Oak Park, California
Encyclopedia
Oak Park is a census-designated place
located in the Simi Hills
, in Ventura County, California
. As of the 2010 census, Oak Park had a population of 14,266, up from 14,225 at the 2000 census. It is located in the Conejo Valley
, north from Malibu and Agoura Hills and is a part of Ventura County.
. The land was purchased by Metropolitan Development Corporation in the 1940s and '50s. Homes were developed starting in the late 1960s. Kanan Road (named after a local family) was the only access road to the community, from Agoura Hills, California
in neighboring Los Angeles County
. As such, the community was served by police and firefighters based in the nearest Ventura County city, Thousand Oaks
, 10 miles (16.1 km) away, with L.A. County services responding when able.
In 1967 Ventura County
officials who were concerned about the isolation of the community proposed a land swap with L.A. County, but they were rebuffed. The isolation—coupled with the distance to junior and senior high schools—also drove down the property values, and homeowners found it difficult to sell their properties.
The Ventura County Board of Supervisors created a Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) in 1975 to represent the community to County agencies. The MAC persuaded the Ventura County Board of Supervisors to trim Metropolitan Development Corp.'s initial development plan from a population of 26,000. Today there are about 15,000 residents. All available land within Oak Park has now been developed, with the remaining vacant land owned by the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District.
The community was initially served by the Simi Valley Unified School District
, with the nearest post-elementary schools being Sinaloa Junior High (about 20 miles (32.2 km) away) and Royal High (about 22 (35 km) miles away). Since the Simi Valley Unified School District had no plans to build post-elementary schools in Oak Park, the residents seceded and formed Oak Park Unified School District
in June 1977. Oak Park High School opened for classes (initially grades 6-12) in the spring of 1981.
In 1999 the United States Postal Service
assigned Oak Park its own ZIP code, 91377.
The CDP has a total area of 5.29 mi2. All of the area is land and none of it is covered by water. However, there are many small creeks in the area.
was 2,610.6 people per square mile (1,007.9/km²). The racial makeup of Oak Park was 11,473 (83.1%) White, 141 (1.0%) African American, 32 (0.2%) Native American, 1,556 (11.3%) Asian, 9 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 162 (1.2%) from other races
, and 438 (3.2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 826 persons (6.0%).
The Census reported that 13,810 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 1 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 5,158 households, out of which 2,112 (40.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 3,054 (59.2%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 590 (11.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 184 (3.6%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 204 (4.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 34 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,046 households (20.3%) were made up of individuals and 258 (5.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68. There were 3,828 families
(74.2% of all households); the average family size was 3.14.
The population was spread out with 3,622 people (26.2%) under the age of 18, 1,004 people (7.3%) aged 18 to 24, 3,031 people (21.9%) aged 25 to 44, 4,981 people (36.1%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,173 people (8.5%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.7 years. For every 100 females there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.5 males.
There were 5,297 housing units at an average density of 1,001.2 per square mile (386.6/km²), of which 3,842 (74.5%) were owner-occupied, and 1,316 (25.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.5%. 10,706 people (77.5% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 3,104 people (22.5%) lived in rental housing units.
of 2000, there are 14,625 people in approximately 5000 households. The population density
is 3,567 people per square mile (1,393/km²). The racial makeup of the town is 92.41% White, 0.01% African American, 0.26% Native American, 6.41% Asian, 0.23% Pacific Islander, 1.16% from other races, and 2.59% from two or more races. 4.35% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
49.7% of the households have children under the age of 18 living with them, 76.7% are married couples living together, 9.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 11.5% are non-families. 8.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 2.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 3.11 and the average family size is 2.83.
In the town the population is spread out with 33% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 31.4% from 45 to 64, and 5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36.3 years. For every 100 females there are 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 94.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $106,921, and the median income for a family is $121,170. Males have a median income of $91,698 versus $42,083 for females. The per capita income for the town is $33,905. 7.5% of the population and 5.6% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 8.4% are under the age of 18 and 0.0% are 65 or older.
The community is served by the Oak Park Unified School District
(OPUSD), which has three elementary schools (K-5), a middle school (6-8), Oak Park High School (9-12), and Oak View High School (an alternative high school for ages 16 and above).
