Acton, California | |
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 View of Acton and the surrounding valley from Route 14, with Mt. Gleason and theSan Gabriel Mountains in the background | |
 Location of Acton inLos Angeles County, California | |
  Acton Location of Acton in Los Angeles County, California Show map of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Acton Location of Acton in California Show map of California Acton Location of Acton in the USA Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates:34°29′N118°11′W / 34.48°N 118.19°W /34.48; -118.19 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County | Los Angeles |
| Named after | Acton, Massachusetts |
| Area | |
• Total | 39.28 sq mi (101.74 km2) |
| • Land | 39.26 sq mi (101.68 km2) |
| • Water | 0.023 sq mi (0.06 km2) 0.06% |
| Elevation | 2,710 ft (826 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 7,431 |
| • Density | 189.3/sq mi (73.08/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) |
| ZIP Code | 93510 |
| Area code | 661 |
| FIPS code | 06-00212 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 1660228,2407697 |
Acton (pronunciationⓘ) is anunincorporated community andcensus-designated place (CDP) inLos Angeles County, California, United States. According to the 2020 census, Acton had a population of 7,431.
Acton is a small residential community located between theSierra Pelona Mountains and theSan Gabriel Mountains, near theAntelope Valley. It is off the Antelope Valley Freeway (California State Route 14) south ofPalmdale. Acton is roughly 20 miles (32 km) northeast of theSan Fernando Valley, and 47 miles (76 km) north ofdowntown Los Angeles by highway. The town has a rural western theme which can be seen in its homes, commercial buildings andhistorical buildings, some of which date back to the late 1800s. The homes in the mountains around Acton have views of the valley below. In the valley are ranch style homes, often withequestrian facilities. While Acton is not a part of the Antelope Valley, it is grouped together with the Valley in the General Plan. Acton has aMetrolink commuter rail station on its border withPalmdale that is themed in an "old western" style and has been seen in various movies and commercials.
The town originally had served as a railroad camp from 1873 to 1876 when the Saugus-Mojave section of the Southern Pacific Railroad was under construction.[3]
Acton was once considered for theState capital ofCalifornia. California GovernorHenry T. Gage (1899–1903) owned the Governor Mine, hence the name, and sought to relocate the capital to Acton. This effort ultimately failed and the capital was not moved fromSacramento. In the late 1880s, Acton started to become more of a ranching and farming community. In 1889 Acton's first hotel and its first saloon, the "49er" (formerly Sutter's Mill), was opened and is still in business today.
Acton is located at34°28′22″N118°11′1″W / 34.47278°N 118.18361°W /34.47278; -118.18361 (34.472777, -118.183696),[4] 20 miles (32 km) east ofSanta Clarita and 8 miles (13 km) south ofPalmdale. According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 39.3 square miles (102 km2), over 99% of it land. Mount Gleason, one of the peaks of the San Gabriel Mountains, is located 7 miles (11 km) south of Acton and can be seen in the town or by passersby on the14.
