Acton, California

History

The town originally had served as a railroad camp from 1873 to 1876 when the Saugus-Mojave section of the Southern Pacific Railroad was under construction.

Acton was once considered for the State capital of California. California Governor Henry T. Gage (1899–1903) owned the Governor Mine, hence the name, and sought to relocate the capital to Acton. This effort ultimately failed and the capital was not moved from Sacramento. In the late 1880s, Acton started to become more of a ranching and farming community. In 1889 Acton's first hotel and its first saloon, the "49er" (formerly Sutter's Mill), was opened and is still in business today.

Geography

Acton is located at (34.472777, -118.183696), 20 mi east of Santa Clarita and 8 mi south of Palmdale. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 39.3 sqmi, over 99% of it land. Mount Gleason, one of the peaks of the San Gabriel Mountains, is located 7 mi south of Acton and can be seen in the town or by passersby on the 14.

Climate

This region experiences warm (but not very hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 F. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Acton has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated Csb on climate maps. Summer daytime temperatures average 88 F and above.

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1860–1870 1880-1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

Acton first appeared as a census designated place in the 1990 U.S. census.

2020 census

The 2020 United States census reported that Acton had a population of 7,431. The population density was 189.3 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Acton was 68.9% White, 1.1% African American, 1.0% Native American, 2.1% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 12.9% from other races, and 13.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 27.9% of the population.

The whole population lived in households. There were 2,682 households, out of which 24.2% included children under the age of 18, 58.4% were married-couple households, 6.3% were cohabiting couple households, 18.4% had a female householder with no partner present, and 16.9% had a male householder with no partner present. 19.4% of households were one person, and 9.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.77.

The age distribution was 17.5% under the age of 18, 7.8% aged 18 to 24, 20.8% aged 25 to 44, 35.3% aged 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 48.2years. For every 100 females, there were 103.4 males.

There were 2,821 housing units at an average density of 71.9 /mi2, of which 2,682 (95.1%) were occupied. Of these, 88.0% were owner-occupied, and 12.0% were occupied by renters.

Mapping L.A.

According to Mapping L.A., German and Irish were the most common ancestries in 2000. Mexico and Canada were the most common foreign places of birth.

Economy

Median earnings per worker in Acton in 2015 were $75,714 compared to the United States average of $44,178. Acton has $84,375 median earnings for men, 55% greater than the $54,384 median for women. 22% of the people in Acton report self-employment income, twice the U.S. average of 11%.

6.9% of the population of Acton lives in poverty. Of those, 17% are employed. Just 1% of Acton households use some form of public assistance, compared to the United States average of 14%.

7% of Acton workers carpool to work, less than the U.S. average of 10%. Acton has a large number of people who are able to work from home at 12% versus 4% for the U.S. The average commute to work in Acton is 46 minutes, much longer than the U.S. average of 26 minutes.

Parks and recreation

Farm Sanctuary

Farm Sanctuary, founded here in 1986, was America's first shelter for farmed animals.

Shambala Preserve

The Shambala Preserve, a wild animal nature park run by actress Tippi Hedren, is located near Acton. Ventures on Hedren's 80 acre wild animal compound include a Safari at the authentic African-style haven for more than 70 African lions, Royal Bengal and Siberian tigers, spotted and black leopards, cougars, and African elephants.

Parker Mountain

Acton is home to Parker Mountain, the mecca for a style of radio-controlled aircraft flying called "dynamic soaring" and where at one time the world speed record of 302 mi/h was achieved.

Bloom Ranch

Established in 1891 by Swiss immigrants George Blum and Magdalena Greutman, Bloom Ranch is one of Acton's oldest homesteads. The ranch has a rich history of agricultural production, including pears, apples, lilacs, and renowned peaches. A notable feature is the stone house constructed in 1916, symbolizing the family's enduring commitment to the land. In 2023, Dr. Bill Releford acquired Bloom Ranch and expanded the property to 250 acres, making it the largest Black-owned ranch in Los Angeles County. Under his leadership, the ranch emphasizes sustainable farming practices and community engagement, hosting events like the annual "Bloom's Giving Fall Festival" to foster local connections.

Government

In the California State Legislature, Acton is in , and in .

In the United States House of Representatives, Acton is in .

Acton is part of the unincorporated portion of Los Angeles County and is in the 5th Supervisorial District. At the local level, the community is represented by the Acton Town Council, an advisory group of citizens made up of 7 members.

Education

Acton is within the Acton-Agua Dulce Unified School District. There are three schools in Acton: Meadowlark Elementary School, High Desert Middle School, and Vasquez High School.

Infrastructure

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services operates the Antelope Valley Health Center in Lancaster, serving Acton.

References

References

1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
2. {{Cite GNIS. 1660228. Acton
3. David W. Kean, ''Wide Places in the California Roads: The encyclopedia of California's small towns and the roads that lead to them'' (Volume 1 of 4: Southern California Counties), p. 11
4. (February 12, 2011). "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". [[United States Census Bureau]].
5. [http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=410041&cityname=Acton%2C+California%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for Acton, California]
6. "Decennial Census by Decade".
7. "1870 Census of Population - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties - California - Almeda County to Sutter County".
8. "1870 Census of Population - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties - California - Tehama County to Yuba County".
9. "1890 Census of Population - Population of California by Minor Civil Divisions".
10. "1900 Census of Population - Population of California by Counties and Minor Civil Divisions".
11. "1910 Census of Population - Supplement for California".
12. "1920 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - California".
13. "1930 Census of Population - Number and Distribution of Inhabitants - California".
14. "1940 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - California".
15. "1950 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - California".
16. "1960 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - California".
17. "1960 Census of Population - General population Characteristics - California".
18. "1970 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - California".
19. "1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - California".
20. "1990 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - California".
21. "2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - California".
22. "2010 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - California".
23. "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Acton CDP, California".
24. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Acton CDP, California".
25. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Acton CDP, California".
26. "Acton CDP, California; DP1: Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics - 2020 Census of Population and Housing".
27. "Acton CDP, California; P16: Household Type - 2020 Census of Population and Housing".
28. "Acton Profile - Mapping L.A. - Los Angeles Times".
29. "Acton California Economy data".
30. Feinberg, Scott. (July 25, 2016). "Tippi Hedren's Shambala Preserve Not Evacuated Because of Santa Clarita Fire". The Hollywood Reporter.
31. [http://www.sloperacing.com/results/ds-speeds.htm] {{webarchive. link. (January 10, 2010)
32. "Find Your California Representatives".
33. {{Cite GovTrack. CA. 27
34. "Acton-Agua Dulce Unified School District". Aadusd.k12.ca.us.
35. (August 2025). "Meadowlark School".
36. "High Desert School". Aadusd.k12.ca.us.
37. "[http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/phn/docs/HealthCenter/antelopevalley.pdf Antelope Valley Health Center]." [[Los Angeles County Department of Health Services]]. Retrieved on March 18, 2010.