San Benito County, California

San Benito County is a place in the Central Coast area of California. It is part of the California Coast Ranges and had a population of 64,209 people during the 2020 United States census. The main city, called the county seat, is Hollister.

The county is part of a bigger area known as the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area. This area also connects to the larger San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA Combined Statistical Area. An important road, El Camino Real, runs through San Benito County. Along this road, you can find a historic mission in the town of San Juan Bautista.

History

Before Europeans arrived, the area that is now San Benito County was home to the Mutsun sub-group of the Ohlone Native Americans. In 1772, Father Juan Crespí explored the region and named a river after San Benito de Nursia (Saint Benedict), a saint important to monks. The county later took its name from this river valley, called the San Benito Valley.

In 1797, Spanish missionaries established the first European settlement, the San Juan Bautista mission. After the United States took control of the area in 1848, new towns began to grow. Hollister was founded in 1868 by William Welles Hollister and became the county seat when San Benito County was created in 1874, taken from parts of Monterey County. Over time, parts of Merced and Fresno Counties were added to San Benito County. Other early towns include Tres Pinos and Paicines.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, San Benito County in California covers a total area of 1,390 square miles (3,600 km²). Most of this is land, with only a small part being water. The county is home to the long San Benito River, which runs from the southwest to the northwest, where it meets the Pajaro River.

San Benito County shares borders with several other counties. It is next to Santa Clara County and is close to the San Francisco Bay Area. It is also linked to the Monterey Bay Area through groups like the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments. On the east, it borders Merced County and Fresno County, which are part of California's San Joaquin Valley. To the west is Santa Cruz County, and to the southwest is Monterey County.

The county is home to special areas like Mount Harlan and San Benito American Viticultural Areas, which include places such as Cienega Valley, Lime Kiln Valley, and Paicines.

Due to its different heights, rocks, and weather, San Benito County has many types of plants. You can find grasslands, scrubby bushes, chaparral, and oak woodlands. In some cooler, foggy areas, there used to be coast redwoods. In drier parts, there are deserts with special plants. Up high, there are forests with tall conifer trees.

A very special millipede with more legs than any other was found here in 1926. The state gem of California, benitoite, was also discovered in the county. There is also a big national park called Pinnacles National Park.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, San Benito County had a population of 64,209 people. The median age was 36.6 years. About 25.4% of the residents were younger than 18, and 13.6% were 65 or older. For every 100 females, there were 99.0 males.

The racial makeup included 42.4% White, 1.0% Black or African American, 2.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.8% Asian, 0.3% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 32.1% from some other race, and 17.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people made up 61.1% of the population.

Most people, 77.3%, lived in urban areas, while 22.7% lived in rural areas.

There were 19,484 households, with 43.4% having children under 18. About 14.9% of households were made up of individuals, and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 or older.

There were 20,365 housing units, with 4.3% being empty. Of the occupied units, 67.2% were owned by people living there, and 32.8% were rented. The rate for empty owner homes was 1.1%, and for empty rental homes it was 2.5%.

2010 census

The 2010 United States census reported that San Benito County had 55,269 people. The racial makeup was 63.7% White, 0.9% Black or African American, 1.6% Native American, 2.6% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 26.2% from other races, and 4.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people made up 56.4% of the population.

2000 census

In the year 2000, there were 53,234 people living in the county. The population density was 38 people per square mile (15 people/km²). There were 16,499 housing units, with an average density of 12 units per square mile (4.6 units/km²).

The racial makeup included 38.3% non-Hispanic White, 0.6% non-Hispanic Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 2.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.1% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people made up 56.4% of the population.

Most people spoke English at home (62.8%), while 35.3% spoke Spanish. San Benito County was the only county in the greater San Francisco Bay Area with a majority of Hispanic or Latino people.

There were 15,885 households, with 46.3% having children under 18. About 65.7% were married couples living together. The average household size was 3.32, and the average family size was 3.64.