Oak Park High School offers baseball, boys and girls basketball, cheer, cross country, dance, football, golf, lacrosse, boys and girls soccer, softball, boys and girls tennis, track and field, and boys and girls volleyball. Oak park is in the Tri-Valley and Frontier League depending on the sport.
- one of their branches is in Oak Park: Oak Park Library and also, the nearby Agoura branch of the County of Los Angeles Public Library
.
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...
located in the Simi Hills
Simi Hills
The Simi Hills are a low rocky mountain range of the Transverse Ranges, located in eastern Ventura County and western Los Angeles County, of southern California, United States.-Geography:...
, in Ventura County, California
Ventura County, California
Ventura County is a county in the southern part of the U.S. state of California. It is located on California's Pacific coast. It is often referred to as the Gold Coast, and has a reputation of being one of the safest populated places and one of the most affluent places in the country...
. As of the 2010 census, Oak Park had a population of 14,266, up from 14,225 at the 2000 census. It is located in the Conejo Valley
Conejo Valley
The Conejo Valley is a region spanning both southeastern Ventura County and northwestern Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States...
, north from Malibu and Agoura Hills and is a part of Ventura County.
History
Oak Park was formed from ranchland owned by Cosmo Stevens and Marian Jordan, stars of the radio show Fibber McGee and MollyFibber McGee and Molly
Fibber McGee and Molly was an American radio comedy series which maintained its popularity over decades. It premiered on NBC in 1935 and continued until its demise in 1959, long after radio had ceased to be the dominant form of entertainment in American popular culture.-Husband and wife in real...
. The land was purchased by Metropolitan Development Corporation in the 1940s and '50s. Homes were developed starting in the late 1960s. Kanan Road (named after a local family) was the only access road to the community, from Agoura Hills, California
Agoura Hills, California
Agoura Hills is a city in Los Angeles County, California, and has the ZIP code 91301. The population was 20,330 at the 2010 census, down from 20,537 at the 2000 census. It is located in the eastern Conejo Valley between the Simi Hills and the Santa Monica Mountains. This city on the Ventura...
in neighboring Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
. As such, the community was served by police and firefighters based in the nearest Ventura County city, Thousand Oaks
Thousand Oaks, California
Thousand Oaks is a city in southeastern Ventura County, California, in the United States. It was named after the many oak trees that grace the area, and the city seal is adorned with an oak....
, 10 miles (16.1 km) away, with L.A. County services responding when able.
In 1967 Ventura County
Ventura County, California
Ventura County is a county in the southern part of the U.S. state of California. It is located on California's Pacific coast. It is often referred to as the Gold Coast, and has a reputation of being one of the safest populated places and one of the most affluent places in the country...
officials who were concerned about the isolation of the community proposed a land swap with L.A. County, but they were rebuffed. The isolation—coupled with the distance to junior and senior high schools—also drove down the property values, and homeowners found it difficult to sell their properties.
The Ventura County Board of Supervisors created a Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) in 1975 to represent the community to County agencies. The MAC persuaded the Ventura County Board of Supervisors to trim Metropolitan Development Corp.'s initial development plan from a population of 26,000. Today there are about 15,000 residents. All available land within Oak Park has now been developed, with the remaining vacant land owned by the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District.
The community was initially served by the Simi Valley Unified School District
Simi Valley Unified School District
Simi Valley Unified School District is a school district in Ventura County, California. It enrolls students from the city of Simi Valley...
, with the nearest post-elementary schools being Sinaloa Junior High (about 20 miles (32.2 km) away) and Royal High (about 22 (35 km) miles away). Since the Simi Valley Unified School District had no plans to build post-elementary schools in Oak Park, the residents seceded and formed Oak Park Unified School District
Oak Park Unified School District
Oak Park Unified School District is a K-12 school district in southeast Ventura County, California, USA. It consists of six public schools in the community of Oak Park.-History:...
in June 1977. Oak Park High School opened for classes (initially grades 6-12) in the spring of 1981.
In 1999 the United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
assigned Oak Park its own ZIP code, 91377.
