest rate in 2009 was 1.6%. The mayor is Dennis Mederos.

Education

The Tulare City School District operates 10 elementary schools, five middle schools, and two k-8 schools. There are also five K-8 country schools: Buena Vista, Oak Valley, Palo Verde, Waukena and Sundale. The district operates five high schools in the city: Tulare Union, Tulare Western, Mission Oak, Tech Prep, and Sierra Vista. Tulare students have two local area community colleges from which to choose: College of the Sequoias in Tulare, and College ofthe Sequoia in nearby Visalia. The new Tulare Center for Agriculture and Technology campus, located on East Bardsley Ave, opened in 2013. The Tulare center is forecast to be a full 10,000 student college by 2040. The school district also operates five private schools: St. Aloysius, Alpine Vista, Live Oak, Los Tules, Mulcahy, and Community Day School. There is also a private school called St. John's Episcopal Church in the Tulare area, which is run by the Knights of the Order of the Sacremento, a Roman Catholic church. The city has a population of about 2.5 million people. It is located in the northern part of the county, near the border with Kern County. The town of Tulare is home to the University of California, San Francisco, and the California State University, San Diego. It also has one of the largest concentrations of college students in the state.

Transportation

Tulare is located on California's central corridor Highway 99. Interstate 5 (40 minutes west) is California's longest freeway, nearly 800 miles (1,300 km) north and south. The City of Tulare owns and operates their own municipal airport, Mefford Field, which has an asphalt runway of 3,914 feet. The local Tulare InterModal Express offers a "fixed route" schedule in the city, as well as a Dial-A-Ride service. Tulare County Area Transit connects Tulare and Delano. The city is on the main line of the Union Pacific Railroad, which runs from Fresno to Bakersfield, and from Visalia to Porterville. It also has a Greyhound bus depot, which offers frequent packages and personnel service to all points in the west. It is also home to the Tulare International Airport, where 60 private planes are currently based. The Tulare Airport has limited commercial service available from Fresno (1 hr. 15 min), BakersFIELD (1hr. 15min), and Visalia (15 min) and Porterville (40 min). It also offers limited commercial air service from Porterville to Visalia, and limited air service to Fresno from Fresno from 15 min to 40 min. It has a limited number of light-rail lines, which connect Tulare to Fresno, Bakersfeld, and Visala. It was once a hub for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, but has since been abandoned.

Honors

The City of Tulare was recognized with an honorable mention by the California Sustainability Alliance in December 2010. In September 2011, the city's Redevelopment Agency received a total of two awards for a single redevelopment project. The Tule Vista Housing Development received the first place American Planning Association 2011 Central Section Outstanding Planning Project award, as well as the 2011 Award of Excellence from the California State Chapter of the American planning association. The city's sister cities are: Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, Australia, and Inverell, Australia. In April 2011, Tulare received the Climate Change Award for the city’s Energy Efficient Strategy at the 2011 Green California Summit and Exposition. In December 2010, the City received the honorable mention for its commitment to sustainability through extensive building retrofits, residential solar programs and forthcoming citywide Climate Action Plan. In March 2011 the city received the climate change award for its Energy E efficient Strategy. In May 2011, it received the honor for its Climate Change award for the City's Energy Eefficient Strategy. in April 2011. In June 2011,  the city was recognized for its commitment to sustainability with a Climate Change Awards honor. In August 2011, the city won the Climate change Award for its energy efficient strategy at the Green California summit andexposition. The city won a second award in September 2011 for its residential solar program. In October 2011 the Tulare City Council voted in favor of a citywide climate action plan. In November 2011 the council voted in favour of a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the city.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Tulare, Tulare County, California = 2.2. 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 30. 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 87. 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 Tulare = 5.7 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 69,200 individuals with a median age of 29.3 age the population grows by 26.36% in Tulare, Tulare County, California population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 3,212.95 residents per square mile of area (1,240.50/km²). There are average 3.32 people per household in the 16,601 households with an average household income of $42,206 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 13.60% of the available work force and has dropped -2.24% 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 21.92%. The number of physicians in Tulare per 100,000 population = 109.1.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Tulare = 10.2 inches and the annual snowfall = 0 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 40. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 265. 97 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 37.2 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 55, 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 Tulare, Tulare County, California which are owned by the occupant = 58.11%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 25 years with median home cost = $121,470 and home appreciation of -25.90%. 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 $8.02 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 $4,716 per student. There are 21.9 students for each teacher in the school, 7752 students for each Librarian and 677 students for each Counselor. 5.20% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 5.49% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 2.58% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).