Arvin is a city in

Kern County, California Kern County is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 909,235. Its county seat is Bakersfield. Kern County comprises the Bakersfield, California, Metropolitan statistical area. The county s ...

. Arvin is located southeast of Bakersfield, at an elevation of . As of the 2010 census, the population was 19,304, up from 12,956 at the 2000 census. In 2007, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) listed Arvin as having the highest levels of smog of any community in the United States. The city's level of ozone, smog's primary component, exceeded the EPA's acceptable limits on an average of 73 days per year between 2004 and 2006. Wired

telephone number A telephone number is a sequence of digits assigned to a landline telephone subscriber station connected to a telephone line or to a wireless electronic telephony device, such as a radio telephone or a mobile telephone, or to other devices f ...

s in Arvin follow the format (661) 854-xxxx or (661) 855-xxxx and the ZIP Code is 93203.

History

Property sales of lots in present-day Arvin began in 1906. The Arvin Post Office was established in 1914 and the community incorporated as a city in 1960. The city was named after Arvin Richardson, who was the son of one of the original settling families from

San Bernardino San Bernardino (; Spanish for "Saint Bernardino") is a city and county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a population of 222,101 in the 2020 cen ...

. Birdie Heard petitioned for the addition of the post office in 1914 and submitted proposed names, including Bear Mountain, Walnut, and Arvin. Officials in Washington, D.C., chose Arvin as it was the only proposed name which was not already in use in California. Birdie was the city's first postmaster. She initially set up the post office in her living room, but it was later moved to the general store owned by the Staples family. The in-store post office was also the area's first informal library until an official branch of the Kern County Library system was established in 1927. Pedro Subia, a Mexican striker in the California agricultural strikes of 1933, was murdered at a strike in Arvin. The Mountain View Oil Field, which underlies the town and much of the surrounding area, was discovered in 1933 and developed extensively in the 1930s. Many oil wells still surround the town; some are slant-drilled to reach formations directly underneath inhabited areas.John F. Matthews, Jr. ''Arvin and Vaccaro Areas of Mountain View Oil Field: California Division of Oil and Gas, Summary of Operations''. 1961. Vol. 47 No. 1. 5-6 In the 1930s and 1940s the area east of Arvin became popular for recreational gliding and soaring, and the hillsides of the Tejon Ranch were used annually for a Western Soaring Championship in the spring. These significant events were later memorialized as a

National Landmark of Soaring The National Landmark of Soaring program acknowledges people, places and events significant in the history of gliders and motorless aviation in the United States. It is administered by the National Soaring Museum The National Soaring Museum (NSM) ...

by the National Soaring Museum in 2000. The ''Arvin Tiller'' started publication in 1939 and Arvin High School was built in 1949. The city was nearly destroyed on July 21, 1952, during the M7.3 Kern County earthquake (a rupture of the

White Wolf Fault The White Wolf Fault is a fault in southern California, located along the northwestern transition of the Tejon Hills and Tehachapi Mountains with the San Joaquin Valley. It is north of the intersection of the San Andreas Fault and the Garlock F ...

). Arvin suffered further damage on December 20, 1977, when a

dust storm A dust storm, also called a sandstorm, is a meteorological phenomenon common in arid and semi-arid regions. Dust storms arise when a gust front or other strong wind blows loose sand and dirt from a dry surface. Fine particles are transp ...

hit the area. The Arvin Migratory Labor Camp was the first federally operated farm labor camp opened by the Farm Security Administration in 1937, one of many New Deal programs created during the presidency of

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

to respond to the Great Depression. This agricultural camp was considered a model, and was built by the

Resettlement Administration The Resettlement Administration (RA) was a New Deal U.S. federal agency created May 1, 1935. It relocated struggling urban and rural families to communities planned by the federal government. On September 1, 1937, it was succeeded by the Farm S ...

Geography

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 city has a total area of , all of it land.

Climate

According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system, Arvin has a

semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of sem ...

, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.

Demographics

2010

At the 2010 census Arvin had a population of 19,304. The population density was . The racial makeup of Arvin was 10,247 (53.1%) White, 192 (1.0%) African American, 240 (1.2%) Native American, 155 (0.8%) Asian, 6 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 7,655 (39.7%) from other races, and 809 (4.2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17,892 persons (92.7%). The census reported that 18,955 people (98.2% of the population) lived in households, 281 (1.5%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 68 (0.4%) were institutionalized. There were 4,228 households, 3,024 (71.5%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 2,803 (66.3%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 646 (15.3%) had a female householder with no husband present, 355 (8.4%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 291 (6.9%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 24 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 303 households (7.2%) were one person and 125 (3.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 4.48. There were 3,804 families (90.0% of households); the average family size was 4.59. The age distribution was 7,422 people (38.4%) under the age of 18, 2,539 people (13.2%) aged 18 to 24, 5,399 people (28.0%) aged 25 to 44, 2,958 people (15.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 986 people (5.1%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 24.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 108.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.5 males. There were 4,476 housing units at an average density of 928.8 per square mile, of the occupied units 2,261 (53.5%) were owner-occupied and 1,967 (46.5%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.8%. 10,487 people (54.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 8,468 people (43.9%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

