Moss Beach, California
Encyclopedia
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 San Mateo County, California, with a year 2010 census population of 3,103. Located in Moss Beach are the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve
Fitzgerald Marine Reserve
Fitzgerald Marine Reserve is a marine reserve in California on the Pacific Ocean, located just north of Pillar Point Harbor and Mavericks in the San Mateo County community of Moss Beach. Moss Beach is located approximately south of San Francisco and north of Santa Cruz. The reserve is a holding...
, a marine sanctuary; the Half Moon Bay Airport
Half Moon Bay Airport
Half Moon Bay Airport is a county-owned public use airport in San Mateo County, California, United States. It is located five nautical miles northwest of the central business district of Half Moon Bay, California. The airport is on the Pacific Coast, south of San Francisco.-History:The Half Moon...
, the historic Moss Beach Distillery
Moss Beach Distillery
Moss Beach Distillery is a restaurant in Moss Beach, California, located on a cliff which overlooks the Pacific Ocean.It is officially designated as a California Point of Historical Interest...
and the Seal Cove Inn, a destination lodging property. Moss Beach is naturally a foggy, drippy microclimate that gives one a sense of isolation from nearby cosmopolitan regions, and assures that summer temperatures are generally mild.
Geography
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
and 50 miles (80.5 km) north of Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...
. Nearby towns include Montara
Montara, California
Montara is a census-designated place in San Mateo County, California, United States. The population was 2,909 at the 2010 census. Nearby communities include Moss Beach and Princeton-by-the-Sea.-Geography and environment:...
to the north, El Granada
El Granada, California
El Granada is a census-designated place in the coastal area of northern San Mateo County, California, United States. The population was 5,467 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...
, Princeton-by-the-Sea, and Half Moon Bay
Half Moon Bay, California
Half Moon Bay is a coastal city in San Mateo County, California, USA. Its population was 11,324 as of the 2010 census. Immediately at the north of Half Moon Bay is the Pillar Point Harbor and the unincorporated community of Princeton-by-the-Sea....
to the south. According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP has a total area of 2.3 square miles (6 km²), all land.
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Moss Beach had a population of 3,103. 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 1,377.0 people per square mile (531.6/km²). The racial makeup of Moss Beach was 2,280 (73.5%) White, 25 (0.8%) African American, 43 (1.4%) Native American, 118 (3.8%) Asian, 9 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 494 (15.9%) 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 134 (4.3%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 903 persons (29.1%).
The Census reported that 2,983 people (96.1% of the population) lived in households, 12 (0.4%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 108 (3.5%) were institutionalized.
There were 1,062 households, out of which 359 (33.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 607 (57.2%) 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, 85 (8.0%) had a female householder with no husband present, 41 (3.9%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 49 (4.6%) 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 14 (1.3%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 251 households (23.6%) were made up of individuals and 68 (6.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81. There were 733 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...
(69.0% of all households); the average family size was 3.35.
The population was spread out with 710 people (22.9%) under the age of 18, 234 people (7.5%) aged 18 to 24, 699 people (22.5%) aged 25 to 44, 1,097 people (35.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 363 people (11.7%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.2 years. For every 100 females there were 99.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.6 males.
There were 1,154 housing units at an average density of 512.1 per square mile (197.7/km²), of which 868 (81.7%) were owner-occupied, and 194 (18.3%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.3%. 2,448 people (78.9% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 535 people (17.2%) lived in rental housing units.
2000
As of the 2000 census there were 1953 people, 740 households, and 526 families residing in the Census Designated Place (CDPCensus-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...
). The population density
Population 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 1,092.5 people per square mile (421.3/km²). There were 771 housing units at an average density of 431.3 per square mile (166.3/km²). The racial makeup in 2010 was 62.9% non-Hispanic White, 0.7% non-Hispanic African American, 0.2% Native American, 3.8% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 0.3% 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 2.6% from two or more races. 29.1% of the population were Hispanic.
There are 740 households, of which 36.1% have children under the age of 18, 58.9% are 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...
, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were non-families. 18.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and average family size is 2.98.
The median household income is $91,992, and the median family income is $99,307. Males had a median income of $81,619 versus $41,411 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
is $41,283. 4.3% of the population and 3.2% of families were below the poverty line. 2.2% of those under the age of 18 and 2.7% of those over 64 are below the poverty line.
Politics
California State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
Moss Beach is located in the 8th Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
District, represented by Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Leland Yee
Leland Yee
Leland Yee is a California State Senator in District 8 which represents the western half of San Francisco and most of San Mateo County. Prior to becoming state senator, Yee was a California State Assemblyman, Supervisor of San Francisco's Sunset District, and was a member and President of the San...
