Rosamond, California
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Rosamond is a town located in Kern County, California, 20 miles North of Palmdale, in the Antelope Valley, the westernmost desert valley of the Mojave Desert. It has a significant number of military personnel who are residents, primarily from the United States Air Force, but also of late the United States Marine Corps as well, forming a large off-base contingent attatched to adjacent Edwards Air Force Base. According to 2000 United States census data, the town had a total population of 14,349. However, those numbers do include active duty military personnel and their family members; thus, the numbers reflect many individuals who are temporary residents.
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History
Rosamond was originally established in 1877 as a townsite which was owned by the Southern Pacific Railroad and was named 'Rosamond' after the daughter of one of the railroad officials. The first local industries were mining and cattle. During the 1890s, gold was discovered and Miners quickly travelled to the area and populated it in order to strike it rich; however, the industry waned for many years, yet later had some success with a small boom during the 1930s. In 1933 Muroc Army Air Field was established, which has since been renamed Edwards Air Force Base in honor of fallen test pilot Glenn Edwards.
Government
Rosamond is unincorporated and is represented by a Supervisor (elected county official) within the Kern County Board of Supervisors. The Southern Kern Unified School District is headquartered within Rosamond and provides public K-12 education for area residents. The Antelope Valley College (AVC) in nearby Lancaster and the new California State University, Bakersfield - Antelope Valley campus at the AVC campus provide degree programs in engineering and other mathematical and scientific courses, as well as English and other liberal arts courses.
Geography
Rosamond is situated in the west central area of the expansive Antelope Valley, which comprises the westernmost valley of the Mojave Desert. Because the elevation is in the range of 2000 to 3000 feet above sea level, the area, like the other parts of the Mojave Desert region, is alternatively referred to as the High Desert. Some cities and communities within the trading area of Rosamond include Lancaster, Palmdale, Lake Los Angeles, Quartz Hill, Ridgecrest, and Santa Clarita. Residents of these desert cities and unincorporated communities share Sierra Highway, Angeles Forest Highway, Angeles Crest Highway (California State Highway 2), and the Antelope Valley Freeway (CA State Route 14) for timeconsuming commutes to the San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles Basin in order to get to work.
Willow Springs lies west of central Rosamond and was a watering hole for stagecoach travelers for generations. Due to the water now not available at the surface as it once was, the age-old springs are but a memory. Today Willow Springs Raceway is nearby, which hosts a variety of motor racing events - and attracting people from all over Southern California and beyond.
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Rosamond looking south near Edwards AFB turnoff from the Antelope Valley Freeway (SR 14) in the Antelope Valley, the westmost portion of the Mojave Desert
Rosamond is located at 34°51'57" North, 118°12'25" West (34.865786, -118.206856)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 135.6 km² (52.3 mi²). 135.3 km² (52.2 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.19% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 14,349 people, 4,988 households, and 3,626 families residing in the CDP. The population density is 106.1/km² (274.7/mi²). There are 5,597 housing units at an average density of 41.4/km² (107.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP is 72.01% White, 6.62% Black or African American, 1.32% Native American, 3.01% Asian, 0.23% Pacific Islander, 11.65% from other races, and 5.16% from two or more races. 25.67% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 4,988 households out of which 41.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.7% are married couples living together, 12.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 27.3% are non-families. 21.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 6.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.88 and the average family size is 3.38.
In the CDP the population is spread out with 32.9% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 7.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years. For every 100 females there are 102.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 101.5 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP is $42,307, and the median income for a family is $46,918. Males have a median income of $42,484 versus $26,745 for females. The per capita income for the CDP is $17,440. 14.1% of the population and 11.6% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 19.2% of those under the age of 18 and 12.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.