As of the census of 2000, there were 12,956 people in 3,010 households, including 2,645 families, in the city. The population density was . There were 3,145 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 city was 45.04% White, 1.08% Black or African American, 1.46% Native American, 1.10% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 46.55% from other races, and 4.65% from two or more races. 87.53% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 3,010 households 63.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.7% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 12.1% were non-families. 9.5% of households were one person and 5.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 4.28 and the average family size was 4.51. The age distribution was 40.0% under the age of 18, 12.8% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 12.5% from 45 to 64, and 5.8% 65 or older. The median age was 23 years. For every 100 females, there were 111.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.3 males. The median

income Income is the consumption and saving opportunity gained by an entity within a specified timeframe, which is generally expressed in monetary terms. Income is difficult to define conceptually and the definition may be different across fields. Fo ...

for a household in the city was $23,674, and the median family income was $24,816. Males had a median income of $20,506 versus $17,684 for females. The per capita income for the city was $7,408. About 30.9% of families and 32.6% 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 37.6% of those under age 18 and 23.1% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

The economy of Arvin is primarily based on agriculture, and as such the employment statistics show seasonal variation. In March 2011, 41.9 percent of Arvin's residents were out of work, the highest of any city in Kern County.

Cannabis

In 2018, voters in Arvin passed a measure to license and tax marijuana after the legalization of the sale and distribution of cannabis in California was legalized. The measure set a 6% tax on cannabis sales and a tax of up to $6 per square foot per year on cultivation. The city issued its first license to a delivery service in June 2020. This was the first legal cannabis business in Kern County as similar measures have failed in other jurisdictions. Companies must be licensed by the local agency and the state to grow, test, or sell cannabis and each city or county may authorize none or only some of these activities. Local governments may not prohibit adults who are in compliance with state laws from growing, using, or transporting marijuana for personal use.

Education

The city of Arvin is served by the Arvin Union School District and the Kern High School District. Other nearby districts include Di Giorgio School District, Vineland School District, and the Lamont School District. The Arvin Union School District consists of Sierra Vista Elementary School, Bear Mountain Elementary School, El Camino Real Elementary School, Haven Drive Middle School, and Arvin State Preschool. The land for the Haven Drive campus was acquired in 1943. Sierra Vista and Haven Drive are the two oldest schools in Arvin. The district serves preschool to eighth grade students. The Arvin Union School District also serves the community with the Arvin Family Resource Center. The Kern High School District serves grades 9–12 in Arvin. It operates Arvin High School, which also services students from the surrounding rural areas and the nearby town of

Lamont Lamont or LaMont may refer to: People *Lamont (name), people with the surname or given name ''Lamont'' or ''LaMont'' * Clan Lamont, a Scottish clan Places Canada *Lamont, Alberta, a town in Canada * Lamont County, a municipal district in Albert ...

Public safety

The city of Arvin has its own police department. In January 2008, the city purchased six hybrid police vehicles with a grant by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. The city also purchased six hybrid SUVs in December 2008 with a grant by the San Joaquin Valley Air Quality District. Station 54 of the

Kern County Fire Department The Kern County Fire Department (KCFD) provides fire protection and emergency response services for the unincorporated areas of Kern County, California, and for multiple cities within the county. The department covers an area which spans over . I ...

is responsible for fire prevention services.

Crime statistics

2010 *

Population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...

: 15,410 *

Violent crime A violent crime, violent felony, crime of violence or crime of a violent nature is a crime in which an offender or perpetrator uses or threatens to use harmful force upon a victim. This entails both crimes in which the violent act is the objecti ...

: 187 * Murder and non-negligent manslaughter: 10 * Forcible rape: 1 * Robbery: 19 * Aggravated assault: 167 *

Property crime Property crime is a category of crime, usually involving private property, that includes, among other crimes, burglary, larceny, theft, motor vehicle theft, arson, shoplifting, and vandalism. Property crime is a crime to obtain money, property, o ...

: 500 * Burglary: 186 *

Larceny Larceny is a crime involving the unlawful taking or theft of the personal property of another person or business. It was an offence under the common law of England and became an offence in jurisdictions which incorporated the common law of Eng ...

: 232 * Motor vehicle theft: 82 * Arson: 14

Full-time law enforcement employees