La Selva Beach (''La Selva'',
Spanish for "The Forest") 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 ...
(CDP) in
Santa Cruz County,
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
.
[ La Selva Beach sits at an elevation of .][ The 2020 United States census reported La Selva Beach's population was 2,531.
La Selva Beach is one of the several small communities located in and around Aptos. It neighbors Seascape to the north, Corralitos to the east, and Watsonville to the south. When founded, the small beach community was surrounded by dense conifer woods.
]
Geography
La Selva Beach lies near the San Andreas Fault
The San Andreas Fault is a continental Fault (geology)#Strike-slip faults, right-lateral strike-slip transform fault that extends roughly through the U.S. state of California. It forms part of the tectonics, tectonic boundary between the Paci ...
, and was close to the epicenter of the October 17, 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
On October 17, 1989, at 5:04 p.m. Pacific Time Zone, PST, the Loma Prieta earthquake occurred at the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California. The shock was centered in The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park in Santa Cruz Cou ...
.
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 covers an area of 5.3 square miles (13.7 km2), all of it land.
History
In 1925 it was founded as Rob Roy by real estate developer David Batchelor. The now-defunct (since 2000) Rob Roy Video Store was the only business in the area to make note of this heritage. In 1935 the name was changed to La Selva Beach by the new developer, Edward Burghard. Most of the existing houses were built in the early 1960s. In the 1970s the residents convinced state government to remove "Beach" from the direction signs. Officially the name is still La Selva Beach.
Demographics
The 2020 United States census reported that La Selva Beach had a population of 2,531. The population density was . The racial makeup of La Selva Beach was 78.8% 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 ...
, 0.5% 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 ...
, 0.6% Native American, 3.6% Asian, 0.0% 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 ...
, 4.6% from other races, and 11.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.4% of the population.[
There were 1,047 households, out of which 22.6% included children under the age of 18, 53.3% were married-couple households, 6.9% were cohabiting couple households, 24.4% had a female householder with no partner present, and 15.5% had a male householder with no partner present. 23.4% of households were one person, and 11.8% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.41.][ There were 714 ]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 ...
(68.2% of all households).
The age distribution was 16.0% under the age of 18, 5.2% aged 18 to 24, 19.8% aged 25 to 44, 28.8% aged 45 to 64, and 30.1% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 53.9years. For every 100 females, there were 88.9 males.[
There were 1,393 housing units at an average density of , of which 1,047 (75.2%) were occupied. Of these, 70.0% were owner-occupied, and 30.0% were occupied by renters.][
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income in 2023 was $159,094, 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 $77,290.
Parks and recreation
La Selva Beach is adjacent to Manresa State Beach where one can fish, surf, and boogie board. These breaks are not as popular as others in Santa Cruz County. La Selva Beach does have direct public access and public parking is available near by.
The central park of La Selva Beach is Triangle Park. The park is triangular in form and enhanced by a triangular structure with the flags of the world. There is also a horseshoe pit.
In the summer, one can witness children practicing their baton-twirling/hurling skills and building floats, while their parents practice library push-cart choreography in preparation for the La Selva Beach 4th of July
Fourth or the fourth may refer to:
* the ordinal form of the number 4
* ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971
* Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision
* Fourth (music), a musical interval
* ''The Fourth'', a 1972 Soviet drama
...
Parade. This parade is shorter but less known than the so-called "World's Shortest Parade" which takes place concurrently in Aptos, California
Aptos (Ohlone for "The People") is an unincorporated town in Santa Cruz County, California, United States. The town is made up of several small villages, which together form Aptos: Aptos Hills-Larkin Valley, Aptos Village, Cabrillo, Seacliff, ...
.
Education
Rio del Mar Elementary school and the Monterey Bay Academy are the nearest educational institutions.
The Aptos Academy was a private school in the area from 1999 through June 2013.
Notable residents
* Aaron Bates, professional baseball player.
* Don Bunce, Star Rose Bowl quarterback and orthopedic surgeon.
* Jason Jessee, professional skateboarder.
References
{{authority control
Census-designated places in Santa Cruz County, California
Populated coastal places in California
Census-designated places in California