Ceres, California

Ceres, California
City
City of Ceres
Ceres City Hall
Seal
Motto:  "Together We Achieve"
Location of Ceres in Stanislaus County, California.
Ceres, California Location in the United States Show map of California Ceres, California Ceres, California (the United States) Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 37°36′5″N120°57′26″W / 37.60139°N 120.95722°W / 37.60139; -120.95722
Country	United States of America
State	California
County	Stanislaus
Incorporated	February 25, 1918 [1]
Named for	Ceres
Government
•  Mayor	Javier Lopez [2]
Area [3]
• Total	9.35 sq mi (24.22 km2)
• Land	9.35 sq mi (24.21 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.01 km2)  0.10%
Elevation [4]	92 ft (28 m)
Population  (2020) [5]
• Total	49,302
• Density	5,211.43/sq mi (2,012.15/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code	95307
Area code	209
FIPS code	06-12524
GNIS feature IDs	1655882, 2409430
Website	www.ci.ceres.ca.us

Ceres is a city in Stanislaus County, California. Its population was 49,302 at the 2020 U.S. Census, up from 45,417 at the 2010 U.S. Census. It is part of the Modesto metropolitan statistical area.

Ceres is located in the San Joaquin Valley along State Route 99, south of Modesto and north of Turlock in Stanislaus County. Ceres is named after the Roman goddess of agriculture.

The newspaper in Ceres is called the Ceres Courier, ^[6] which has been in publication since 1910. The offices of the Ceres Courier were relocated from an address in downtown Ceres in 2012. It has since combined day-to-day operations with its sister paper, the Turlock Journal, in Turlock. Jeff Benziger was appointed editor in 1987. The city also has a Spanish-language paper.

Ceres hosts annual events at different times of the year. Spring brings the Ceres Street Faire on the first weekend in May. Skies the Limit, Ceres Hot Air Balloon Festival, Concert in the Park is a regular summer event. Halloween Fun Festival marks the fall, followed by the colorful, and much-attended, Christmas Tree Lane opening ceremony.

History

The first non-native families who inhabited Ceres were those of John Service, Cassius Warner, and Daniel Whitmore in 1867. ^[7] Daniel C. Whitmore is considered the first founding patriarch of Ceres. He built his home in 1870, the Daniel Whitmore House at 2928 5th Street. That home still stands, fully restored by the city and the Ceres Historical Society. ^[8] The Clinton Whitmore Mansion, built in 1903 is also owned by the City of Ceres. ^{[9] [10]}

In the early 1890s, outlaws Chris Evans and John Sontag robbed several Southern Pacific Railroad trains at Ceres and several other area locations. ^[11] In the late 1930s, a labor camp was developed within the city of Ceres as part of the Federal Migratory Labor Camp Program. ^{[12] [13] [14]}

The history of Ceres is recounted in Arcadia Publishing Company's Images of America series entitled, Ceres, by Jeff Benziger. It was released on August 23, 2010. ^[15]

The Ceres Historical Museum highlights items from the town's history, focusing on items which were used in the daily life in Ceres. ^[16]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Ceres has a total area of 8.0 sq mi(20.8 km²), 99.9% of it land and 0.1% of it covered by water. The formation of alluvial fans in the San Joaquin Valley has led to a rather flat regional geography. No active earthquake fault traces in the project vicinity are known. ^[17] Hydrological feature mapping of the Ceres area has been conducted by the U. S. Geological Survey. ^[18]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1920	637		—
1930	981		54.0%
1940	1,332		35.8%
1950	2,351		76.5%
1960	4,406		87.4%
1970	6,029		36.8%
1980	13,281		120.3%
1990	26,314		98.1%
2000	34,609		31.5%
2010	45,417		31.2%
2020	49,302		8.6%
U.S. Decennial Census [19]

2020

The 2020 U.S. Census ^[20] reported that Ceres had a population of 49,302. The population density was 5,663.2 inhabitants per square mile (2,186.6/km²). The ethnic makeup of Ceres was 16,248 (32.99%) White, 1,020 African American (2.07%), 609 (1.3%) Native American, 4.226 (8.58%) Asian, 382 (0.77%) Pacific Islander, 17,536 (35.6%) from other races, and 8,873 (18%) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 31,624 persons (64.18%).

