Palermo is a

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 Butte 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 5,382 at the 2010 census, down from 5,720 at the 2000 census.

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 th ...

, the CDP has a total area of , of which, 99.95% of it is land and 0.05% is water.

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, nota ...

system, Palermo 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 ...

, abbreviated "Csa" on climate maps.

History

The town was named after

Palermo, Sicily Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The city is noted for its hi ...

due to its excellent climate for growing

olives The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' 'M ...

. The first post office was established in 1888. The area was home to a country club, two railroad stations, gold mining, a brick yard, library, general mercantile store, school and even a semi-pro baseball team. The rich clay soil attracted the planting of

olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ' ...

and orange orchards and a thriving zucca melon industry. Mining magnate

George Hearst George Hearst (September 3, 1820 – February 28, 1891) was an American businessman, miner, and politician. After growing up on a small farm in Missouri, he founded many mining operations, and is known for developing and expanding the Hom ...

purchased 700 acres in 1888, and then subdivided. There is an annual festival held every September centered at Palermo Park to help raise funds to support the Palermo Community Council's Sheriff Substation.

Demographics

2010

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 serving ...

reported that Palermo had a population of 5,382. The population density was . The racial makeup of Palermo was 3,901 (72.5%)

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 ...

, 39 (0.7%)

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 ...

, 221 (4.1%) Native American, 246 (4.6%) Asian, 4 (0.1%)

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 ...

, 642 (11.9%) 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 329 (6.1%) 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 for ...

or Latino of any race were 1,281 persons (23.8%). The Census reported that 5,382 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized. There were 1,940 households, out of which 635 (32.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,023 (52.7%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 212 (10.9%) had a female householder with no husband present, 167 (8.6%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 141 (7.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 7 (0.4%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 416 households (21.4%) were made up of individuals, and 184 (9.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77. There were 1,402 families (72.3% of all households); the average family size was 3.18. The population was spread out, with 1,310 people (24.3%) under the age of 18, 463 people (8.6%) aged 18 to 24, 1,157 people (21.5%) aged 25 to 44, 1,487 people (27.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 965 people (17.9%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.0 males. There were 2,102 housing units at an average density of , of which 1,940 were occupied, of which 1,480 (76.3%) were owner-occupied, and 460 (23.7%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 8.0%. 4,049 people (75.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 1,333 people (24.8%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2000, there were 5,720 people, 1,989 households, and 1,501 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 2,165 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 77.99%

, 0.58%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

, 5.89% Native American, 2.40% Asian, 0.12%

, 7.87% from

, and 5.16% from two or more races. 15.59% of the population were

or Latino of any race. There were 1,989 households, out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.2% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.5% were non-families. 19.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.27. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 28.3% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.6 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $30,588, and the median income for a family was $35,250. Males had a median income of $31,135 versus $19,950 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the CDP was $15,206. About 19.3% of families and 25.6% 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 ...

, including 41.2% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over. The vast majority of high school students who live in Palermo go to

Las Plumas High School Las Plumas High School (LP) is located in the north valley in Oroville, California, United States, about 70 miles north of Sacramento. The school was established in the autumn of 1961. The class of 1965 was the first class to go from freshmen to ...

References

External links

Palermo Community Website
{{authority control Census-designated places in Butte County, California Census-designated places in California