census designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a 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 counterparts of incorporated places, suc ...
(CDP) in
Shasta County
Shasta County (), officially the County of Shasta, is a county in the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its population is 182,155 as of the 2020 census, up from 177,223 from the 2010 census. The county seat is Redding.
Shasta ...
,
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 ...
. Hat Creek is situated at an elevation of 3,422 feet (1,043 m). Its population is 266 as of the 2020 census, down from 309 from the 2010 census.
Hat Creek is located 26 miles (42 km) north of Lassen Park, 13 miles (21 km) southeast of Burney (9 miles (14 km) south of the junction of hwy 89 and 299), and 15 miles (24 km) south of Burney Falls. Its zip code is 96040. Wired telephone numbers are from the Burney central office and follow the pattern 530-335-xxxx. Hat Creek is home to the Hat Creek Radio Observatory, run by
SETI Institute
The SETI Institute is a not-for-profit research organization incorporated in 1984 whose mission is to explore, understand, and explain the origin and nature of life in the universe, and to use this knowledge to inspire and guide present and futu ...
.
The town's main economies are tourism, fishing, camping, and lodging. It's a travel hot spot in Shasta County, about 70 miles (110 km) east of Redding, California and about the same distance to Susanville, California.
In 2021 the town was threatened by the Dixie Fire.
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 CDP covers an area of 50.2 square miles (130.0 km2), 99.66% of it land and 0.34% of it water.
Climate
Hat Creek has a
warm-summer Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
(Csb) 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.
Demographics
The
2010 United States Census
The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servi ...
reported that Hat Creek had a population of 309. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...
was 6.2 people per square mile (2.4/km2). The racial makeup of Hat Creek was 239 (77.3%)
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 4 (1.3%)
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 9 (2.9%) from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 6 (1.9%) from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 20 persons (6.5%).
The Census reported that 301 people (97.4% of the population) lived in households, 8 (2.6%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 133 households, out of which 31 (23.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 75 (56.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 11 (8.3%) had a female householder with no husband present, 3 (2.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 6 (4.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 1 (0.8%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 38 households (28.6%) were made up of individuals, and 17 (12.8%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26. There were 89
families
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideal ...
(66.9% of all households); the average family size was 2.79.
The population was spread out, with 59 people (19.1%) under the age of 18, 21 people (6.8%) aged 18 to 24, 55 people (17.8%) aged 25 to 44, 110 people (35.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 64 people (20.7%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 51.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.9 males.
There were 194 housing units at an average density of 3.9 per square mile (1.5/km2), of which 93 (69.9%) were owner-occupied, and 40 (30.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.8%. 199 people (64.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 102 people (33.0%) lived in rental housing units.
Politics
In the state legislature Hat Creek is in , and .
Federally, Hat Creek is in .