Tomales 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) on
State Route 1 in
Marin County,
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 population was 187 at the 2020 census.
Geography
Tomales is located above Keys Creek, about northeast of
Tomales Bay
Tomales Bay is a long, narrow inlet of the Pacific Ocean in Marin County in northern California in the United States. It is approximately long and averages nearly wide, effectively separating the Point Reyes Peninsula from the mainland of Mar ...
. The nearest city is
Petaluma
Petaluma (Miwok: ''Péta Lúuma'') is a city in Sonoma County, California, located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. Its population was 59,776 according to the 2020 census.
Petaluma's name comes from the Miwok village nam ...
, to the east by road, and the nearest large city is
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
, about 75 minutes () to the south.
The CDP has a total area of , all of it land.
History
When Europeans first reached Tomales Bay, it was home to
Coast Miwok
Coast Miwok are an indigenous people that was the second-largest group of Miwok people. Coast Miwok inhabited the general area of modern Marin County and southern Sonoma County in Northern California, from the Golden Gate north to Duncans Poi ...
people. Numerous authenticated Miwok villages are known from this area, including one (named ''Utumia'') sited near the present-day town of Tomales.
The "Tomalles" post office opened in 1854, and changed its spelling to "Tomales" before 1879.
Starting in the 1870s, Tomales was a stop on the
North Pacific Coast Railroad
The North Pacific Coast Railroad (NPC) was a common carrier narrow-gauge steam railroad begun in 1874 and sold in 1902 to new owners who renamed it the North Shore Railroad (California) (NSR) and which rebuilt the southern section into a standa ...
connecting
Cazadero to the
Sausalito
Sausalito (Spanish for "small willow grove") is a city in Marin County, California, United States, located southeast of Marin City, south-southeast of San Rafael, and about north of San Francisco from the Golden Gate Bridge.
Sausalito's ...
ferry.
Built near the
San Andreas Fault
The San Andreas Fault is a continental transform fault that extends roughly through California. It forms the tectonic boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate, and its motion is right-lateral strike-slip (horizonta ...
, Tomales was affected by the
1906 San Francisco earthquake. One of the town's two cemeteries predates the earthquake, and the damage to the pre-1906 plots shows just how widespread the quake's effects were.
Demographics
2010
At the
2010 census Tomales had a population of 204. The population density was . 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 94.6% White, 1.5% Native American, 2.0% Asian, and 2.0% from two or more races. 4.4% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.
The census reported that 100% of the population lived in households.
There were 99 households, 13 (13.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 47 (47.5%) were
opposite-sex married couples living together, 9 (9.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 2 (2.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 10 (10.1%)
unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 1 (1.0%)
same-sex married couple or partnership. 32 households (32.3%) were one person and 6 (6.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.06. There were 58 families (58.6% of households); the average family size was 2.55.
The age distribution was 22 people (10.8%) under the age of 18, 12 people (5.9%) aged 18 to 24, 43 people (21.1%) aged 25 to 44, 93 people (45.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 34 people (16.7%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 50.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.2 males.
There were 122 housing units at an average density of , of which 59.6% were owner-occupied and 40.4% were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.0%. 61.8% of the population lived in owner-occupied housing units and 38.2% lived in rental housing units.
2000
![General store and post office in Tomales](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/General_store_and_post_office_in_Tomales.jpg)
At the
2000 census there were 210 people, 73 households, and 41 families in the CDP. The population density was 670/sq mi (262/km). There were 85 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 in 2010 was 90.2% non-Hispanic White, 1.5% Native American, 2.0% Asian, and 2.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.4%.
Of the 73 households 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.0% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.8% were non-families. 28.8% of households were one person and 6.8% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.10.
The age distribution was 22.4% under the age of 18, 3.8% from 18 to 24, 21.4% from 25 to 44, 41.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% 65 or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.4 males.
The median household income was $51,953 and the median family income was $52,708. Males had a median income of $41,607 versus $46,389 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $26,609. None of the families and 14.3% of the population were living 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 no under eighteens and 14.3% of those over 64.
Education
Shoreline Unified School District operates Tomales Elementary School and
Tomales High School. The high school is the largest employer in Tomales and has a student body of approximately 190 from northwest Marin County and southwest Sonoma County.
In popular culture
Much of the 2001 movie ''
Bandits'' was filmed in and around Tomales, as were the opening shots of ''
Mumford'' (1999), and parts of ''
Scream
Scream may refer to:
*Screaming, a loud vocalization
Amusement rides
* Scream (Heide Park), a gyro drop tower in Soltau, Germany
* Scream! (ride), a tower ride at Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Six Flags New England
* Scream! (roller coaster), at ...
'' (1996), and ''
Village of the Damned'' (1995).
John Carpenter website
References
External links
Tomales website
{{authority control
Census-designated places in Marin County, California
West Marin
Census-designated places in California