This region experiences warm (but not very hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F (22.0 °C). According to theKöppen Climate Classification system, Acton has awarm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviatedCsb on climate maps.[5]Summer daytime temperatures average 88 °F (31 °C) and above.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1,471 | — | |
| 2000 | 2,390 | 62.5% | |
| 2010 | 7,596 | 217.8% | |
| 2020 | 7,431 | −2.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[6] 1860–1870[7][8] 1880-1890[9] 1900[10] 1910[11] 1920[12] 1930[13] 1940[14] 1950[15] 1960[16][17] 1970[18] 1980[19] 1990[20] 2000[21] 2010[22] 2020[23] | |||
Acton first appeared as acensus designated place in the1990 U.S. census.[20]
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[24] | Pop 2010[25] | Pop 2020[23] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 2,015 | 5,782 | 4,736 | 84.31% | 76.12% | 63.73% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 14 | 54 | 72 | 0.59% | 0.71% | 0.97% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 6 | 38 | 33 | 0.25% | 0.50% | 0.44% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 35 | 151 | 153 | 1.46% | 1.99% | 2.06% |
| Native Hawaiian orPacific Islander alone (NH) | 1 | 2 | 11 | 0.04% | 0.03% | 0.15% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 11 | 16 | 67 | 0.46% | 0.21% | 0.90% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 45 | 180 | 283 | 1.88% | 2.37% | 3.81% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 263 | 1,373 | 2,076 | 11.00% | 18.08% | 27.94% |
| Total | 2,390 | 7,596 | 7,431 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
The2020 United States census reported that Acton had a population of 7,431. The population density was 189.3 inhabitants per square mile (73.1/km2). The racial makeup of Acton was 68.9%White, 1.1%African American, 1.0%Native American, 2.1%Asian, 0.2%Pacific Islander, 12.9% fromother races, and 13.8% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino of any race were 27.9% of the population.[26]
The whole population lived in households. There were 2,682 households, out of which 24.2% included children under the age of 18, 58.4% were married-couple households, 6.3% werecohabiting couple households, 18.4% had a female householder with no partner present, and 16.9% had a male householder with no partner present. 19.4% of households were one person, and 9.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.77.[26] There were 1,998families (74.5% of all households).[27]
The age distribution was 17.5% under the age of 18, 7.8% aged 18 to 24, 20.8% aged 25 to 44, 35.3% aged 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.4 males.[26]
There were 2,821 housing units at an average density of 71.9 units per square mile (27.8 units/km2), of which 2,682 (95.1%) were occupied. Of these, 88.0% were owner-occupied, and 12.0% were occupied by renters.[26]
According toMapping L.A.,German andIrish were the most common ancestries in 2000.Mexico andCanada were the most common foreign places of birth.[28]
Median earnings per worker in Acton in 2015 were $75,714 compared to the United States average of $44,178. Acton has $84,375 median earnings for men, 55% greater than the $54,384 median for women. 22% of the people in Acton report self-employment income, twice the U.S. average of 11%.
6.9% of the population of Acton lives in poverty. Of those, 17% are employed. Just 1% of Acton households use some form of public assistance, compared to the United States average of 14%.
7% of Acton workerscarpool to work, less than the U.S. average of 10%. Acton has a large number of people who are able to work from home at 12% versus 4% for the U.S. The average commute to work in Acton is 46 minutes, much longer than the U.S. average of 26 minutes.[29]
Farm Sanctuary, founded here in 1986, was America's first shelter for farmed animals.
TheShambala Preserve, a wild animal nature park run by actressTippi Hedren, is located near Acton.[30] Ventures on Hedren's 80-acre (320,000 m2) wild animal compound include a Safari at the authenticAfrican-style haven for more than 70African lions,Royal Bengal andSiberian tigers,spotted andblack leopards,cougars, andAfrican elephants.
Acton is home to Parker Mountain, the mecca for a style ofradio-controlled aircraft flying called "dynamic soaring" and where at one time the world speed record of 302 mph (486 km/h) was achieved.[31]
Established in 1891 by Swiss immigrants George Blum and Magdalena Greutman, Bloom Ranch is one of Acton's oldest homesteads. The ranch has a rich history of agricultural production, including pears, apples, lilacs, and renowned peaches. A notable feature is the stone house constructed in 1916, symbolizing the family's enduring commitment to the land. In 2023, Dr. Bill Releford acquired Bloom Ranch and expanded the property to 250 acres, making it the largest Black-owned ranch in Los Angeles County. Under his leadership, the ranch emphasizes sustainable farming practices and community engagement, hosting events like the annual "Bloom's Giving Fall Festival" to foster local connections.
In theCalifornia State Legislature, Acton is inthe 23rd senatorial district, represented byRepublican Suzette Martinez Valladares, and inthe 34th Assembly district, represented byRepublican Tom Lackey.[32]
In theUnited States House of Representatives, Acton is inCalifornia's 27th congressional district, represented byDemocrat George T. Whitesides.[33]
Acton is part of the unincorporated portion of Los Angeles County and is in the 5th Supervisorial District. At the local level, the community is represented by the Acton Town Council, an advisory group of citizens made up of 7 members.
Acton is within theActon-Agua Dulce Unified School District.[34] There are three schools in Acton: Meadowlark Elementary School,[35] High Desert Middle School,[36] and Vasquez High School.
TheLos Angeles County Department of Health Services operates the Antelope Valley Health Center inLancaster, serving Acton.[37]
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