Geography
Oak Park is located at 34°10'18" North, 118°45'28" West (34.171756, -118.757899).The CDP has a total area of 5.29 mi2. All of the area is land and none of it is covered by water. However, there are many small creeks in the area.
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Oak Park had a population of 13,811. 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 2,610.6 people per square mile (1,007.9/km²). The racial makeup of Oak Park was 11,473 (83.1%) White, 141 (1.0%) African American, 32 (0.2%) Native American, 1,556 (11.3%) Asian, 9 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 162 (1.2%) 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 438 (3.2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 826 persons (6.0%).
The Census reported that 13,810 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 1 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 5,158 households, out of which 2,112 (40.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 3,054 (59.2%) 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, 590 (11.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 184 (3.6%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 204 (4.0%) 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 34 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,046 households (20.3%) were made up of individuals and 258 (5.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68. There were 3,828 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...
(74.2% of all households); the average family size was 3.14.
The population was spread out with 3,622 people (26.2%) under the age of 18, 1,004 people (7.3%) aged 18 to 24, 3,031 people (21.9%) aged 25 to 44, 4,981 people (36.1%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,173 people (8.5%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.7 years. For every 100 females there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.5 males.
There were 5,297 housing units at an average density of 1,001.2 per square mile (386.6/km²), of which 3,842 (74.5%) were owner-occupied, and 1,316 (25.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.5%. 10,706 people (77.5% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 3,104 people (22.5%) 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, there are 14,625 people in approximately 5000 households. 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...
is 3,567 people per square mile (1,393/km²). The racial makeup of the town is 92.41% White, 0.01% African American, 0.26% Native American, 6.41% Asian, 0.23% Pacific Islander, 1.16% from other races, and 2.59% from two or more races. 4.35% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
49.7% of the households have children under the age of 18 living with them, 76.7% are married couples living together, 9.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 11.5% are non-families. 8.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 2.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 3.11 and the average family size is 2.83.
In the town the population is spread out with 33% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 31.4% from 45 to 64, and 5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36.3 years. For every 100 females there are 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 94.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $106,921, and the median income for a family is $121,170. Males have a median income of $91,698 versus $42,083 for females. The per capita income for the town is $33,905. 7.5% of the population and 5.6% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 8.4% are under the age of 18 and 0.0% are 65 or older.
Education
Among residents age 25 or greater, 11% have no education beyond a high school diploma, 22% have some college education without earning a degree, 10% have an associate degree, 35% have a bachelor degree, and 18% have advanced degrees.The community is served by the Oak Park Unified School District
Oak Park Unified School District
Oak Park Unified School District is a K-12 school district in southeast Ventura County, California, USA. It consists of six public schools in the community of Oak Park.-History:...
(OPUSD), which has three elementary schools (K-5), a middle school (6-8), Oak Park High School (9-12), and Oak View High School (an alternative high school for ages 16 and above).
Oak Park High School offers baseball, boys and girls basketball, cheer, cross country, dance, football, golf, lacrosse, boys and girls soccer, softball, boys and girls tennis, track and field, and boys and girls volleyball. Oak park is in the Tri-Valley and Frontier League depending on the sport.
Libraries
Public Libraries: Ventura County LibraryVentura County Library
is a public library system of 13 libraries in Ventura County, California. Ventura County Library may be found online at http://www.vencolibrary.org/....
- one of their branches is in Oak Park: Oak Park Library and also, the nearby Agoura branch of the County of Los Angeles Public Library
County of Los Angeles Public Library
-Library System:The County of Los Angeles Public Library is the 4th largest public library system in the United States which serves residents living in 51 of the 88 incorporated cities of Los Angeles County, California...
.
External links
- Oak Park Now, Oak Park News and Events
- Oak Park Update, a Web site for community news, events, and activities.
- - Conejo Post - News, Issues, History and Outdoors in the Conejo Valley, including Oak Park
- Oak Park @ The Official Conejo Valley Website, a Web site with local history and community information.
- Oak Park, California 91377, a Web site with climate, geography, and links to government services. Pages linked from this site include demographics from the 2000 census and a calendar of community meetings and events.