, and in the 19th Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
District, represented by Democrat Gene Mullin
Gene Mullin
Gene Mullin is a former Democratic California State Assembly member and former South San Francisco Council member. He represented the 19th Assembly District, which includes San Mateo, Burlingame, Brisbane, Daly City, Foster City, Millbrae, San Bruno, South San Francisco, Half Moon Bay, Pacifica,...
. Federally, Moss Beach is located in California's 12th congressional district
California's 12th congressional district
California's 12th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California that spans from the southwestern portions of San Francisco in the north down to San Mateo in the south, and from Moss Beach in the west to the edge of San Mateo in the east, where it borders...
, which has a Cook PVI
Cook Partisan Voting Index
The Cook Partisan Voting Index , sometimes referred to as simply the Partisan Voting Index , is a measurement of how strongly an American congressional district or state leans toward one political party compared to the nation as a whole...
of D +22 and is currently held by Jackie Speier
Jackie Speier
Karen Lorraine Jacqueline "Jackie" Speier is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2008. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes the northern two-thirds of San Mateo County and the southwest quarter of San Francisco.She is also a former member of the California State...
.
Noteworthy features
Due to the marine air currents off of the Pacific OceanPacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, Moss Beach experiences above average fog levels, but also superior ambient air quality. Note the everpresent fog in the photo above (the circular blotches are not a special effect, but a result of the droplets formed on the camera lens cover). Situated along the coast of Moss Beach is the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve
Fitzgerald Marine Reserve
Fitzgerald Marine Reserve is a marine reserve in California on the Pacific Ocean, located just north of Pillar Point Harbor and Mavericks in the San Mateo County community of Moss Beach. Moss Beach is located approximately south of San Francisco and north of Santa Cruz. The reserve is a holding...
, a California designated area of Special Biological Significance. The reserve boasts a scenic blufftop trail through ancient cypress
Cupressus macrocarpa
Cupressus macrocarpa, commonly known as Monterey Cypress or Macrocarpa, is a species of cypress that is endemic to the Central Coast of California. In the wild, the species is confined to two small populations, near Monterey and Carmel, California. These two small populations represent what was...
groves overlooking the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, historically interesting tidepools and a variety of significant marine animals and pelagic birds. The unique outcroppings along the beach are part of the Franciscan formation, a favorite of local geologists.
Hickman's potentilla
Potentilla hickmanii is an endangered perennial herb of the rose family. This rare plant species is found in a narrowly restricted range in two locations in coastal northern California, in Monterey County, and in very small colonies in San Mateo County...
, Potentilla hickmanii was observed by E.C. Suttliffe in 1933 in the vicinity of the mouth of San Vicente Creek within Moss Beach. This colony was not further documented for decades, but another colony was discovered toward the end of the 20th century north of Moss Beach. The plant was listed as an endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
government in 1998, and had previously been listed as California endangered in 1973.
Off State Route 1, one finds the famous restaurant Moss Beach Distillery
Moss Beach Distillery
Moss Beach Distillery is a restaurant in Moss Beach, California, located on a cliff which overlooks the Pacific Ocean.It is officially designated as a California Point of Historical Interest...
, an architecturally and historically noteworthy building located upon a cliff with ocean views. This present day restaurant has its roots in bootleg liquor during Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
. This building is an official California Point of Historical Interest http://www.hauntedbay.com/images/features/MBDsign500x490.jpg and includes its own ghost (the Blue Lady
The Blue Lady
The Blue Lady is the ghost of a woman reportedly seen in and around the Moss Beach Distillery Cafe in Moss Beach, California; she is so-named because she usually dressed all in blue...
) which has been featured in a number of ghost hunting programs including Unsolved Mysteries
Unsolved Mysteries
Unsolved Mysteries is an American television program, hosted by Robert Stack, from 1987 until 2002, and later by Dennis Farina, starting in 2008...
.Sci-Fi's Ghost Hunters
Ghost Hunters
Ghost Hunters is an American paranormal reality television series that premiered on October 6, 2004, on Syfy . The program features paranormal investigators Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson who investigate places that are reported to be haunted. The two originally worked as plumbers for Roto-Rooter as...
recently found their paranormal claims to be fraudulent by revealing that owners of the distillery have created various hoaxes simulating paranormal activity. Noted travel author Karen Brown
Karen Brown
Karen Maree Brown captained the Australia national women's cricket team in a One Day International. She was born in 1962 in Upfield, Victoria and played 9 Test matches in all, scoring 132 runs as a right-handed batswoman and taking 22 wickets at just 15.72 with her right arm medium pace...
operates the Seal Cove Inn adjacent to the reserve.