Vista

Vista is a medium-sized city within the San Diego-Carlsbad, CA Metropolitan Area and has a population of 101,638. Located just 7 mi (11 km) inland from the Pacific Ocean, it has a Mediterranean climate. In a 2015 review, Vista was ranked as the 173rd-best place in California (out of 240) for families, based on factors such as family life, recreational opportunities, education, health, safety, and affordability. In 1993, Vista became involved in a national controversy when the Vista Unified School District board unsuccessfully tried to incorporate creationist, anti-evolution views into the biology curriculum. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 18.7 square miles (48 km²) of land. The natural vegetation is best seen in Buena Park on the south side, in the San Marcos Hills, and east of the city in undeveloped pockets along Gopher Canyon and Guajome Regional Park. Vista is a hilly city. Most of the businesses are located in the flatter areas, and residences climb the hills. In the 1990s, Wal-Mart, Target and Costco opened large stores in the area. By 1948, Vista becoming the "avocado capital of the world" following World War II, agriculture declined with an influx of population and housing. The City of Vista was incorporated on January 23, 1963. The frequent housing booms of the 1970s through early 2000s greatly increased the population of Vista.

History

The Vista area was originally inhabited by the Luiseño Indians, who established a village in today's Vista called Tovalum. The prosperity of the mission-era declined by the 1830s with the independence of Mexico from Spain. Three ranchos were granted in the Vista area: Rancho Guajome, Rancho Buena Vista, and Agua Hedionda Y los Manos. In the 1850s the ranchos began to fade due to changing political conditions and the scarcity of water. A growing number of settlers came to the area after California became a state in 1850 and began to create smaller agricultural holdings. In 1870, Bernard Delpy arrived from France to build what eventually became known as "Delpy Corners" at the intersection of today's East Vista Way and Foothill Drive. His nephew, Jules Jacques Delpy, joined him in 1879 and together they planted several hundred acres of grapes. In 1886, they built the first successful winery in the country. Vista grew slowly through the early 1910s to less than 1,000 people. The City of Vista was incorporated on January 23, 1963. In 1993, Vista became involved in a national controversy when the Vista Unified School District board unsuccessfully tried to incorporate creationist, anti-evolution views into the biology curriculum. The frequent housing booms of the 1970s through early 2000s greatly increased the population of Vista. Many light manufacturing businesses moved into the Business Park area on the south side, starting in the 1980s. Wal-Mart, Target and Costco opened large stores.

Geography and climate

Vista has a semi-arid climate (Köppen: Bsk) bordering on a Mediterranean climate (Csa) The climate is temperate, with extremes of temperature uncommon. Most of the annual rainfall of 13.24 inches (336 mm) falls between November and April (Mediterranean climate type) Rainfall is higher in the San Marcos Hills on the eastern edge of the city, up to 20 inches (510 mm) per year. The moderate climate has made Vista and surrounding areas a center of the plant nursery industry. Avocados and other subtropical plants thrive in the area. The city has a total area of 18.7 square miles (48 km²) of land. The natural vegetation types includes chaparral brushland, oak-sycamore woodland, riparian (stream) woodland and oak-grass savanna. Vista is a hilly city, and most of the businesses are located in the flatter areas, and residences climb the hills. It is common in May and June for the western side of Vista to be overcast and cool, while the eastern side basks in clear skies and sunshine. High temperatures in excess of 90 °F (32 °C) sometimes occur in late summer, but are rarely above 100°F (38°C) High temperatures also accompany dry Santa Ana wind events, which can strike any month. The moderating influence of the nearby Pacific keeps the weather pleasant and temperatures moderate on 90% of days.

Demographics

The 2010 United States Census reported that Vista had a population of 93,834. The racial makeup of Vista was 59,551 (63.5%) White, 3,137 (3.3%) Black, 1,103 (1.2%) Native American and 3,979 (4.2) Asian. There were 29,814 housing units at an average density of 1,595.9 per square mile (616.2/km²) In 2000, there were 89,857 people, 28,877 households, and 20,791 families residing in the city. The FBI crime index for 2005 was 32.9 for every 1000 residents. The median income for a resident of the city was $30.7 million, up from $26.4 million in 2000. The average household size was 3.13, with 21,119 families (72.0% of all households) making up the majority of the population. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25,074 people (26.7%) under the age of 18, 11,738 people (12.5) aged 18 to 24, 27,659 people (29.4%) aged 25 to 44, 20,690 people (22.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 8,673 people (9.2!) who were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 99.9 males.

Economy

According to the city's 2019 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are: The city's top employers are: KPMG, KPMT, United States Bank, and Wells Fargo. The city is also home to a number of small businesses, such as a bank, a hair salon, a beauty salon and a hair care salon. The top employers for the city in 2019 are KPMC, Wells Fargo, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Government

Vista, a charter city, is governed by a mayor, Judy Ritter, and a city council, consisting of John B. Franklin (Deputy Mayor), Joe Green, Corrina Contreras and Katie Melendez. Law enforcement is provided by the San Diego Sheriff's Department. Vista is in California's 49th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of D+4 and is represented by Democrat Mike Levin. Out of a total of 40,837 registered voters, 13,859 were Democrats, and 13,507 were Republicans. On November 1, 2016, the City of Vista had more registered Democrats than Republicans. The city is in the California 36th Senate District, represented by Republican Janet Nguyen, and in the 76th Assembly District,represented by Democrat Tasha Boerner Horvath. In the California State Legislature, Vista is in the 36th State Senate District and the  76th State Assembly District. The Vista Fire Department provides fire suppression, fire prevention and EMS for the city of Vista and its surrounding areas. The City is in San Diego County, California, and is located in the eastern portion of San Diego Bay. It is located on the San Ysidro Peninsula. It has a population of about 40,000 people, with a population growth rate of 0.7% in the past five years. In 2010, the city's population was 17,000; in 2011, it was 18,000. In 2012, the population grew to 20,000, and by 2013, it had 22,000 residents.

