Alturas, California
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Alturas is the county seat of Modoc County, California. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 2,892.
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Geography
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Location of Alturas, California
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.7 km² (2.2 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.
History
The site Alturas now occupies was inititally an Achumawi (Pit River) village known as Kosealekte. The city was initially known as Dorris Bridge, named after Jim Dorris, the first white settler in the area who settled in 1869. In 1876, the town was renamed Alturas, which means "The Heights" in Spanish. Settlement continued over the next few decades, until the city was officially incorporated on September 16, 1901. Alturas is the seat, and only incorporated city, in Modoc County.
Demographics
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As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 2,892 people, 1,181 households, and 753 families residing in the city. The population density is 507.5/km² (1,316.3/mi²). There are 1,367 housing units at an average density of 239.9/km² (622.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 85.89% White, 0.31% Black or African American, 4.39% Native American, 0.73% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 4.84% from other races, and 3.73% from two or more races. 11.89% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 1,181 households out of which 35.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.6% are married couples living together, 14.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 36.2% are non-families. 32.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 14.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.38 and the average family size is 3.00.
In the city the population is spread out with 28.7% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 85.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $24,351, and the median income for a family is $31,385. Males have a median income of $36,500 versus $21,750 for females. The per capita income for the city is $19,281. 27.1% of the population and 23.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 38.3% of those under the age of 18 and 7.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Economy
It is the headquarters to the Modoc National Forest, the Alturas Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management, the Modoc National Wildlife Refuge and other recreation areas, and is the trade center for the agricultural region, which produces beef, sheep, potatoes, alfalfa and lumber. Despite its abundance of wilderness, recreational opportunities, hunting and fishing resources, and resplendent natural beauty, tourism is not a major sector of the local economy--largely due to the city's remote location.
Local, State, Federal, and Tribal governments are the largest employers in Alturas. A vibrant timber industry collapsed in the early 1980s due to increased production costs and low market prices for softwood lumber.
The Modoc Joint Unified School District is headquartered in Alturas.
The Alturas Rancheria, a band of Pit River Indians, operates a small casino just outside the city limits.