Fallbrook 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 ...
in northern
San Diego County, California
San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county (United States), county in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of California, north to its Mexico-United States border, border with Mexico. As of the 2020 United States Cen ...
. It had a population of 32,267 at the
2020 census. Fallbrook is immediately east of the
U.S. Marine Corps'
Camp Pendleton
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and is one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the United States. It is on the Southern California coast in San Diego County and is bordered by ...
. It is known for its
avocado
The avocado, alligator pear or avocado pear (''Persea americana'') is an evergreen tree in the laurel family (Lauraceae). It is native to Americas, the Americas and was first domesticated in Mesoamerica more than 5,000 years ago. It was priz ...
groves and calls itself the "Avocado Capital of the World".
History
The community of Fallbrook was first settled by the
Payomkawichum people, later called Luiseños by the Spanish missionaries who were present in the area in the late 1700s. Large village sites and oak groves were established by the Luiseños. One site in particular became the area known today as Live Oak County Park.
The first permanent recorded settlement was during the Mexican period in 1846, when Ysidro Alvarado was granted
Rancho Monserate by then governor of Mexican California,
Pio Pico, who was residing to the west of Fallbrook where Camp Pendleton is currently located. Alvarado and Pico were second-generation Californians and San Diegans and were citizens of Mexico and the United States.
Rancho Monserate, a 13,323-acre grant stretched from the San Luis Rey River and Bonsall to the south to Stagecoach Lane and the Palomares house to the North to Mission Road to the west to Monserate Mountain to the east.
Pio's nephew and local vaquero, Jose Maria Pico, had been residing in the area now known as the Fallbrook High School during the 1860 census and his family had registered to vote in October 1868, in time for the November presidential election, the first election after the Civil War ended.
The first known image of the area was an oil painting done by James Walker in 1870 called ''Roping the Bear at Santa Margarita Rancho'', which depicts Mexican vaqueros capturing a grizzly bear.
Later, Canadian immigrant Vital Reche settled here with his family just north of Alvarado's ranch at the site now known as Live Oak Park. They named the new community Fall Brook after
their former homestead in Pennsylvania.
Oak trees were the original primary trees in Fallbrook.
Incorporation votes occurred in 1981 and 1987, but both votes failed.
On October 21, 2007,
wildfires broke out across San Diego county and other parts of Southern California. By October 23, the Rice Canyon Fire had crossed
Interstate 15
Interstate 15 (I-15) is a major Interstate Highway in the Western United States, running through Southern California and the Intermountain West. I-15 begins near the Mexican border in San Diego County and stretches north to Alberta, Ca ...
and spread into the east area of Fallbrook along Reche Road, prompting a mandatory
evacuation order for all residents. As of October 23, 206 homes, two commercial properties, and forty outbuildings had burned. These figures include over one hundred homes that burned in the Valley Oaks Mobile Home Park and Pala Mesa Village condos.
Geography
The Fallbrook Community Planning Area is approximately . 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 it is land and of it (0.19%) is water.
Native evergreen oak trees are common in the Fallbrook area, and in places form continuous woods (e.g. Live Oak Park area). Chaparral brushland is the other common vegetation type in the area. Avocados and Eucalyptus are the most common introduced tree species in the area.
Climate
Fallbrook has an average year-round temperature of 64 degrees. Due to the prevailing ocean breezes, the humidity is relatively low and constant.
The average daytime high in Fallbrook is 75˚F, although in the summer, temperatures sometimes exceed 90 degrees. Most of the area is frost-free; during the coldest periods the average nighttime temperature is about 43 degrees. Due to its proximity to the ocean, days often start with early morning fog; afternoons can be breezy.
Annual rainfall is roughly and comes mostly between November and April. Rainfall is higher in the surrounding hills, up to . The area is ideal for avocados, strawberries, tomatoes and many other sub-tropical fruits, vegetables, and flowers.
Demographics
2020
The
2020 United States census reported that Fallbrook had a population of 32,267. The population density was . The racial makeup of Fallbrook was 49.4%
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 ...
, 1.6%
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 ...
, 2.5%
Native American, 2.4%
Asian, 0.3%
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 ...
, 25.1% from
other races, and 18.6% from two or more races.
Hispanic or Latino of any race were 49.7% of the population.
The census reported that 98.8% of the population lived in households, 0.8% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.4% were institutionalized.
[
There were 10,445 households, out of which 35.4% included children under the age of 18, 56.2% were married-couple households, 6.8% were cohabiting couple households, 22.7% had a female householder with no partner present, and 14.4% had a male householder with no partner present. 17.9% of households were one person, and 9.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.05.][ There were 7,961 ]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 ...
(76.2% of all households).
The age distribution was 23.6% under the age of 18, 10.1% aged 18 to 24, 24.5% aged 25 to 44, 23.5% aged 45 to 64, and 18.4% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 37.4years. For every 100 females, there were 97.5 males.[
There were 10,866 housing units at an average density of , of which 10,445 (96.1%) were occupied. Of these, 60.7% were owner-occupied, and 39.3% were occupied by renters.][
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that 24.3% of the population were foreign-born. Of all people aged 5 or older, 57.4% spoke only English at home, 39.7% spoke Spanish, 1.1% spoke other ]Indo-European languages
The Indo-European languages are a language family native to the northern Indian subcontinent, most of Europe, and the Iranian plateau with additional native branches found in regions such as Sri Lanka, the Maldives, parts of Central Asia (e. ...
, 1.8% spoke Asian or Pacific Islander languages, and 0.1% spoke other languages. Of those aged 25 or older, 82.7% were high school graduates and 27.3% had a bachelor's degree.
The median household income was $87,293, 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 $34,747. About 10.8% of families and 14.8% of the population were below the poverty line.