Education

The Vista Unified School District serves Vista and parts of Oceanside and several Unincorporated communities. There are 12 private schools serving over 2,500 students, including Tri-City Christian School, St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School and Calvary Christian School. Guajome Park Academy is a charter school with joint elementary, middle, and high schools. Vista Adult School is a provider of adult education services in the City of Vista and its surrounding communities. Biola University has a branch campus in Vista. Brightwood College (formerly known as Kaplan College) had a campus in Vista until the college's sudden closure in 2018. Vista was mentioned in The Los Angeles Times when a group of social conservatives associated with the Christian right tried to implement creationism into the curriculum in the early 1990s. The school district is part of the Education to Career Network of North San Diego County (ETCN) ETCN is one of 71 Consortiums in the State of California. Vistas Adult School/Vista Unified School district serve as the fiscal agent for Education to career Network. Vistas Adult School was established in 1977 by the Vista unified School District. Vistar Adult School offers adult education courses for adults in the areas of: high school diploma, GED, HISET, adult basic education, ESL, parenting classes, community education courses, and career technical education courses (CTE) Vistar adult school is a member of the Education to Career Network of North San Diego County.

Recreation

Vista is home to two city-owned theaters: the Moonlight Amphitheatre and the Avo Playhouse. The Moonlight is an open-air theater that specializes in musical productions. Guajome County Park has 557 acres (2.25 km²) of land, shared between Vista and nearby Oceanside. Buena Vista Park on the south side of Vista is a natural park where users can hike on trails through native chaparral and oak woodland. The city's Parks and Recreation Department runs the Wave Waterpark, a small but well-equipped waterpark in the downtown area open from mid-spring to early fall. Another attraction is the Antique Gas and Steam Engine Museum demonstrating agricultural equipment from the 19th and early 20th centuries. A Boomers family fun park is also located in Vista. There are over 75 churches and temples of various denominations in the city, including a Japanese-American Cultural Center and Buddhist Temple (one of only two in California), a mosque, and over 75 other churches and mosques. The Vista Rod Run (over 25 years running) and the annual Winterfest & Christmas Parade are two of the city's most popular annual events. The North County St. Patrick's Day Parade & Festival, the Vista Strawberry Festival, and the Vista Rod Race are also popular events in the town. The town is located in the northern part of San Diego County and is located on the eastern edge of the San Diego Bay. It is located between San Diego and Imperial counties.

Infrastructure

The automobile is the primary means of transportation within the city of Vista. Bus service is provided by the North County Transit District (NCTD) BREEZE. NCTD has an eastwest lightweight commuter train called the Sprinter with a stop in downtown Vista and another further east on Civic Center Drive near Highway 78. The Sprinter provides service, west to Oceanside and east to San Marcos and Escondido. The North County Superior Court is a full service branch court. The Vista Community Clinic provides general health care to those who face economic, social or cultural barriers. The city is located within the Tri-City Hospital District, which provides emergency care and hospitalization. Gas and electric service are provided by San Diego Gas & Electric, while water is providing by the Vista Irrigation District. Sewerage is provided in the city by the City of Vista, which also owns and operates the Vista Transit Center and Civic Center drive. The City is located in the San Diego County's North County Regional Center, a facility shared by the Superior Court, Sheriff, Vista Detention Facility jail, Probation, District Attorney, Revenue and Recovery, and the County Board of Supervisors. It is also home to the Vista Police Department, the Vista Fire Department and the Vista Ambulance Service. It has a population of around 2,000 people, the majority of whom live in the eastern part of the city. In the city, there are more than 1,000 homes. The majority of Vista residents live in or near the city's eastern suburbs.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Vista, San Diego County, California = 5.2. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 75. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 69. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Vista = 5.9 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 98,381 individuals with a median age of 31.9 age the population grows by 3.43% in Vista, San Diego County, California population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 5,200 residents per square mile of area (2,000/km²). There are average 3.08 people per household in the 29,461 households with an average household income of $57,445 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 11.70% of the available work force and has dropped -5.41% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 17.48%. The number of physicians in Vista per 100,000 population = 243.9.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Vista = 10.3 inches and the annual snowfall = 0 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 35. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 258. 72 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 44.5 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 45, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Vista, San Diego County, California which are owned by the occupant = 52.55%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 27 years with median home cost = $267,100 and home appreciation of -11.98%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $7.35 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,863 per student. There are 23.7 students for each teacher in the school, 4496 students for each Librarian and 1285 students for each Counselor. 7.29% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 13.02% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 6.41% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).