San Joaquin County is a county located in the United States of America in California's Central Valley, just east of the San Francisco Bay Area. Many Bay Area commuters have moved into the county because of cheaper housing costs. As of 2000, the population is 563,598. The county seat is Stockton.

Stockton is a deep water port on the San Joaquin River.

History

San Joaquin County was one of the original counties of California, created in 1850 at the time of statehood.

The county takes its name from the San Joaquin River. In the early 1800s Lieutenant Gabriel Moraga , commanding an expedition in the lower great California Central Valley, gave the name of San Joaquin (meaning Saint Joachim) to a rivulet that springs from the Sierra Nevada mountains and empties into Buena Vista Lake .

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,694 km² (1,426 mi²). 3,624 km² (1,399 mi²) of it is land and 70 km² (27 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.89% water.

Major highways

• Interstate 5
• Interstate 205
• Interstate 580
• California State Highway 99
• California State Route 4 (Crosstown Freeway/California Delta Highway)
• California State Route 120

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there are 563,598 people, 181,629 households, and 134,768 families residing in the county. The population density is 156/km² (403/mi²). There are 189,160 housing units at an average density of 52/km² (135/mi²). The racial makeup of the county is 58.13% White, 6.69% Black or African American, 1.13% Native American, 11.41% Asian, 0.35% Pacific Islander, 16.26% from other races, and 6.05% from two or more races. 30.53% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 181,629 households out of which 40.50% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.30% are married couples living together, 14.00% have a female householder with no husband present, and 25.80% are non-families. 20.70% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.40% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 3.00 and the average family size is 3.48.

In the county the population is spread out with 31.00% under the age of 18, 10.00% from 18 to 24, 28.80% from 25 to 44, 19.60% from 45 to 64, and 10.60% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 32 years. For every 100 females there are 99.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 97.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county is $41,282, and the median income for a family is $46,919. Males have a median income of $39,246 versus $27,507 for females. The per capita income for the county is $17,365. 17.70% of the population and 13.50% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 23.70% of those under the age of 18 and 10.00% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Cities and towns

• August
• Country Club
• Escalon
• Farmington
• French Camp
• Garden Acres
• Kennedy
• Lathrop
• Lincoln Village
• Linden
• Lockeford
• Lodi
• Manteca
• Morada
• North Woodbridge
• Ripon
• South Woodbridge
• Stockton
• Taft Mosswood
• Tracy

External Link

• San Joaquin County official website