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Fallbrook had a population of 30,534. The population density was . The racial makeup of Fallbrook was 20,454 (67.0%) 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 ...
with 49.1% of the population being non-Hispanic whites, 489 (1.6%) 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 ...
, 233 (0.8%) Native American, 592 (1.9%) Asian, 71 (0.2%) 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 ...
, 7,372 (24.1%) from other races, and 1,323 (4.3%) 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 13,800 persons (45.2%).
The Census reported that 30,383 people (99.5% of the population) lived in households, 94 (0.3%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 57 (0.2%) were institutionalized.
There were 9,999 households, out of which 3,929 (39.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 5,953 (59.5%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 1,140 (11.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 577 (5.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 528 (5.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 45 (0.5%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,782 households (17.8%) were made up of individuals, and 870 (8.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.04. There were 7,670 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 ...
(76.7% of all households); the average family size was 3.40.
The age distribution indicated 8,045 people (26.3%) under the age of 18, 3,768 people (12.3%) aged 18 to 24, 7,022 people (23.0%) aged 25 to 44, 7,457 people (24.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 4,242 people (13.9%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.3 males.
There were 10,855 housing units at an average density of , of which 5,921 (59.2%) were owner-occupied, and 4,078 (40.8%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.4%; the rental vacancy rate was 8.5%. 17,274 people (56.6% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 13,109 people (42.9%) lived in rental housing units.
Government
In the California State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the bicameral state legislature of the U.S. state of California, consisting of the California State Assembly (lower house with 80 members) and the California State Senate (upper house with 40 members). ...
, Fallbrook is in , and in .
In the United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
, Fallbrook is in and in . Fallbrook has several Special Districts, including the Fallbrook Regional Health District, which are governed by elected members of the community.
Education
* Fallbrook Union High School
* Fallbrook Elementary School District
* Bonsall Unified School District
Media
Filming location
Part of the 1928 film '' The Mating Call'' was filmed in Fallbrook. The haunted house from the 2007 film '' Sarah Landon and the Paranormal Hour'' is in Fallbrook. In the 2015 film '' Thane of East County'', one of the filming locations was an apartment building in Fallbrook.
Notable people
Fallbrook is a center for the arts with longtime residents fostering a creative atmosphere and newcomers bringing additional talents to the area. In the 1940s and 1950s it was the home of film director Frank Capra
Frank Russell Capra (born Francesco Rosario Capra; May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-American film director, producer, and screenwriter who was the creative force behind Frank Capra filmography#Films that won Academy Award ...
, who raised olives on his Red Mountain Ranch. He served on the Board of the local water district and produced a short subject film about a water rights controversy with the federal government titled " The Fallbrook Story." In the mid-2000s, Fallbrook gained popularity among Hollywood celebrities. Among those with primary or secondary residences in Fallbrook:
* James Callahan, actor
* Kayla Canett, rugby union
Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...
player and Olympic Bronze Medallist
* Frank Capra
Frank Russell Capra (born Francesco Rosario Capra; May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-American film director, producer, and screenwriter who was the creative force behind Frank Capra filmography#Films that won Academy Award ...
, director
* Richard Carpenter of The Carpenters
* Rita Coolidge, singer
* Michael Curtis, television writer and producer (''Friends
''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane (producer), David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting List of Friends episodes, ten seasons. With an ensemble cast ...
'', '' JONAS'')
* Edward Faulkner
* Rick Founds, Christian songwriter
A songwriter is a person who creates musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music genre and film scoring. ...
, best known for writing " Lord I Lift Your Name On High".
* Rudolph Hass, developer of the Hass avocado
* Tony Hawk
Anthony Frank Hawk (born May 12, 1968), nicknamed Birdman, is an American professional skateboarder, entrepreneur, and the owner of the skateboard company Birdhouse. A pioneer of modern vertical skateboarding, Hawk completed the first docume ...
(former resident)
* Leo Howard, actor
* Howard Keel
Harold Clifford Keel (April 13, 1919November 7, 2004), professionally Howard Keel, was an American actor and singer known for his rich bass-baritone singing voice. He starred in a number of MGM musicals in the 1950s, including ''Show Boat'' (195 ...
, Fallbrook Union High School alumnus
* Aimee La Joie, actress
* Tom Metzger, white supremacist and former Ku Klux Klan leader (former resident)
* Martin Milner
Martin Sam Milner (December 28, 1931 – September 6, 2015) was an American actor and radio host. He is best known for his performances on two television series: '' Route 66'', which aired on CBS from 1960 to 1964, and '' Adam-12'', which ...
(former resident)
* Jason Mraz
Jason Thomas Mraz ( ; born June 23, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He rose to prominence with the release of his debut studio album, ''Waiting for My Rocket to Come'' (2002), which spawned the single "The Remedy (I Won't Wo ...
, musician
* Dave Mustaine
David Scott Mustaine (born September 13, 1961) is an American musician. He is best known as the co-founder, frontman, primary songwriter and sole consistent member of the thrash metal band Megadeth and for his time as the lead guitarist of Met ...
, musician (secondary residence)
* T. Jefferson Parker
* Shane Peterson (former resident)
* Christie Repasy, floral artist
* Mark Rogowski (former resident)
* Tom Selleck, actor
* Duke Snider
Edwin Donald "Duke" Snider (September 19, 1926 – February 27, 2011), nicknamed "the Duke of Flatbush", was an American professional baseball player. Primarily a center fielder, he spent most of his Major League Baseball (MLB) career playing f ...
* Elise Trouw, musician (former resident)
* Dolores Costello, actress
See also
* List of census-designated places in California
References
*
External links
Fallbrook Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control
Census-designated places in San Diego County, California
North County (San Diego County)
Populated places established in 1869
1869 establishments in California
Census-designated places in California