North Shore, California

North Shore
—  census-designated place  —
North Shore Location within the state of California
Coordinates: 33°30′46″N 115°55′38″W / 33.51278°N 115.92722°W / 33.51278; -115.92722Coordinates: 33°30′46″N 115°55′38″W / 33.51278°N 115.92722°W / 33.51278; -115.92722
Country	United States
State	California
County	Riverside
Area[1]
– Total	11.177 sq mi (28.949 km2)
– Land	11.177 sq mi (28.949 km2)
– Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)  0%
Elevation[2]	-69 ft (-21 m)
Population (2010)
– Total	3,477
– Density	311.1/sq mi (120.1/km2)
Time zone	Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
– Summer (DST)	PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP codes	92254
Area code(s)	760
FIPS code
GNIS feature ID	2583097
U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: North Shore, California

North Shore is a census-designated place in southeastern Riverside County,^[2] so named because of its location along the northeast shore of the Salton Sea. It was once a popular vacation destination spot before ever-increasing salinity and pollution of the Salton Sea shut the tourist trade down. The population was 3,477 at the 2010 census.

The town traces its beginnings to 1958 when developers Ray Ryan and Trav Rogers purchased the land on which the town would sit and began to sell individual parcels in 1960.

North Shore is notable as the home of the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge, one of California's greatest birdwatching areas. Established in 1930 by presidential proclamation and with an original area of over 35,000 acres (140 km²), only about 2,200 manageable acres (8.9 km²) remain due to flooding caused by the Salton Sea. A proposed system of dikes that will help control the ever-increasing salinity of the Salton Sea will also serve to stop further encroachment on the refuge.

One building is particularly noteworthy. The North Shore Beach and Yacht Club, an Albert Frey design, opened in 1962 and was in active use until 1984; rising water levels destroyed the jetty in 1981, thereby making it impossible for boats to dock there. As recently as the early 2000s, it was possible to enter the lobby prior to its being boarded up, although stairs leading to the second floor had been removed prior to its abandonment. The lobby was once littered with hotel receipts dating back to its last days. The yacht club has been restored under a $3.35 million grant and serves as the Salton Sea History Museum.

North Shore is accessible via State Route 111 at the Imperial County line. The wildlife refuge and campground is a short distance south of the town.

The ZIP Code is 92254, and the community is inside area code 760.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP covers an area of 11.2 square miles (28.9 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

The 2010 United States Census^[3] reported that North Shore had a population of 3,477. The population density was 311.1 people per square mile (120.1/km²). The racial makeup of North Shore was 1,394 (40.1%) White, 33 (0.9%) African American, 26 (0.7%) Native American, 18 (0.5%) Asian, 5 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 1,884 (54.2%) from other races, and 117 (3.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3,313 persons (95.3%).

The Census reported that 3,477 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.

There were 750 households, out of which 542 (72.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 550 (73.3%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 83 (11.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 52 (6.9%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 47 (6.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 10 (1.3%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 47 households (6.3%) were made up of individuals and 13 (1.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.64. There were 685 families (91.3% of all households); the average family size was 4.83.

The population was spread out with 1,388 people (39.9%) under the age of 18, 418 people (12.0%) aged 18 to 24, 918 people (26.4%) aged 25 to 44, 621 people (17.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 132 people (3.8%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 23.6 years. For every 100 females there were 110.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.9 males.

There were 854 housing units at an average density of 76.4 per square mile (29.5/km²), of which 606 (80.8%) were owner-occupied, and 144 (19.2%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.0%; the rental vacancy rate was 12.5%. 2,826 people (81.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 651 people (18.7%) lived in rental housing units.

References

1. ^ U.S. Census
2. ^ ^{a b} U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: North Shore, California
3. ^ All data are derived from the United States Census Bureau reports from the 2010 United States Census, and are accessible on-line here. The data on unmarried partnerships and same-sex married couples are from the Census report DEC_10_SF1_PCT15. All other housing and population data are from Census report DEC_10_DP_DPDP1. Both reports are viewable online or downloadable in a zip file containing a comma-delimited data file. The area data, from which densities are calculated, are available on-line here. Percentage totals may not add to 100% due to rounding. The Census Bureau defines families as a household containing one or more people related to the householder by birth, opposite-sex marriage, or adoption. People living in group quarters are tabulated by the Census Bureau as neither owners nor renters. For further details, see the text files accompanying the data files containing the Census reports mentioned above.

• North Shore at Google Maps
• North Shore Epodunk.com profile
• "Where the Ghost Bird Sings by the Poison Springs Outside article
• History of the town and yacht club at sci.sdsu.edu