Lake Wildwood 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 Nevada 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 ...

, United States. The population was 4,991 at the 2010 census, up from 4,868 at the 2000 census. Lake Wildwood is mainly a

gated community A gated community (or walled community) is a form of residential community or housing estate containing strictly controlled entrances for pedestrians, bicycles, and automobiles, and often characterized by a closed perimeter of walls and fences ...

and news about the CDP is published in a twice a month newspaper
''The Wildwood Independent''.
Local businesses and residences are listed in the annual "Penn Valley Area Directory" published b
"Pine Tree Press".

History

Lake Wildwood was laid out by property developers in the 1960s. In September 1988, the

49er Fire The 49er Fire was a destructive wildfire in 1988 in Northern California's Nevada County, California, Nevada County and Yuba County, California, Yuba County. The fire ignited on September 11 when a man accidentally set brush on fire by burning t ...

was accidentally started by a homeless and schizophrenic local man near Highway 49. The fire went on to burn well over a hundred homes and more than 33,000 acres in Nevada County, including many homes in the Lake Wildwood area.

Geography

Lake Wildwood is located at (39.234885, -121.203026). 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 which is land and (12.89%) is water.

Demographics

Lake Wildwood first appeared as 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 the 2000 U.S. Census.

2020

The 2020 United States census reported that Lake Wildwood had a population of 5,158. The population density was . The racial makeup of Lake Wildwood was 85.8%

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 ...

, 0.6%

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 ...

, 0.5% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.1%

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 ...

, 2.0% from other races, and 9.2% from two or more races.

Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While many use the terms interchangeably, for example, the United States Census Bureau ...

of any race were 8.8% of the population. The census reported that 99.8% of the population lived in households, 12 people (0.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized. There were 2,274 households, out of which 17.3% included children under the age of 18, 61.0% were married-couple households, 5.1% were

cohabiting Cohabitation is an arrangement where people who are not legally married live together as a couple. They are often involved in a romantic or sexually intimate relationship on a long-term or permanent basis. Such arrangements have become incr ...

couple households, 22.2% had a female householder with no partner present, and 11.7% had a male householder with no partner present. 23.7% of households were one person, and 16.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.26. There were 1,604

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 ...

(70.5% of all households). The age distribution was 14.9% under the age of 18, 4.5% aged 18 to 24, 15.3% aged 25 to 44, 23.0% aged 45 to 64, and 42.4% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 60.5years. For every 100 females, there were 92.0 males. There were 2,657 housing units at an average density of , of which 2,274 (85.6%) were occupied. Of these, 84.6% were owner-occupied, and 15.4% were occupied by renters. In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $87,552, 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 $42,709. About 6.3% of families and 13.0% of the population were below the poverty line.

2010

The 2010 United States Census reported that Lake Wildwood had a population of 4,991. The population density was . The racial makeup of Lake Wildwood was 4,726 (94.7%)

, 17 (0.3%)

, 46 (0.9%) Native American, 56 (1.1%) Asian, 10 (0.2%)

, 32 (0.6%) from other races, and 104 (2.1%) 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 272 persons (5.4%). The Census reported that 4,988 people (99.9% of the population) lived in households, 3 (0.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized. There were 2,225 households, out of which 462 (20.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,463 (65.8%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 125 (5.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 57 (2.6%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 64 (2.9%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 15 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 496 households (22.3%) were made up of individuals, and 334 (15.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24. There were 1,645

(73.9% of all households); the average family size was 2.58. The population was spread out, with 843 people (16.9%) under the age of 18, 204 people (4.1%) aged 18 to 24, 689 people (13.8%) aged 25 to 44, 1,412 people (28.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,843 people (36.9%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 58.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males. There were 2,641 housing units at an average density of , of which 1,856 (83.4%) were owner-occupied, and 369 (16.6%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.8%. 3,937 people (78.9% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 1,051 people (21.1%) lived in rental housing units.

Politics

In the

state legislature A state legislature is a Legislature, legislative branch or body of a State (country subdivision), political subdivision in a Federalism, federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of ...

Lake Wildwood is located in , and . Federally, Lake Wildwood is in . Lake Wildwood is represented on the Nevada County Board of Supervisors by Republican Hank Weston, a retired fire chief.

References

External links

Official website
{{authority control Census-designated places in Nevada County, California Gated communities in California Census-designated places in California