Arroyo Grande is a city in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. The population was 15,851 at the 2000 census.

Geography

Arroyo Grande is located at (35.120878, -120.586799)GR: 1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.7 square miles (14.7 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the censusGR: 2 of 2000, there were 15,851 people, 6,478 households, and 4,353 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,795.3 people per square mile (1,079.4/km²). There were 6,750 housing units at an average density of 1,190.3/sq mi (459.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.45% White, 0.62% African American, 0.45% Native American, 3.08% Asian, 0.18% Pacific Islander, 3.77% from other races, and 3.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.17% of the population.

There were 6,478 households out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.0% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% were non-families. 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.3% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 20.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $48,236, and the median income for a family was $55,494. Males had a median income of $41,304 versus $30,688 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,311. About 4.3% of families and 6.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.8% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

In the state legislature Arroyo Grande is located in the 15th Senate District, represented by Republican Abel Maldonado, and in the 33rd Assembly District, represented by Republican Sam Blakeslee. Federally, Arroyo Grande is located in California's 22nd congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of R +16 and is represented by Republican Kevin McCarthy.

History

The earliest inhabitants of the Arroyo Grande valley were Chumash Indians. The first European to see the area was Spanish explorer Juan Cabrillo. The Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa was established nearby, and agricultural activities expanded into the area. The Arroyo Grande valley was found to have particularly fertile ground, and was given the name for "wide riverbed" in Spanish.

Francis Ziba Branch, originally from New York, saw the area on a hunting expedition during the period when California was part of Mexico. Branch married Dona Manuela Carlona, and this marriage entitled Branch to file claim for a Mexican land grant. In 1836 he and his wife and baby son moved onto the 17,000-acre Santa Manuela Rancho.