Wofford Heights, California
Wofford Heights | |
|---|---|
 Location in Kern County and the state of California | |
  Wofford Heights Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates: 35°42′25″N 118°27′22″W / 35.70694°N 118.45611°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County | Kern |
| Government | |
| • State senator | Shannon Grove (R)[1] |
| • Assemblymember | Stan Ellis (R)[1] |
| • U. S. rep. | Vince Fong (R)[2] |
| Area | |
• Total | 6.40 sq mi (16.58 km2) |
| • Land | 6.40 sq mi (16.58 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) 0% |
| Elevation | 2,684 ft (818 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 2,213 |
| • Density | 350/sq mi (130/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code | 93285 |
| Area codes | 442/760 |
| FIPS code | 06-86174 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1661706 |
Wofford Heights is a census-designated place (CDP) in the southern Sierra Nevada, in Kern County, California, United States. Wofford Heights is located in the west Kern River Valley, 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south-southwest of Kernville,[6] at an elevation of 2,684 feet (818 m).[4] The population was 2,213 at the 2020 census,[5] up from 2,200 at the 2010 census.[7]
Geography
[edit]Wofford Heights is located at 35°42′25″N 118°27′22″W / 35.70694°N 118.45611°W.[4] California State Route 155 is the only highway in Wofford Heights, leading south to Lake Isabella and west through Alta Sierra and the Greenhorn Mountains.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 6.4 square miles (17 km2), all of it land.
Climate
[edit]According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Wofford Heights has a semi-arid climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.[8] Here, the summers can be brutal and have reached as high as 113 °F (45 °C) while the winters are a bit more mild and have gone as low as −3 °F (−19 °C).[9] Wofford Heights' eastern front borders Lake Isabella. There are two major access points to the lake from Wofford Blvd: The first is the entrance to North Fork Marina and Tillie Creek Campground, and the second is Freear which is at the very end of East Evans Road near Wofford Heights Park.
History
[edit]I.L. Wofford founded the community as a resort in 1948.[6] The Wofford Heights post office opened in 1953.[6] It was a location for the 1970 biker film Angels Die Hard.
In 2016 the Erskine and Cedar fires burned more than 77,000 acres and more than 300 structures. As of 2019 the Lake Isabella area was considered a "very high fire hazard severity zone" due to desert winds and the nearby Sequoia National Forest. In addition, the median age of residents is 62, and many live on narrow roads which would be poor escape routes.[10]
Demographics
[edit]2020
[edit]The 2020 United States census reported that Wofford Heights had a population of 2,213. The population density was 345.7 inhabitants per square mile (133.5/km2). The racial makeup of Wofford Heights was 82.3% White, 0.0% African American, 2.2% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 3.4% from other races, and 11.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.9% of the population.[11]
The whole population lived in households. There were 1,189 households, out of which 11.2% included children under the age of 18, 32.6% were married-couple households, 5.2% were cohabiting couple households, 31.1% had a female householder with no partner present, and 31.0% had a male householder with no partner present. 46.0% of households were one person, and 25.8% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 1.86.[11] There were 572 families (48.1% of all households).[12]
The age distribution was 12.7% under the age of 18, 3.3% aged 18 to 24, 14.5% aged 25 to 44, 33.0% aged 45 to 64, and 36.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 59.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.7 males.[11]
There were 1,856 housing units at an average density of 290.0 units per square mile (112.0 units/km2), of which 1,189 (64.1%) were occupied. Of these, 75.4% were owner-occupied, and 24.6% were occupied by renters.[11]
2023 estimates
[edit]In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $40,168, and the per capita income was $36,040. About 10.1% of families and 16.1% of the population were below the poverty line.[13]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Find Your California Representatives". Retrieved May 15, 2025.
- ^ "California's 20th Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC.
- ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
- ^ a b c U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Wofford Heights, California
- ^ a b "US Census Bureau". www.census.gov. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
- ^ a b c Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Clovis, California: Word Dancer Press. p. 1129. ISBN 1-884995-14-4.
- ^ "Wofford Heights CDP, California; P2: HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010 Census of Population and Housing". US Census Bureau. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
- ^ Climate Summary for Wofford Heights, California
- ^ Wofford Heights, California Average Temperature
- ^ Ryan Sabalow; Phillip Reese; Dale Kasler (April 14, 2019). "A real life gamble: California races to predict which town could be the next victim". Destined to Burn. Reno Gazette Journal. The Sacramento Bee. p. 1A.
- ^ a b c d "Wofford Heights CDP, California; DP1: Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics - 2020 Census of Population and Housing". US Census Bureau. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
- ^ "Wofford Heights CDP, California; P16: Household Type - 2020 Census of Population and Housing". US Census Bureau. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
- ^ "Wofford Heights CDP, California; DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics - 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates Comparison Profiles". US Census Bureau. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
