Oildale, California
Encyclopedia
Oildale is a census-designated place
(CDP) in Kern County
, California
, United States
. Oildale is located 3.5 miles (5.6 km) north-northwest of downtown Bakersfield
, at an elevation of 469 feet (143 m). The population was 32,684 at the 2010 census, up from 27,885 at the 2000 census. It is an unincorporated suburban town just north of Bakersfield across the Kern River, west of the Kern River Oilfield, and east of Highway 99.
, the CDP has a total area of 6.5 mi2, all of it land.
Oildale is adjacent to three large oil fields, including two of the largest in California. The enormous Kern River Oil Field
to the east and northeast has more active oil wells (9,183 at the end of 2006) than any other field in California except for the Midway-Sunset Oil Field
in southwestern Kern County (which has 11,145). Also adjacent is the huge Kern Front Oil Field
, north of town, and the smaller Fruitvale Oil Field
, to the southwest.
spy planes flown out of Groom Lake
were built at a secret factory in Oildale disguised as a tire factory. The K.K.K was very prominent in Oildale in the early '60s, oftentimes parading down North Chester Avenue.
was 5,003.2 people per square mile (1,931.8/km²). The racial makeup of Oildale was 27,463 (84.0%) White, 255 (0.8%) African American, 590 (1.8%) Native American, 316 (1.0%) Asian, 30 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 2,635 (8.1%) from other races
, and 1,395 (4.3%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6,301 persons (19.3%).
The Census reported that 32,636 people (99.9% of the population) lived in households, 48 (0.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 12,023 households, out of which 4,775 (39.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 4,476 (37.2%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 2,372 (19.7%) had a female householder with no husband present, 1,078 (9.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,322 (11.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 132 (1.1%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 3,099 households (25.8%) were made up of individuals and 1,062 (8.8%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71. There were 7,926 families
(65.9% of all households); the average family size was 3.23.
The population was spread out with 9,426 people (28.8%) under the age of 18, 3,627 people (11.1%) aged 18 to 24, 8,810 people (27.0%) aged 25 to 44, 7,561 people (23.1%) aged 45 to 64, and 3,260 people (10.0%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31.4 years. For every 100 females there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males.
There were 13,555 housing units at an average density of 2,075.0 per square mile (801.2/km²), of which 5,211 (43.3%) were owner-occupied, and 6,812 (56.7%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 4.0%; the rental vacancy rate was 10.5%. 13,576 people (41.5% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 19,060 people (58.3%) lived in rental housing units.
of 2000, there were 27,885 people, 10,983 households, and 7,084 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 4,332.3 people per square mile (1,671.8/km²). There were 11,952 housing units at an average density of 1,856.9 per square mile (716.6/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 88.99% White
, 0.34% Black
or African American
, 2.19% Native American
, 0.33% Asian
, 0.06% Pacific Islander
, 4.79% from other races
, and 3.29% from two or more races. 10.14% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 10,983 households out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.1% were married couples
living together, 17.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.11.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 29.5% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $27,041, and the median income for a family was $32,397. Males had a median income of $31,514 versus $21,715 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $13,342. About 17.2% of families and 20.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.1% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.
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...
(CDP) 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Oildale is located 3.5 miles (5.6 km) north-northwest of downtown Bakersfield
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
, at an elevation of 469 feet (143 m). The population was 32,684 at the 2010 census, up from 27,885 at the 2000 census. It is an unincorporated suburban town just north of Bakersfield across the Kern River, west of the Kern River Oilfield, and east of Highway 99.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited 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 6.5 mi2, all of it land.
Oildale is adjacent to three large oil fields, including two of the largest in California. The enormous Kern River Oil Field
Kern River Oil Field
The Kern River Oil Field is a large oil field in Kern County in the San Joaquin Valley of California, north-northeast of Bakersfield in the lower Sierra foothills...
to the east and northeast has more active oil wells (9,183 at the end of 2006) than any other field in California except for the Midway-Sunset Oil Field
Midway-Sunset Oil Field
The Midway-Sunset Oil Field is a large oil field in Kern County, San Joaquin Valley, California in the United States. Discovered in 1894, and having a cumulative production of close to of oil at the end of 2006, it is the largest oil field in California and the third largest in the United States....
in southwestern Kern County (which has 11,145). Also adjacent is the huge Kern Front Oil Field
Kern Front Oil Field
The Kern Front Oil Field is a large oil and gas field in the lower Sierra Nevada foothills in Kern County, California. Discovered in 1912, and with a cumulative production of around of oil, it ranks 29th in size in the state, and is believed to retain approximately ten percent of its original oil...
