Dos Palos, California | |
|---|---|
| City of Dos Palos | |
.jpg) Aerial view of Dos Palos | |
 Seal | |
 Location in Merced County, California | |
  Dos Palos, California  Dos Palos, California | |
| Coordinates:36°59′N120°38′W / 36.983°N 120.633°W /36.983; -120.633 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County | Merced |
| Incorporated | May 24, 1935[1] |
| Government | |
| • City Manager | Darrell Fonseca |
| Area | |
• Total | 1.35 sq mi (3.5 km2) |
| • Land | 1.35 sq mi (3.5 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0 km2) 0% |
| Elevation | 118 ft (36 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 5,798 |
| • Density | 4,298/sq mi (1,659/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code | 93620 |
| Area code | 209 |
| FIPS code | 06-19612 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 277604,2410348 |
| Website | dospaloscity |
Dos Palos (Spanish for "Two Timbers")[5] is a city in southernMerced County, California, United States. Dos Palos is located 27 miles (43 km) south-southwest ofMerced, thecounty seat, at an elevation of 118 feet (36 m).[3] The population was 5,798 at the2020 census,[4] up from 4,950 at the2010 census.
Dos Palos is located in southern Merced County at36°59′N120°38′W / 36.983°N 120.633°W /36.983; -120.633.[3] It is 17 miles (27 km) southeast ofLos Banos and 40 miles (64 km) by road west ofMadera.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city covers an area of 1.35 square miles (3.5 km2), all of it land.[2]
In one of his expeditions during the 1820s along the west side of theSan Joaquin Valley, explorerGabriel Moraga reported the location of two large isolated poplar trees, which he called "Dos Palos". In 19th-century Spanish usage,palos was used to describe tall pole-like trees or "timbers".[6] 21st-century usage often translates it as "sticks". The "Rancho Sanjon de Santa Rita" Mexican land grant cites "Los Dos Palos" or "The Two Trees" as a boundary marker.
In 1891, former school superintendent Bernhard Marks convinced cattle ranch kingHenry Miller to develop a small town nearby. They gave it the name "Dos Palos Colony" but pronounced it with their ethnic accents (Marks a Polish Jew and Miller an Alsatian German) as "Dahce Palace". This pronunciation remained for over one hundred years until a recent Spanish pronunciation revival. Marks brought forty pioneer families west fromIowa andNebraska to establish the community. In 1892, unable to find good water, many of the settlers left. Marks convinced Miller to establish another town two miles away on land unsuitable for farming and ranching due to swamps and unsettling soils. Some of the settlers relocated. This new town was named "Colony Center". In 1906, Dos Palos Colony was renamedSouth Dos Palos and Colony Center was renamed Dos Palos. The Post Office was briefly misspelled as one word, "Dospalos" but this was changed within a year. About a dozen of the colony's original families still reside locally. Through the years, people from many other locations joined the community.[7] Dos Palos incorporated in 1935.[5]
On January 1, 2008, 6.52 square miles (16.89 km2) surrounding the community of Dos Palos were transferred fromFresno County toMerced County.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | 978 | — | |
| 1950 | 1,394 | 42.5% | |
| 1960 | 2,028 | 45.5% | |
| 1970 | 2,496 | 23.1% | |
| 1980 | 3,121 | 25.0% | |
| 1990 | 4,196 | 34.4% | |
| 2000 | 4,581 | 9.2% | |
| 2010 | 4,950 | 8.1% | |
| 2020 | 5,798 | 17.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[8] | |||
The2020 United States census reported that Dos Palos had a population of 5,798. The population density was 4,298.0 inhabitants per square mile (1,659.5/km2). The racial makeup of Dos Palos was 40.8%White, 2.5%African American, 2.4%Native American, 1.0%Asian, 0.3%Pacific Islander, 36.8% fromother races, and 16.4% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino of any race were 72.2% of the population.[9]
The whole population lived in households. There were 1,723 households, out of which 50.0% included children under the age of 18, 51.8% were married-couple households, 9.3% werecohabiting couple households, 23.6% had a female householder with no partner present, and 15.3% had a male householder with no partner present. 14.9% of households were one person, and 7.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.37.[9] There were 1,390families (80.7% of all households).[10]
The age distribution was 29.8% under the age of 18, 10.0% aged 18 to 24, 26.3% aged 25 to 44, 21.8% aged 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.5 males.[9]
There were 1,803 housing units at an average density of 1,336.5 units per square mile (516.0 units/km2), of which 1,723 (95.6%) were occupied. Of these, 62.2% were owner-occupied, and 37.8% were occupied by renters.[9]
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that 32.5% of the population were foreign-born. Of all people aged 5 or older, 46.1% spoke only English at home, 46.6% spokeSpanish, 4.7% spoke otherIndo-European languages, and 2.6% spoke Asian or Pacific Islander languages. Of those aged 25 or older, 68.1% were high school graduates and 11.5% had a bachelor's degree.[11]
The median household income was $50,556, and theper capita income was $23,385. About 7.8% of families and 14.7% of the population were below the poverty line.[12]
At the2010 census Dos Palos had a population of 4,950. The population density was 3,667.3 inhabitants per square mile (1,416.0/km2). The racial makeup of Dos Palos was 3,377 (68.2%) White, 167 (3.4%) African American, 62 (1.3%) Native American, 37 (0.7%) Asian, 4 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 1,075 (21.7%) from other races, and 228 (4.6%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3,075 persons (62.1%).[13]
The census reported that 4,922 people (99.4% of the population) lived in households, no one lived in non-institutionalized group quarters and 28 (0.6%) were institutionalized.
There were 1,501 households, 731 (48.7%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 816 (54.4%) wereopposite-sex married couples living together, 232 (15.5%) had a female householder with no husband present, 130 (8.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 119 (7.9%)unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 7 (0.5%)same-sex married couples or partnerships. 261 households (17.4%) were one person and 116 (7.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.28. There were 1,178 families (78.5% of households); the average family size was 3.69.
The age distribution was 1,571 people (31.7%) under the age of 18, 532 people (10.7%) aged 18 to 24, 1,199 people (24.2%) aged 25 to 44, 1,114 people (22.5%) aged 45 to 64, and 534 people (10.8%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 31.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.1 males.
There were 1,700 housing units at an average density of 1,259.5 per square mile, of the occupied units 929 (61.9%) were owner-occupied and 572 (38.1%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 8.9%. 2,955 people (59.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 1,967 people (39.7%) lived in rental housing units.
In theCalifornia State Legislature, Dos Palos is inthe 14th senatorial district, represented byDemocrat Anna Caballero, andthe 27th Assembly district, represented byDemocrat Esmeralda Soria.[14]
In theUnited States House of Representatives, Dos Palos is inCalifornia's 13th congressional district and is represented byDemocratAdam Gray.
Members of the Dos Palos City Council serve four year terms. The 92nd and current panel consists of:[15]
Municipalities and communities ofMerced County, California,United States | ||
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
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