The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.6 males.

The median income for a household was $57,469, and for a family it was $60,665. About 6.7% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.4% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over.

Government and policing

County government is led by a five-member Board of Supervisors who are elected to four-year terms. Other important elected leaders include the Assessor, Clerk-Auditor-Recorder, District Attorney, Sheriff-Coroner, and Treasurer-Tax Collector-Public Administrator.

San Benito County had an elected Marshal until 2010, when that office closed. Shasta and Trinity Counties still have Marshals.

State and federal representation

In the United States House of Representatives, San Benito County is part of California's 18th congressional district, represented by Democrat Zoe Lofgren.

In the California State Legislature, San Benito County is in the 17th senatorial district, represented by Democrat John Laird, and in the 29th Assembly district, represented by Democrat Robert Rivas.

Policing

Eric S. Taylor is the current elected Sheriff-Coroner-Marshal of San Benito County. He began his term in January 2023. The Sheriff’s office handles law enforcement, search and rescue, court security, and other services for the whole county. The city of Hollister has its own police department, while the Sheriff provides services for the city of San Juan Bautista.

Politics

San Benito County usually votes for Democratic candidates in big elections like Presidential and congressional races. The last time a Republican candidate won the most votes here was a long time ago, in 1988.

The county often reflects the overall results of California in elections. Before 1904, it mostly voted Democratic, even when California leaned Republican.

As of May 2010, there were 34,562 people old enough to vote in San Benito County. Out of these, 24,736 were actually registered to vote. Most of them, about 48%, were registered as Democrats, while around 30% were Republicans.

Crime

This section shows the number of reported incidents and the rate per 1,000 people for different types of offenses as of 2013.

Cities by population and crime rate as of 2013

Economy

San Benito County's economy is mostly based on farming, and it is part of the larger San Jose area. The county is known for its beautiful wineries, organic farms, and cozy inns where visitors can see cows grazing.

In 2014, the people of the county voted to stop certain oil drilling methods and limit drilling in some places because they were worried about protecting the farming and tourism industries. Although there were many oil wells in the 1950s, today there is very little oil drilling activity in the area.

Top employers

According to the San Benito County Economic Development Corporation of San Benito County, the top employers in the county are:

Media

San Benito County gets its television and radio from media in Monterey County, including major TV and radio stations from that area.

The county also has its own local media. CMAP TV, based in Gilroy, offers public and educational shows on Channels 17 to 20. There are several local radio stations, like KMPG playing regional Mexican music, and KHRI with contemporary Christian music. The Hollister Free Lance is a weekly newspaper, and there are online news sites like BenitoLink and San Benito Live.

Transportation

San Benito County has several major highways that help people travel, including US 101, SR 25, SR 129, SR 146, and SR 156.

The San Benito County Express offers bus services in the city of Hollister and between cities in the northern part of the county, reaching as far north as Gilroy in Santa Clara County.

There is also a small airport called the Hollister Municipal Airport, which is used for private planes and small flights.

Communities

San Benito County has several places where people live. The main cities are Hollister, which is the county seat, and San Juan Bautista. There are also smaller areas known as census-designated places, including Aromas, Ridgemark, and Tres Pinos.

Other places in the county that are not part of a city or town include Bitterwater, Dunneville, Paicines, Panoche, River Oaks, San Benito, and Tres Pinos again. There is also a ghost town called New Idria.

The list of places is based on the 2020 census of San Benito County.

Education

San Benito County has many school districts that help children learn from kindergarten through high school. Some of the school districts include Aromas-San Juan Unified School District and Coalinga-Huron Unified School District. There are also secondary school districts like San Benito High School District and South Monterey County Joint Union High School District.

Elementary school districts in the county include Bitterwater-Tully Union Elementary School District, Cienega Union Elementary School District, Hollister School District, and several others such as Jefferson Elementary School District, North County Joint Union Elementary School District, and Willow Grove Union Elementary School District.