Mecca, California
| Mecca | |
|---|---|
| Census designated place | |
 Location in Riverside County and the state of California |
|
 Mecca
|
|
| Coordinates: 33°34′18″N 116°04′38″W / 33.57167°N 116.07722°WCoordinates: 33°34′18″N 116°04′38″W / 33.57167°N 116.07722°W | |
| Country |
 United States
|
| State |
 California
|
| County | Riverside |
| Named for | Mecca, for its climate |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6.959 sq mi (18.023 km2) |
| • Land | 6.959 sq mi (18.023 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) 0% |
| Elevation | -187 ft (-57 m) |
| Population (April 1, 2010) | |
| • Total | 8,577 |
| • Density | 1,200/sq mi (480/km2) |
| Time zone | Pacific (UTC-8) |
| • Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) |
| ZIP code | 92254 |
| Area codes | 442/760 |
| FIPS code | 06-46660 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 1652751, 2408811 |
Mecca is an unincorporated community located in Riverside County, California, United States. The desert community lies on the North shore of the Eastern Coachella Valley's Salton Sea and is surrounded by agricultural land.
Situated within the Colorado Desert, Mecca's climate is that of an arid desert, which experiences an average 90 degree temperature. Low temperatures can reach into the 20s. The community sits at less than 150 feet below sea level on the edge of the Salton Sea, formerly the Salton Sink.
Land developers intending to irrigate the desert with water from the Colorado River did not foresee excess snow melt and for two years from 1905-1906 accidentally re-routed the entirety of the river to the Salton Sink, flooding the salt mines that had been a source of salt for perhaps centuries and giving rise to the Salton Sea. Groundwater and water transported via the Coachella Canal have transformed the desert environment into large swaths of agricultural land.
The 2010 United States Census reported that Mecca had a population of 8,577. The population density was 1,232.5 people per square mile (475.9/km²). The racial makeup of Mecca was 2,686 (31.3%) White, 40 (0.5%) African American, 47 (0.5%) Native American, 17 (0.2%) Asian, 7 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, and 237 (2.8%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8,462 persons (98.7%).
There were 1,854 households, out of which 1,374 (74.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,185 (63.9%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 339 (18.3%) had a female householder with no husband present, 175 (9.4%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 142 (7.7%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 10 (0.5%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. The average household consisted of 4.63 persons per household.
The population was spread out with 3,372 people (39.3%) under the age of 18, 1,141 people (13.3%) aged 18 to 24, 2,353 people (27.4%) aged 25 to 44, 1,368 people (15.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 343 people (4.0%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 23.7 years. For every 100 females there were 111.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.8 males.
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