In Ceres, California, the home ownership rate, as reported in the 2020 Census, stands at 63.3% and there were a total 13,828 housing units in the city.

2010

The 2010 U.S. Census ^[21] reported that Ceres had a population of 45,417. The population density was 5,663.2 inhabitants per square mile (2,186.6/km²). The ethnic makeup of Ceres was 26,217 (57.7%) White, 1,185 (2.6%) African American, 609 (1.3%) Native American, 3,093 (6.8%) Asian, 346 (0.8%) Pacific Islander, 11,463 (25.2%) from other races, and 2,504 (5.5%) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 25,436 persons (56.0%).

The census reported that 45,064 people (99.2% of the population) lived in households, 293 (0.6%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 60 (0.1%) were institutionalized.

Of the 12,692 households, 6,876 (54.2%) had children under 18 living in them, 7,311 (57.6%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 2,211 (17.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, and 1,053 (8.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. The city had 976 (7.7%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 76 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships; 1,586 households (12.5%) were one person and 628 (4.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.55. There were 10,575 families (83.3% of households); the average family size was 3.84.

The age distribution was 14,623 people (32.2%) under 18, 5,108 people (11.2%) aged 18 to 24, 12,506 people (27.5%) aged 25 to 44, 9,667 people (21.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 3,513 people (7.7%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 29.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.9 males.

The 13,673 housing units averaged of 1,704.9/sq mi, and of the occupied units, 8,010 (63.1%) were owner-occupied and 4,682 (36.9%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 8.2%; 27,776 people (61.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 17,288 people (38.1%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

As of the 2000 U.S. Census, ^[22] 34,609 people, 10,435 households, and 8,535 families were in the city. The population density was 4,988.6 people/sq mi (1,926.1 people/km²). The 10,773 housing units at an average density of 1,552.8 units per square mile (599.5 units/km²). The ethnic makeup of the city was 64.5% White, 2.8% African American, 1.4% Native American, 5.0% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, 20.4% from other races, and 5.5% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 37.9% of the population.

Of the 10,435 households, 48.6% had children under 18 living with them, 59.8% were married couples living together, 15.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.2% were not families. About 14.1% of households were one person, and 6.0% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.31, and the average family size was 3.62.

The age distribution was 34.4% under 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 17.5% from 45 to 64, and 8.1% 65 or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.8 males.

The median income for a household was $40,736 and for a family was $43,587. Males had a median income of $35,109 versus $24,317 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,420. About 10.1% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.6% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Ceres Community Center

In the California State Legislature, Ceres is in the 4th Senate District , represented by Republican Marie Alvarado-Gil, ^[23] and in the 22nd Assembly District , represented by Republican Juan Alanis. ^[24]

In the United States House of Representatives, Ceres is in California's 13th congressional district , represented by Democrat Adam Gray ^[25] as of January 2025.

The City of Ceres has an elected City Council, including the positions of mayor and four council members. As of January 2025, Javier Lopez is the mayor. ^[26] A part-time City Treasurer is also an elected position. The City Council hires a professional City Manager as the Chief Administrative Officer and appoints a City Attorney. ^[27]

Economy

The Bronco Wine Company, makers of Charles Shaw wine, also known as "Two-Buck Chuck", is headquartered south of Ceres. ^{[28] [29]}

Parks and recreation

The City of Ceres maintains 11 parks for public use. ^[30] Ceres's largest park is the Ceres River Bluff Regional Park. ^[31]

Transportation

Altamont Corridor Express commuter rail train service is expected to be extended to a new station in Ceres by 2026. ^{[32] [33] [34]}

