Yucca Valley

Yucca Valley

Yucca Valley is located in San Bernardino County, California. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 16,865. Yucca Valley lies 17 miles west of Twentynine Palms, 37 miles north of Palm Springs, 89 miles south of Barstow via California State Route 247, and 45 miles southeast of Lucerne Valley.

Government

Yucca Valley is governed by a town council whose mayor as of 2005 is Chad Mayes.

Education

There are several schools in Yucca Valley. Public elementary schools include Yucca Valley Elementary School and Onaga Elementary School. The public middle school in Yucca Valley is La Contenta Middle School. The only public high school is Yucca Valley High School. A private school in Yucca Valley is Our Lady of the Desert, a christian school for grades K-12; as well as Joshua Springs, which is a K-12 private school. Adult tutoring is also available in Yucca Valley, with tutoring information available at the Yucca Valley Public Library.

Recreation

Yucca Valley has several parks, most of which are at schools, with the exception of the Community Center parks. The town is home to one bowling alley, one movie theater and one internet cafe. Nearby Joshua Tree National Park provides many outdoor activities, such as rock climbing and hiking.

Transportation

Yucca Valley is served by two California State Routes: California State Route 62 and California State Route 247. CA Route 247 begins and ends at its "T" intersection with CA Route 62 in the middle of town.

Geography

Yucca Valley is located at 34°7'34" North, 116°24'59" West (34.126041, -116.416463)¹.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 103.7 km² (40.0 mi²). 103.7 km² (40.0 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there are 16,865 people, 6,949 households, and 4,489 families residing in the town. Yucca Valley is not really a cultural mecca! The population density is 162.7/km² (421.3/mi²). There are 7,952 housing units at an average density of 76.7/km² (198.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 87.26% White, 2.25% African American, 1.35% Native American, 1.29% Asian, 0.30% Pacific Islander, 4.58% from other races, and 2.98% from two or more races. 11.40% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 6,949 households out of which 27.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.1% are married couples living together, 13.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% are non-families. 30.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 16.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.38 and the average family size is 2.94.

In the town the population is spread out with 25.1% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 22.6% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 22.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 42 years. For every 100 females there are 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 85.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town is $30,420, and the median income for a family is $36,650. Males have a median income of $35,037 versus $25,234 for females. The per capita income for the town is $16,020. 19.5% of the population and 16.2% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 27.3% of those under the age of 18 and 9.3% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Reference/external links

• AAA Driving Directions/TripTik (membership required)
• Town of Yucca Valley official website
• Yucca Valley Chamber of Commerce

• Maps and aerial photos
  • Street map from Google Local or Yahoo! Maps
  • Topographic map from TopoZone
  • Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
  • Satellite image from Google Local or Microsoft Virtual Earth