Tracy, California
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Tracy is a city located in San Joaquin County, California. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,929, but a July 1, 2002 Census estimate showed the fast-growing city's population rose to 68,018. Tracy is located east of the San Francisco Bay Area, just past Livermore and the Altamont Pass.
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History
Yes, indeed, I said to myself, look out now, and I hung on. You never saw a driving fool like that. He made Tracy in no time. Tracy is a railroad town; brakemen eat surly meals in diners by the tracks. Trains howl away across the valley. The sun goes down long and red. --Jack Kerouac, On the Road
The poet summed up best the birth of Tracy, California. The town sprung from the new line of the Central Pacific Railroad on September 8, 1878 out of the San Francisco Bay, and kept growing since. The area, once home and hunting grounds of the Ohlone and Miwok Indians, largely became a railroad and agricultural town named after a local railroad official. Incorporated in 1910 and flushed with new irrigation ditches, it remained rural until the late 20th century when housing and commercial development turned the dusty, farming town into a sleepy, suburban enclave. Affordable housing and relatively safe neighborhoods and schools brought an influx of commuters from the San Francisco and Sacramento/Stockton area, fleeing the skyrocketing costs of living in these cities. A new planned community, Mountain House, is located about 5 miles northwest of Tracy, but is considered part of the city.
The Deuel Vocational Institution, a state prison, opened east of Tracy in 1953. It covers 783 acres (3.2 km²).
Today, though still surrounded by (shrinking) farmlands and ranches, the city of Tracy boasts modern facilities and wide, tree-lined avenues and caters to demographics outside of its old railroad and agricultural past. Following a trend among similarly-sized California communities, however, an increasingly vocal [group of residents (http://www.traqc.com)] has successfully called for slowed residential growth.
Geography
CAMap-doton-Tracy.png
Location of Tracy, California
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 54.4 km² (21.0 mi²). 54.4 km² (21.0 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.
The city experiences dry, very hot summers, typical of the Central Valley, with gusty winds sweeping through the valley floor. Winters bring average rainfall and fog often rolls from the delta.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 56,929 people, 17,620 households, and 14,307 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,046.7/km² (2,711.3/mi²). There are 18,087 housing units at an average density of 332.5/km² (861.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 65.22% White, 5.48% African American, 0.91% Native American, 8.14% Asian, 0.55% Pacific Islander, 13.08% from other races, and 6.63% from two or more races. 27.69% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 17,620 households out of which 51.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.0% are married couples living together, 10.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 18.8% are non-families. 14.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 4.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 3.21 and the average family size is 3.56.
In the city the population is spread out with 34.4% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 35.0% from 25 to 44, 16.7% from 45 to 64, and 6.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 31 years. For every 100 females there are 100.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 96.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $62,794, and the median income for a family is $67,464. Males have a median income of $50,095 versus $35,143 for females. The per capita income for the city is $21,397. 7.0% of the population and 5.2% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 7.2% of those under the age of 18 and 10.8% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
External link
Official City Website (http://www.ci.tracy.ca.us/)