Casmalia, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Casmalia
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Casmalia in 2023.
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Location of Casmalia in Santa Barbara County, California.
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 Casmalia, California
Location in California
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County | Santa Barbara |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.17 sq mi (0.43 km2) |
| • Land | 0.17 sq mi (0.43 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) 0% |
| Elevation | 276 ft (84 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 147 |
| • Density | 875.00/sq mi (338.73/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP Code |
93429
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| Area code(s) | 805 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2582965 |
Casmalia is a small community in Santa Barbara County, California. It is located near Vandenberg Air Force Base. The town is about 5 miles (8 km) southwest of Santa Maria.
The name Casmalia comes from the Chumash word Kasma’li. This word means "it is the last." In 2020, about 147 people lived in Casmalia. The local ZIP Code is 93429. The community is also within area code 805.
Contents
History of Casmalia
Casmalia is built on land from an old Mexican land grant called Rancho Casmalia. This grant was given in 1840. The town was officially started in the mid-1890s. Antonio Tognazzini was the founder.
How Casmalia Got Its Name
Antonio Tognazzini first named the town Someo. This was after his family's village in Switzerland. But when a post office opened, the name had to be changed. There was already another town in California with a similar name. So, the name Casmalia was chosen instead. The name Someo was eventually dropped.
Population Changes Over Time
When the new railroad came to town, Casmalia grew quickly. In its early years, more than 1500 people lived there. However, about 100 years later, the population dropped to less than 200. This change was due to a special waste disposal site nearby.
This site, called Casmalia Resources, started operating in 1973. It was about 1.2 miles (2 km) north of town. The site covered 252 acres (1.02 km²). It accepted certain types of materials and chemicals.
Cleaning Up the Site
In 1989, the facility was closed. This happened after some rules were not followed. In 1992, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took over. They began a big project to clean up the area.
The soil and groundwater at the site had become very dirty. The former disposal area became a Superfund site. This means it needed a major cleanup effort. During its operation, billions of pounds of materials were buried there. These came from many different places.
The Hitching Post Restaurant
Antonio Tognazzini also built a hotel more than 100 years ago. Frank A. Vandoit operated it. The guest rooms were taken down in 1944. But the main public area of the building still stands today.
This building is now home to The Hitching Post barbecue restaurant. Santa Maria Valley barbecue is special. It often features large pieces of steak. These are cooked over hard wood or coals. It is usually served without any sauce.
The cleanup work at the Superfund site is still ongoing. But the town of Casmalia has mostly returned to normal.
Geography of Casmalia
Casmalia covers a small area of land. According to the United States Census Bureau, it is about 0.2 square miles (0.5 km²). All of this area is land.
Climate in Casmalia
Casmalia has a climate known as a warm-summer Mediterranean climate. This is often shortened to "Csb" on climate maps. This means the summers are warm but not too hot. They are also usually dry. The average monthly temperatures do not go above 71.6 °F (22 °C).
People of Casmalia (Demographics)
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2020 | 147 | — | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1850–1870 1880-1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 |
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The 2010 United States Census counted 138 people living in Casmalia. The population density was about 732 people per square mile (283 people per km²).
Population Makeup
Most residents in 2010 were White (65.9%). A smaller number were African American (2.2%) or Asian (0.7%). About 21.7% of people were from other races. Another 9.4% were from two or more races.
Many residents identified as Hispanic or Latino. This group made up 42.0% of the population.
Households and Families
All 138 people lived in households. There were 57 households in total. About 28.1% of these households had children under 18 living in them.
About 35.1% of households were married couples. Some households had a female householder without a husband (14.0%). Others had a male householder without a wife (7.0%). About 36.8% of households were made up of single individuals. Around 21.1% of these had someone aged 65 or older living alone.
The average household had 2.42 people. There were 32 families, with an average size of 3.16 people.
Age Distribution
The population had a mix of ages. About 21.0% of people were under 18 years old. About 8.0% were aged 18 to 24. The largest group, 34.1%, was aged 45 to 64. About 14.5% of residents were 65 years or older. The median age in Casmalia was 43.0 years.
Housing
There were 61 housing units in Casmalia. About 50.9% of these were owned by the people living in them. The other 49.1% were rented. About 51.4% of the population lived in homes they owned. The remaining 48.6% lived in rented homes.
