Mettler, California
Encyclopedia
Mettler, or Mettler Station, is a heavily Hispanic, low-income unincorporated area
and census-designated place
in Kern County
, California
. The population was 136 at the 2010 census, down from 157 at the 2000 census. It is the place where motion picture actor James Dean
received a traffic ticket on the last day of his life.
William H. Mettler, and his brother (unnamed) in the "late 1940's" in the Wheeler Ridge area, which settlement "later became known as Mettler Station."
was driving north on California State Highway 99 when he was stopped by California Highway Patrol officer O.V. Hunter and given a ticket for speeding. The officer wrote Mettler Station as the location of the infraction.
was 584.8 people per square mile (225.8/km²). The racial makeup of Mettler was 74 (54.4%) White, 0 (0.0%) African American, 0 (0.0%) Native American, 0 (0.0%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 43 (31.6%) from other races
, and 19 (14.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 109 persons (80.1%).
The Census reported that 136 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 31 households, out of which 17 (54.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 17 (54.8%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 8 (25.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 2 (6.5%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 2 (6.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 0 (0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 4 households (12.9%) were made up of individuals and 1 (3.2%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.39. There were 27 families
(87.1% of all households); the average family size was 4.74.
The population was spread out with 37 people (27.2%) under the age of 18, 24 people (17.6%) aged 18 to 24, 30 people (22.1%) aged 25 to 44, 34 people (25.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 11 people (8.1%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28.5 years. For every 100 females there were 109.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 130.2 males.
There were 36 housing units at an average density of 154.8 per square mile (59.8/km²), of which 18 (58.1%) were owner-occupied, and 13 (41.9%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0%; the rental vacancy rate was 0%. 62 people (45.6% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 74 people (54.4%) lived in rental housing units.
of 2000, 157 people lived in 31 households (37 housing units). The average household size was about five people. Mettler's population was about six years younger than California at large.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
and census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
in Kern County
Kern County, California
Spreading across the southern end of the California Central Valley, Kern County is the fifth-largest county by population in California. Its economy is heavily linked to agriculture and to petroleum extraction, and there is a strong aviation and space presence. Politically, it has generally...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The population was 136 at the 2010 census, down from 157 at the 2000 census. It is the place where motion picture actor James Dean
James Dean
James Byron Dean was an American film actor. He is a cultural icon, best embodied in the title of his most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause , in which he starred as troubled Los Angeles teenager Jim Stark...
received a traffic ticket on the last day of his life.
Geography
Mettler, which is 25 road miles south of Bakersfield,http://maps.google.com/maps?client=safari&rls=en-us&q=Mettler+California&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&split=0&gl=us&ei=XHYpSry4KJOCtgOaofnuCg&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1 is at 35°03′50"N 118°58′12"W.>. The locality has an area of 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) and an elevation of 541 feet (165 m).Founding
According to the publication California's Geographic Names, Mettler was founded in 1941, but an obituary of Clifford Alvin Mettler in the Bakersfield Californian reported that the settlement was founded by him, his father,William H. Mettler, and his brother (unnamed) in the "late 1940's" in the Wheeler Ridge area, which settlement "later became known as Mettler Station."
James Dean
On September 30, 1955, motion picture actor James DeanJames Dean
James Byron Dean was an American film actor. He is a cultural icon, best embodied in the title of his most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause , in which he starred as troubled Los Angeles teenager Jim Stark...
was driving north on California State Highway 99 when he was stopped by California Highway Patrol officer O.V. Hunter and given a ticket for speeding. The officer wrote Mettler Station as the location of the infraction.
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Mettler had a population of 136. The population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 584.8 people per square mile (225.8/km²). The racial makeup of Mettler was 74 (54.4%) White, 0 (0.0%) African American, 0 (0.0%) Native American, 0 (0.0%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 43 (31.6%) from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 19 (14.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 109 persons (80.1%).
The Census reported that 136 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 31 households, out of which 17 (54.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 17 (54.8%) were opposite-sex married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8 (25.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 2 (6.5%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 2 (6.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
POSSLQ
POSSLQ is an abbreviation for "Persons of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters," a term coined in the late 1970s by the United States Census Bureau as part of an effort to more accurately gauge the prevalence of cohabitation in American households....
, and 0 (0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 4 households (12.9%) were made up of individuals and 1 (3.2%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.39. There were 27 families
Family (U.S. Census)
A family or family household is defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes as "a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. They do not include same-sex married couples even if the marriage was performed in a state...
(87.1% of all households); the average family size was 4.74.
The population was spread out with 37 people (27.2%) under the age of 18, 24 people (17.6%) aged 18 to 24, 30 people (22.1%) aged 25 to 44, 34 people (25.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 11 people (8.1%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28.5 years. For every 100 females there were 109.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 130.2 males.
There were 36 housing units at an average density of 154.8 per square mile (59.8/km²), of which 18 (58.1%) were owner-occupied, and 13 (41.9%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0%; the rental vacancy rate was 0%. 62 people (45.6% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 74 people (54.4%) lived in rental housing units.
2000
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, 157 people lived in 31 households (37 housing units). The average household size was about five people. Mettler's population was about six years younger than California at large.
| 2000 figures | Mettler | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 27 | 33.3 | 35.3 |
| White | 47.1% | 59.5% | 75.1% |
| African-American | None | 6.7% | 12.3% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 84.7% | 32.4% | 12.5% |
| Family income | $28,750 | $53,025 | $50,046 |
| Poverty families | 5.9% | 10.6% | 9.2% |
| Med. home value | $71,500 | $211,500 | $119,600 |
| High school diploma | 42.1% | 76.8% | 80.4% |
| College degree | 7.0% | 28.6% | 24.4% |