Oceano (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

: ''Océano'', meaning "Ocean") is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the count ...

(CDP) in

San Luis Obispo County San Luis Obispo County (), officially the County of San Luis Obispo, is a county on the Central Coast of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 282,424. The county seat is San Luis Obispo. Junípero Serra founded the Miss ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. The population was 7,286 at the 2010 census, up from 7,260 at the 2000 census.

Geography

Oceano is located at (35.102680, -120.611471). Oceano is part of the 5 Cities Metropolitan Area. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, the CDP has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it (0.98%) is water. Oceano's

beach A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc sh ...

is the

Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area Oceano (Spanish: ''Océano'', meaning "Ocean") is a census-designated place (CDP) in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. The population was 7,286 at the 2010 census, up from 7,260 at the 2000 census. Geography Oceano is located a ...

, a coastal sand dune. As the only state park in

where visitors may drive

vehicle A vehicle (from la, vehiculum) is a machine that transports people or cargo. Vehicles include wagons, bicycles, motor vehicles (motorcycles, cars, trucks, buses, mobility scooters for disabled people), railed vehicles (trains, trams), ...

s on the beach, tourists are attracted from all over the United States. Activities on this beach include riding the sand dunes on all-terrain-vehicles, swimming, clamming, camping, surfing, surf fishing, hiking, and bird watching.

Demographics

2010

At the 2010 census Oceano had a population of 7,286. The population density was . The ethnic makeup of Oceano was 5,105 (70.1%) White, 62 (0.9%) African American, 120 (1.6%) Native American, 165 (2.3%) Asian, 7 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 1,509 (20.7%) from other races, and 318 (4.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3,484 persons (47.8%). The whole population lived in households, no one lived in non-institutionalized group quarters and no one was institutionalized. There were 2,603 households, 904 (34.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,147 (44.1%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 360 (13.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 197 (7.6%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 197 (7.6%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 38 (1.5%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 680 households (26.1%) were one person and 266 (10.2%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.80. There were 1,704 families (65.5% of households); the average family size was 3.39. The population was spread out, with 1,738 people (23.9%) under the age of 18, 747 people (10.3%) aged 18 to 24, 2,028 people (27.8%) aged 25 to 44, 1,870 people (25.7%) aged 45 to 64, and 903 people (12.4%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 35.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.7 males. There were 3,117 housing units at an average density of 2,015.1 per square mile, of the occupied units 1,355 (52.1%) were owner-occupied and 1,248 (47.9%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.9%. 3,444 people (47.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 3,842 people (52.7%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

At the 2000 census there were 7,260 people, 2,447 households, and 1,722 families in the CDP. The population density was . There were 2,762 housing units at an average density of . The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the CDP was 68.73% White, 1.12% African American, 1.29% Native American, 1.80% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 21.78% from other races, and 5.25% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 44.63%. Of the 2,447 households, 38.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% were non-families. 23.0% of households were one person, and 9.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.96 and the average family size was 3.50. The age distribution was 29.5% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% 65 or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.3 males. The median household income was $38,014 and the median family income was $39,254. Males had a median income of $28,180 versus $21,310 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $16,561. About 14.1% of families and 16.3% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 22.0% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.

History

The environs of Oceano were the home of "Halcyon," a utopian religious community established in 1903 by the

theosophical Theosophy is a religion established in the United States during the late 19th century. It was founded primarily by the Russian Helena Blavatsky and draws its teachings predominantly from Blavatsky's writings. Categorized by scholars of religion a ...

Temple of the People A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

, based in Syracuse, New York.Amy M. Hay, Review of Paul Eli Ivey's ''Radiance from Halcyon,'' ''Journal of American History,'' vol. 101, no. 1 (June 2014), pp. 283-284. The group, which believed in channeling unseen electromagnetic forces in an effort to attain human perfection, constructed a number of buildings in association with their colonizing effort, including the Blue Star Memorial Temple and the Halcyon Hotel and Sanatorium. In 1948, Oceano, was the site of the founding by

Catherine Nimmo Catherine T. Nimmo (22 September 1887 – 22 January 1985) was an American chiropractor, naturopath and vegan activist. Biography Nimmo was born in Rotterdam, Netherlands.Austin, Linda; Hammond, Norm. (2010). ''Oceano''. Arcadia Publishing. p. ...

(a registered nurse and

Doctor of Chiropractic Chiropractic education trains students in chiropractic. The entry criteria, structure, teaching methodology and nature of chiropractic programs offered at chiropractic schools vary considerably around the world. Students are trained in academic ar ...

who had recently moved there from the Netherlands) and Rubin Abramowitz (an engineer) of the U.S. Vegan Society, the first

vegan Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal product—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan. ...

society in the United States. The Society lasted from 1948–1960 and was a predecessor to the

American Vegan Society The American Vegan Society (AVS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that promotes veganism in the United States. It was founded in 1960 by H. Jay Dinshah. The date of the earlier The Vegan Society (UK)'s founding, November 1, is now cele ...

Culture

*The Great American Melodrama

performs original plays nightly in Oceano. *Irish poet and Celtic mythologist

Ella Young Ella Young (26 December 1867 – 23 July 1956) was an Irish poet and Celtic mythologist active in the Gaelic and Celtic Revival literary movement of the late 19th and early 20th century. Born in Ireland, Young was an author of poetry and c ...

's final years were spent in Oceano (she died there in 1956).

Government

Th
Oceano Community Services District
provides the following services: fire and emergency, water, wastewater collection, solid waste, parks and recreation, and limited street lighting. As an unincorporated town in San Luis Obispo County, Oceano is in th
Board of Supervisors
4th District. In the state legislature Oceano is in , and in . In the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

, Oceano is in .

Footnotes

External links

Oceano Dunes State Vehicle Recreation Area - Dune Guide
{{authority control Populated coastal places in California Census-designated places in San Luis Obispo County, California Census-designated places in California