, north of town, and the smaller Fruitvale Oil Field
Fruitvale Oil Field
The Fruitvale Oil Field is a large oil and gas field in the southern San Joaquin Valley, California, within and just northwest of the city of Bakersfield, along and north of the Kern River. It is one of the few oil fields in the California Central Valley which is mostly surrounded by a heavily...
, to the southwest.
History
Oildale was founded in 1909 when Samuel Dickinson subdivided his land. The first post office opened at Oildale in 1916. Most of the original U-2Lockheed U-2
The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed "Dragon Lady", is a single-engine, very high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the United States Air Force and previously flown by the Central Intelligence Agency . It provides day and night, very high-altitude , all-weather intelligence gathering...
spy planes flown out of Groom Lake
Area 51
Area 51 is a military base, and a remote detachment of Edwards Air Force Base. It is located in the southern portion of Nevada in the western United States, 83 miles north-northwest of downtown Las Vegas. Situated at its center, on the southern shore of Groom Lake, is a large military airfield...
were built at a secret factory in Oildale disguised as a tire factory. The K.K.K was very prominent in Oildale in the early '60s, oftentimes parading down North Chester Avenue.
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Oildale had a population of 32,684. 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 5,003.2 people per square mile (1,931.8/km²). The racial makeup of Oildale was 27,463 (84.0%) White, 255 (0.8%) African American, 590 (1.8%) Native American, 316 (1.0%) Asian, 30 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 2,635 (8.1%) 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 1,395 (4.3%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6,301 persons (19.3%).
The Census reported that 32,636 people (99.9% of the population) lived in households, 48 (0.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 12,023 households, out of which 4,775 (39.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 4,476 (37.2%) 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, 2,372 (19.7%) had a female householder with no husband present, 1,078 (9.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,322 (11.0%) 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 132 (1.1%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 3,099 households (25.8%) were made up of individuals and 1,062 (8.8%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71. There were 7,926 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...
(65.9% of all households); the average family size was 3.23.
The population was spread out with 9,426 people (28.8%) under the age of 18, 3,627 people (11.1%) aged 18 to 24, 8,810 people (27.0%) aged 25 to 44, 7,561 people (23.1%) aged 45 to 64, and 3,260 people (10.0%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31.4 years. For every 100 females there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males.
There were 13,555 housing units at an average density of 2,075.0 per square mile (801.2/km²), of which 5,211 (43.3%) were owner-occupied, and 6,812 (56.7%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 4.0%; the rental vacancy rate was 10.5%. 13,576 people (41.5% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 19,060 people (58.3%) lived in rental housing units.
2000
According to 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 were 27,885 people, 10,983 households, and 7,084 families residing in the CDP. 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 4,332.3 people per square mile (1,671.8/km²). There were 11,952 housing units at an average density of 1,856.9 per square mile (716.6/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 88.99% White
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...
, 0.34% Black
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...
or African American
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...
, 2.19% Native American
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...
, 0.33% Asian
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...
, 0.06% Pacific Islander
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...
, 4.79% 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 3.29% from two or more races. 10.14% of the population were Hispanic
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...
or Latino
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...
of any race.
There were 10,983 households out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.1% were 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, 17.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.11.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 29.5% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $27,041, and the median income for a family was $32,397. Males had a median income of $31,514 versus $21,715 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...
for the CDP was $13,342. About 17.2% of families and 20.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.1% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people from Oildale
- Merle HaggardMerle HaggardMerle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, fiddler, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies,...
- Country music artist - Buck OwensBuck OwensAlvis Edgar Owens, Jr. , better known as Buck Owens, was an American singer and guitarist who had 21 No. 1 hits on the Billboard country music charts with his band, the Buckaroos...
- Country music artist - Kevin HarvickKevin HarvickKevin Michael Harvick is an American stock car auto racing race car driver and car owner currently competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Richard Childress Racing, driving the No. 29 Budweiser/Jimmy John's/Rheem/Okuma/Realtree Outdoors/Bad Boy Buggies Chevrolet Impala...
- NASCAR Driver - Gerald HaslamGerald HaslamGerald William Haslam is the author credited with having created an awareness of "the other California" , the state's untrendy small town and rural reaches...
- Author