Notable people

• Cliff Barrows - the ministry partner and announcer at the Billy Graham evangelistic crusades ^[35]
• Gary Condit - former Democratic U.S. Congressman from 1989 to 2002 ^[36]
• Gary Duncan - guitarist for Quicksilver Messenger Service ^[37]
• Wayne Hardin - College Football Hall of Famer, former football and basketball coach at Ceres High School ^[38]
• Kenny Pierce - former bass guitar player for Buck Owens' Buckaroos from 1960 to 1962
• Cade Cowell - professional soccer player for Chivas Guadalajara ^[39]
• Sis Bates - softball player for the Washington Huskies ^[40]

References

1. "California Cities by Incorporation Date". California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions. Archived from the original (Word) on November 3, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
2. "City Council". City of Ceres. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
3. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
4. "Ceres". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved December 14, 2014.
5. "Ceres (city) QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved August 15, 2021.
6. Mantecabulletin.com Archived February 5, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
7. "The History of Ceres : The First Families". Ceres Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
8. "The Daniel Whitmore House". HMdb.org - This Historical Marker Database. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
9. Benzinger, Jeff (March 9, 2016). "Clampers monument dedicated at historic home". Ceres Courier.
10. Benziger, Jeff (January 20, 2016). "Group gets three more years to run Whitmore Mansion". Ceres Courier.
11. "Sontag and Evans". eshomvalley.com. Retrieved November 29, 2012.
12. "FSA Labor camp maps - Ceres". National Agricultural Library. U.S. Department of Agriculture. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
13. O'Reilly, Kelly (April 2012). "Oklatopia": The Cultural Mission of California's Migratory Labor Camps, 1935-1941 [Undergraduate Senior Thesis] (PDF). Department of History. Columbia University.
14. Martinez-Matsuda, V. (2009). Making the Modern Migrant: Work, Community, and Struggle in the Federal Migratory Labor Camp Program, 1935–1947 [Doctoral Dissertation]. University of Texas at Austin.
15. "Ceres by Jeff Benzinger". Arcadia Publishing. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
16. Benzinger, Jeff (March 6, 2024). "Museum exhibits highlight Ceres from its inception". Ceres Courier.
17. Earth Metrics, 1989
18. USGS, 2003
19. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
20. "Ceres city, California, Census 2020 Profile".
21. "2010 Census Interactive Population Search: CA - Ceres city". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
22. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
23. "2023-2024 Legislative Session Zip Code Directory. Senate Districts" (PDF). California State Senate. February 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
24. "Assemblymember Juan Alanis". Juan Alanis Assembly District 22. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
25. "California's 10th Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC.
26. "City Council". City of Ceres. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
27. "Your Government". City of Ceres. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
28. Deitch, Edward (May 22, 2011). "The Wine Called "Two-Buck Chuck"". msnbc.com. Archived from the original on January 7, 2014. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
29. Holland, John (January 30, 2024). "New generation leads Bronco Wine, maker of Two Buck Chuck and other Central Valley products". The Modesto Bee.
30. City of Ceres. "City Parks". www.ci.ceres.ca.us. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
31. City of Ceres. "River Bluff Regional Park". www.ci.ceres.ca.us. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
32. Holland, John (April 27, 2018). "Expanded train service coming to Modesto, Merced; what it means for commuters". Modesto Bee. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
33. San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission (January 10, 2018). "Notice of Preparation of an Environmental Impact Report: ACE Extension Lathrop to Ceres/Merced" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 11, 2018. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
34. Holland, John (March 13, 2023). "ACE rail expansion runs late, just as Modesto readies its historic downtown depot". Modesto Bee. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
35. "Remembering Cliff Barrows". www.cerescourier.com. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
36. "Condit: From Success to Scandal - Page 3 - latimes". Los Angeles Times . December 14, 2015. Archived from the original on December 14, 2015. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
37. "Ceres' Gary Duncan, psychedelic rock band guitarist, dies". www.cerescourier.com. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
38. "Famous ex-coach Hardin dies". www.cerescourier.com. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
39. "Ceres' Cade Cowell garners national attention". www.cerescourier.com. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
40. "How a family's dedication propelled Washington softball's Sis Bates into the stratosphere". The Seattle Times. February 5, 2019. Retrieved December 8, 2023.

External links

• Official website
• The Ceres Courier