Woodcrest, California

History

The Woodcrest area was initially populated by dry land grain farmers in the late 19th century. In 1894, the population had grown enough for the Riverside County Board of Supervisors to establish a school in the area, and on February 6 of that year they authorized the Oak Glen School District.

In 1905 the first subdivision, the Oak Glen Tract, was created. The House Heights tract was formed in April 1924, and in May the Fertile Acres tract was created near the current Washington Street and Van Buren intersection. In February 1926, the first of five subdivisions with the name Woodcrest Acres was formed, and the name “Woodcrest” was subsequently given to the post office that was established later that year. Although the post office was closed in 1936, the Woodcrest name continued to be used to refer to the area from then on.

Water in the Woodcrest area became more affordable after the voters of Riverside, Corona, Lake Elsinore and surrounding unincorporated areas approved the formation of the Western Municipal Water District in 1955. Landowners began diversifying agriculture in the area. Although citrus groves within Riverside city limits were on the decline, groves in the Woodcrest area began to expand.

Beginning in the 1980s, population pressures and the availability of cheaper land resulted in the decline of agriculture in the Woodcrest area. Today, most orange groves in Woodcrest have given way to development. The citrus industry that was the foundation of Riverside and surrounding communities has nearly disappeared.

Etymology

"Wood" was the name, or part of the name, of several prominent property owners in the area, and the word was combined with "crest" because the original Woodcrest Acres tract was at the crest of the hills in the area. Additionally, two real estate promoters in the area were named Marie and Charles Wood.

Geography

Woodcrest is located at (33.883366, -117.363825). Certain locations of Woodcrest reach higher than 2000 ft above sea level.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 11.4 sqmi, all of it land.

Woodcrest is also an equestrian community with many of its residences owning ranches and horses. However, many new housing developments are being built in Woodcrest due to the increasing population of Riverside.

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1990 2000 2010

2020

The 2020 United States census reported that Woodcrest had a population of 15,378. The population density was 1,351.9 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of Woodcrest was 53.4% White, 5.2% African American, 1.2% Native American, 6.6% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 17.0% from other races, and 16.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 36.9% of the population.

The census reported that 99.3% of the population lived in households, 0.7% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized.

There were 4,648 households, out of which 34.8% included children under the age of 18, 64.3% were married-couple households, 4.4% were cohabiting couple households, 18.2% had a female householder with no partner present, and 13.1% had a male householder with no partner present. 12.6% of households were one person, and 7.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.28.

The age distribution was 21.8% under the age of 18, 8.9% aged 18 to 24, 22.4% aged 25 to 44, 29.0% aged 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 42.1years. For every 100 females, there were 100.2 males.

There were 4,767 housing units at an average density of 419.1 /mi2, of which 4,648 (97.5%) were occupied. Of these, 89.1% were owner-occupied, and 10.9% were occupied by renters.

2023 estimates

In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that 13.4% of the population were foreign-born. Of all people aged 5 or older, 69.5% spoke only English at home, 24.5% spoke Spanish, 1.4% spoke other Indo-European languages, 3.9% spoke Asian or Pacific Islander languages, and 0.7% spoke other languages. Of those aged 25 or older, 92.3% were high school graduates and 30.0% had a bachelor's degree.

The median household income was $139,659, and the per capita income was $49,085. About 5.1% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line.

Government

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

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

Education

Most of Woodcrest is in Riverside Unified School District while a portion is in Val Verde Unified School District.

References

Bibliography

• Gunther, Jane Davies. Riverside County, California, Place Names; Their Origines and Their Stories, Rubidoux Printing Co, Riverside, CA, 1984. LOC Catalog: 84-72920.
• Patterson, Tom. A Colony For California, Second Edition, The Museum Press of the Riverside Museum Associates, Riverside, California, 1996. LOC catalog: 96-70106. .

Citations and Notes

References

1. {{Cite GNIS. 1652815. Woodcrest
2. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
3. "QuickFacts: Woodcrest CDP, California". US Census Bureau.
4. "City of Riverside: City Annexations".
5. Gunther, pages 580-582.
6. Patterson, page 462-463.
7. Susan Wood owned property around the current Wood Road, and is the person for whom the road was named in 1916. John C. Woodard owned {{convert. 160. acre. km2 off of current day Washington Street. For many years, one of the main routes from Riverside out to Woodcrest was referred to as Woodard Grade, or sometimes Woodward Grade, but the name was later lost when the county realigned the route with current day Washington Street.''The Press-Enterprise'', November 9, 1961.
8. (2011-02-12). "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". [[United States Census Bureau]].
9. "Decennial Census by Decade".
10. "1990 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - California".
11. "2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - California".
12. "2010 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - California".
13. "Woodcrest CDP, California; DP1: Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics - 2020 Census of Population and Housing".
14. "Woodcrest CDP, California; P16: Household Type - 2020 Census of Population and Housing".
15. "Woodcrest CDP, California; CP02: Comparative Social Characteristics in the United States - 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates Comparison Profiles".
16. "Woodcrest CDP, California; DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics - 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates Comparison Profiles".
17. "Find Your California Representatives".
18. {{Cite GovTrack. CA. 41
19. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Riverside County, CA". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].