Seeley 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 counte ...
(CDP) in
Imperial County,
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
. Seeley is located west of
El Centro.
The population was 1,823 at the 2010 census, up from 1,624 in 2000. It is part of the
El Centro Metropolitan Area.
History

The first post office at Seeley was opened in 1909.
The name honors Henry Seeley, an early developer of Imperial County.
Seeley is one of the oldest established communities in Imperial County, tracing its history back to the early years of the 20th century. It succeeded the town of
Silsbee, which was originally established as a stage stop on the shores of the now drained Blue Lake. When irrigation channels from the
Colorado River
The Colorado River () is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The river, the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), 5th longest in the United St ...
overflowed and flooded the basin of the
Salton Sea
The Salton Sea is a shallow, landlocked, highly salinity, saline endorheic lake in Riverside County, California, Riverside and Imperial County, California, Imperial counties in Southern California. It lies on the San Andreas Fault within the S ...
between 1905 and 1907, the townsite of Silsbee was flooded and abandoned, and the new town of Seeley was established a few miles north.
NAF El Centro, the winter home of the
Blue Angels
The Blue Angels, formally named the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, are a Aerobatics, flight demonstration squadron of the United States Navy.. Blue Angels official site. Formed in 1946, the unit is the second oldest formal aerobatics ...
, was built adjacent to Seeley in 1946. In 1964,
Interstate 8 was run a mile south of Seeley, marking the lowest elevation on the
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, or the Eisenhower Interstate System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Hi ...
at -52 feet.
Geography
Bordered on the west by the
New River, Seeley sits astride the
Imperial Fault and above what was once the basin of the "Blue Lake". Like much of the
Imperial Valley
The Imperial Valley ( or ''Valle Imperial'') of Southern California lies in Imperial and Riverside counties, with an urban area centered on the city of El Centro. The Valley is bordered by the Colorado River to the east and, in part, the S ...
, Seeley lies entirely below sea level.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the CDP has a total area of , of which is land and (1.9%) is water.
Climate
This area has a large amount of sunshine year-round due to its stable descending air and high pressure. According to the
Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
system, Seeley has a
desert climate
The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk'') is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...
, abbreviated "Bwh" on climate maps.
Demographics
2020
The
2020 United States census reported that Seeley had a population of 1,729. The population density was . The racial makeup of Seeley was 415 (24.0%)
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 36 (2.1%)
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 31 (1.8%)
Native American, 20 (1.2%)
Asian, 0 (0.0%)
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 765 (44.2%) from
other races, and 462 (26.7%) from two or more races.
Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,533 persons (88.7%).
The whole population lived in households. There were 514 households, out of which 205 (39.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 267 (51.9%) were married-couple households, 25 (4.9%) were
cohabiting couple households, 141 (27.4%) had a female householder with no partner present, and 81 (15.8%) had a male householder with no partner present. 89 households (17.3%) were one person, and 42 (8.2%) were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.36.
[ There were 402 ]families
Family (from ) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictability, structure, and safety as ...
(78.2% of all households).
The age distribution was 487 people (28.2%) under the age of 18, 179 people (10.4%) aged 18 to 24, 395 people (22.8%) aged 25 to 44, 434 people (25.1%) aged 45 to 64, and 234 people (13.5%) who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 33.2years. For every 100 females, there were 94.9 males.[
There were 539 housing units at an average density of , of which 514 (95.4%) were occupied. Of these, 242 (47.1%) were owner-occupied, and 272 (52.9%) were occupied by renters.][
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $56,917, and the ]per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
was $21,579. About 19.6% of families and 23.0% of the population were below the poverty line.
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Seeley had a population of 1,823. The population density was . The racial makeup of Seeley was 746 (42.9%) White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 19 (1.1%) African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 7 (0.4%) Native American, 21 (1.2%) Asian, 2 (0.1%) Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 793 (45.6%) from other races, and 151 (8.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 1,489 persons (85.6%).
The Census reported that 1,823 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 493 households, out of which 276 (56.0%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 268 (54.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 114 (23.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 28 (5.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 40 (8.1%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 2 (0.4%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 66 households (13.4%) were made up of individuals, and 27 (5.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.53. There were 410 families
Family (from ) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictability, structure, and safety as ...
(83.2% of all households); the average family size was 3.83.
The population was spread out, with 577 people (33.2%) under the age of 18, 195 people (11.2%) aged 18 to 24, 421 people (24.2%) aged 25 to 44, 373 people (21.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 173 people (9.9%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.3 males.
There were 556 housing units at an average density of , of which 49e were occupied, of which 246 (49.9%) were owner-occupied, and 247 (50.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 5.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 10.5%. 892 people (51.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 847 people (48.7%) lived in rental housing units.
Politics
In the state legislature, Seeley is in , and .
Federally, Seeley is in .
Infrastructure
Seeley County Water District, a special district, provides water and sewer service to Seeley.
California Historical Landmark
Near Seeley is California Historical Landmark
A California Historical Landmark (CHL) is a building, structure, site, or place in the U.S. state of California that has been determined to have statewide historical landmark significance.
Criteria
Historical significance is determined by meetin ...
number 1008, Yuha Well. Juan Bautista de Anza
Juan Bautista de Anza Bezerra Nieto (July 6 or 7, 1736 – December 19, 1788) was a Novohispanic/Mexican expeditionary leader, military officer, and politician primarily in California and New Mexico under the Spanish Empire. He is credited as on ...
visited the well on March 8, 1774.National Park Service Yuha Well
/ref>
The California Historical Landmark marker reads:
See also
* San Diego–Imperial, California
* El Centro Metropolitan Area
* California Historical Landmarks in Imperial County
* Spanish missions in Arizona
Beginning in the 16th century Spain established missions throughout New Spain (consisting of Mexico and portions of what today are the Southwestern United States) in order to facilitate colonization of these lands.
History Early Franciscan mis ...
*Spanish missions in the Sonoran Desert
The Spanish missions in the Sonoran Desert () are a series of Jesuit Catholic religious outposts established by the Spain, Spanish Roman Catholic, Catholic Society of Jesus, Jesuits and other orders for religious conversions of the Pima people, P ...
* Spanish missions in Baja California
*California Historical Landmark
A California Historical Landmark (CHL) is a building, structure, site, or place in the U.S. state of California that has been determined to have statewide historical landmark significance.
Criteria
Historical significance is determined by meetin ...
References
{{authority control
Census-designated places in Imperial County, California
El Centro metropolitan area
Imperial Valley
Populated places in the Colorado Desert
Census-designated places in California