Summerland, California

Summerland is a census designated place (CDP) in Santa Barbara County, California. The population was 1,222 at the 2020 census, down from 1,448 at the 2010 census.

The town includes a school and a Presbyterian Church. There are many small businesses.

History

Tar from natural oil seeps in the Summerland area was used for sealing their ocean-going tomols by the Chumash people and for the Mission Santa Barbara as waterproofing for the roof.

In 1883, spiritualist and real estate speculator H.L. Williams founded the town of Summerland. In 1888 he divided his land tract, on a moderately sloping hill facing the ocean, into numerous parcels. He promoted the tiny lots – 25 x 60 – to fellow Spiritualists, who bought them in quantity and moved to the area. The spiritual center of the town was a Spiritualist Church, with séance room, demolished when Highway 101 was put through in the 1950s.

In the 1890s, oil development began in the coastal area of Summerland, at the Summerland Oil Field. Numerous wooden oil derricks were built on the beach, and on piers stretching into the ocean. The world's first offshore oil well, drilled into the sea floor, was at this location. Production at this beach area peaked before 1910, although most of the rigs remained into the 1920s. Peak production from the onshore portion of the Summerland Field did not occur until 1930; the last oil was pumped from the nearshore region in 1940.

In 1957, Standard Oil Co. of California (now Chevron) found the large Summerland Offshore Oil Field, several miles offshore, which was shut down in the 1990s. In January 1969, a blowout at the Dos Cuadras Field, about five miles offshore, caused the Santa Barbara Oil Spill, a formative event for the modern environmental movement.

In August 2015, Summerland's beach was closed for several days by County of Santa Barbara health officials due to large amounts of oil washed onshore. Local residents suspect the petroleum source is a leaking capped oil well ("the Becker wellhead") in the tidal area below Lookout Park.

Geography

Summerland is located at (34.421395, -119.595969). It is on the coast directly east a
Ortega Ridge Road
at the unincorporated community of Montecito and west-northwest of the city of Carpinteria. Summerland has a significantly higher population density than the surrounding area. U.S. Route 101 goes through Summerland.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Summerland has a land area of 1.4 square miles (3.6 km).

The community is built on a set of coastal bluffs right next to the ocean. Surrounding it and Montecito are the cities of Carpinteria and Santa Barbara.

Climate

This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Summerland has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.

Demographics

Summerland first appeared as a census designated place in the 2000 U.S. Census.

2020

The 2020 United States census reported that Summerland had a population of 1,222. The population density was . The racial makeup of Summerland was 979 (80.1%) White, 7 (0.6%) African American, 16 (1.3%) Native American, 36 (2.9%) Asian, 4 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 72 (5.9%) from other races, and 108 (8.8%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 160 persons (13.1%).

The whole population lived in households. There were 587 households, out of which 103 (17.5%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 236 (40.2%) were married-couple households, 30 (5.1%) were cohabiting couple households, 207 (35.3%) had a female householder with no partner present, and 114 (19.4%) had a male householder with no partner present. 212 households (36.1%) were one person, and 107 (18.2%) were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.08. There were 319 families (54.3% of all households).

The age distribution was 157 people (12.8%) under the age of 18, 74 people (6.1%) aged 18 to 24, 263 people (21.5%) aged 25 to 44, 353 people (28.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 375 people (30.7%) who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 52.9years. For every 100 females, there were 90.9 males.

There were 740 housing units at an average density of , of which 587 (79.3%) were occupied. Of these, 337 (57.4%) were owner-occupied, and 250 (42.6%) were occupied by renters.

In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $133,083, and the per capita income was $73,983. About 0.0% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line.

2010

At the 2010 census Summerland had a population of 1,448. The population density was . The racial makeup of Summerland was 1,295 (89.4%) White, 3 (0.2%) African American, 7 (0.5%) Native American, 41 (2.8%) Asian, 6 (0.4%) Pacific Islander, 51 (3.5%) from other races, and 45 (3.1%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 192 people (13.3%).

The whole population lived in households, no one lived in non-institutionalized group quarters and no one was institutionalized.

There were 687 households, 128 (18.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 270 (39.3%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 55 (8.0%) had a female householder with no husband present, 23 (3.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 54 (7.9%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 9 (1.3%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 230 households (33.5%) were one person and 62 (9.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.11. There were 348 families (50.7% of households); the average family size was 2.68.

The age distribution was 211 people (14.6%) under the age of 18, 119 people (8.2%) aged 18 to 24, 315 people (21.8%) aged 25 to 44, 546 people (37.7%) aged 45 to 64, and 257 people (17.7%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 49.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.6 males.

There were 823 housing units at an average density of 413.7 per square mile, of the occupied units 362 (52.7%) were owner-occupied and 325 (47.3%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 9.7%. 790 people (54.6% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 658 people (45.4%) lived in rental housing units.

In popular culture

* Is mentioned in the Everclear song "Summerland", from their '' Sparkle and Fade'' album.
* Is the main location in the T.V. show '' Summerland''.
* Is the title of a song by King's X on their album Gretchen Goes to Nebraska. The song's lyrics do not otherwise specifically reference the town.
*Is featured prominently in the climactic scenes of the science fiction film '' The Space Between Us.''
*Is the title of a song by indie pop/rock group half•alive.

Notable residents

* Julian Ritter, artist.
* Harry Thomason, film and television director and producer.

Notes

References

*Rintoul, William, "Wood Derricks and Steel Men," ''Drilling Through Time'', (Sacramento, California: California Department of Conservation, Division of Oil and Gas, 1990), pp. 13–15.
* Baker, Gayle. ''Santa Barbara''. Harbor Town Histories, Santa Barbara. 2003.
* ''California Oil and Gas Fields, Volumes I, II and III''. Vol. I (1998), Vol. II (1992), Vol. III (1982). California Department of Conservation, Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources. 1,472 pp.

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Census-designated places in Santa Barbara County, California
Populated coastal places in California
Census-designated places in California