Bear Valley Springs, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bear Valley Springs, California
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Location in Kern County and the state of California
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 Bear Valley Springs, California
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Kern |
| Area | |
| • Total | 38.94 sq mi (100.86 km2) |
| • Land | 38.88 sq mi (100.69 km2) |
| • Water | 0.07 sq mi (0.17 km2) 0.16% |
| Elevation | 4,121 ft (1,256 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 5,592 |
| • Density | 143.85/sq mi (55.54/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code |
93561
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| Area code(s) | 661 |
| FIPS code | 06-04734 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1866997 |
Bear Valley Springs is a special community in Kern County, California. It is a "guarded-gate community," which means there are gates and security to control who enters. This helps keep the area safe and private for its residents.
This community is located in the Tehachapi Mountains. It is part of the larger Tehachapi area. The land here goes from about 4,121 feet (1,256 meters) high to 6,934 feet (2,113 meters) high at Bear Mountain.
The number of people living in Bear Valley Springs changes throughout the year. More people live there in the summer because the higher elevation makes it cooler than nearby cities. In winter, when it often snows, fewer people are around. In 2020, about 5,592 people lived here.
Bear Valley Springs is also known as a census-designated place (CDP). This is a special area defined by the United States Census Bureau for counting people.
Contents
How Bear Valley Springs is Managed
Bear Valley Springs is a bit different from most communities. It's called "semi-public." This means that the roads and other important things like water systems are owned by a public agency. This agency is called the Bear Valley Community Services District (BVCSD).
There is also a group called the Bear Valley Springs Association. This group helps manage the homes and properties. Because the BVCSD limits who can enter, it cannot get money from the county or state for road repairs. Instead, local property taxes pay for all the road work.
History of Bear Valley Springs
Early Days and the Fickert Family
Long ago, in 1869, the Fickert family settled in this area. It was a very quiet and remote place. For many centuries before that, Native Americans lived on this land.
The Fickerts started with 160 acres (about 0.65 square kilometers). Over time, they bought more land. By the early 1900s, their ranch grew very large. It covered about 25,000 acres (about 101 square kilometers).
The last of the Fickert family left the ranch by 1959. They were buried in a small family cemetery near their old home.
Creating a Community
After the Fickert family, a company called Dart Resorts bought the ranch. Dart Resorts wanted to keep the natural beauty and wildlife of the area. They hired experts to help plan this. This is how Bear Valley Springs began.
The first properties were sold in late 1970. By November 1977, all the properties were sold. Two main groups were formed to help manage the new community.
The Bear Valley Springs Community Services District (BVCSD) was created. It is a non-profit group that manages water, roads, and even police protection. The Bear Valley Springs Property Owners Association was also formed. This group takes care of the community's fun features, like parks and recreation areas. Together, these groups make sure Bear Valley Springs stays a great place to live.
From Resort to Homes
Originally, Bear Valley Springs was planned as a vacation spot. Families could come for weekends or longer and enjoy many activities. But this idea changed.
Instead of just vacation homes, many people decided to live there full-time. Today, there are about 3,700 homes in Bear Valley Springs. Some famous people have lived here, too. For example, former President Ronald Reagan once owned a ranch in Bear Valley Springs. Many athletes and TV or movie stars have also chosen to make it their home.
Geography and Climate
Where is Bear Valley Springs?
Bear Valley Springs is located at coordinates 35.095° N latitude and 118.377° W longitude.
The community covers a total area of about 41.6 square miles (107.7 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, about 41.5 square miles (107.5 square kilometers). A very small part, about 0.07 square miles (0.17 square kilometers), is water.
Weather in Bear Valley Springs
Bear Valley Springs has a semi-arid climate. This means it is generally dry, but not a desert. It has weather similar to nearby Tehachapi, California.
| Climate data for Bear Valley Springs, California (1981–2010) | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 51.6 (10.9) |
52.4 (11.3) |
55.9 (13.3) |
61.0 (16.1) |
70.2 (21.2) |
78.6 (25.9) |
85.9 (29.9) |
85.6 (29.8) |
79.8 (26.6) |
69.5 (20.8) |
57.6 (14.2) |
50.2 (10.1) |
66.5 (19.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 32.4 (0.2) |
33.2 (0.7) |
34.7 (1.5) |
36.9 (2.7) |
45.4 (7.4) |
53.8 (12.1) |
59.3 (15.2) |
58.6 (14.8) |
52.7 (11.5) |
45.9 (7.7) |
38.2 (3.4) |
31.7 (−0.2) |
43.6 (6.4) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.3 (58) |
2.6 (66) |
2.4 (61) |
1.2 (30) |
0.5 (13) |
0.1 (2.5) |
0.1 (2.5) |
0.1 (2.5) |
0.2 (5.1) |
0.6 (15) |
1.9 (48) |
1.9 (48) |
13.9 (351.6) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 2.3 (5.8) |
2.1 (5.3) |
4.2 (11) |
0.5 (1.3) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.5 (3.8) |
3.7 (9.4) |
14.4 (36.85) |
| Source: Bestplaces | |||||||||||||
Population Information
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2020 | 5,592 | — | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1850–1870 1880-1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 |
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Population Growth
In 2010, Bear Valley Springs had 5,172 people. This was an increase from 4,232 people in 2000. By 2020, the population grew to 5,592 people. This shows that more and more people are choosing to live in this community.
Who Lives in Bear Valley Springs?
In 2010, most residents were White (92.3%). There were also smaller groups of African American, Native American, and Asian residents. About 7.7% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
Most people (100%) lived in homes, not in group housing. The average home had about 2 to 3 people living in it. Many homes were families, including married couples.
Age of Residents
The community has people of all ages. In 2010, about 20.6% of the people were under 18 years old. About 23.8% were 65 years or older. The average age was around 51 years old. This means it's a community with a mix of younger families and older adults.
Most homes (87.6%) were owned by the people living in them. A smaller number (12.4%) were rented. This shows that many people who live in Bear Valley Springs own their homes.
See also
In Spanish: Bear Valley Springs para niños
