Arvin, California

Property sales of lots in present-day Arvin began in 1906. The Arvin Post Office was established in 1914 and the community incorporated as a city in 1960. The Mountain View Oil Field, which underlies the town and much of the surrounding area, was discovered in 1933 and developed extensively in the 1930s. Many oil wells still surround the town; some are slant-drilled to reach formations directly underneath inhabited areas. In the 1930s and 1940s the area east of Arvin became popular for recreational gliding and soaring, and the hillsides of the Tejon Ranch were used annually for a Western Soaring Championship in the spring. These significant events were later memorialized as a National Landmark of Soaring by the National Soaring Museum in 2000. The Arvin Tiller started publication in 1939 and Arvin High School was built in 1949. The city was nearly destroyed on July 21, 1952, during the M7.3 Kern County earthquake (a rupture of the White Wolf Fault). Arvin suffered further damage on December 20, 1977, when a dust storm hit the area. The Arvin Migratory Labor Camp was the first federally operated farm labor camp opened by the Farm Security Administration in 1937, one of many New Deal programs created during the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt to respond to the Great Depression. This agricultural camp was considered a model, and was built by the Resettlement Administration.{{Cite web |title=The Great Depression and World War II |access-date=March 2, 2012 |url=http://www.historicalvoices.org/1930s/index.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120219001134/http://www.historicalvoices.org/1930s/index.php |archive-date=February 19, 2012 ==Geography==

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land. Climate According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Arvin has a semi-arid climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps. ==Demographics==

Racial and ethnic composition 2020 census As of the 2020 census, Arvin had a population of 19,495 and a population density of . 97.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 2.1% lived in rural areas. The census reported that 99.5% of residents lived in households, 0.1% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.3% were institutionalized. There were 4,884 housing units at an average density of , of which 4,753 (97.3%) were occupied. Of the occupied units, 51.8% were owner-occupied and 48.2% were occupied by renters; the homeowner vacancy rate was 0.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 2.0%. The median household income was $49,984, and the per capita income was $15,302. About 27.0% of families and 31.7% of the population were below the poverty line. ==Economy==

The economy of Arvin is primarily based on agriculture, and as such the employment statistics show seasonal variation. In March 2011, 41.9 percent of Arvin's residents were out of work, the highest of any city in Kern County. Cannabis In 2018, voters in Arvin passed a measure to license and tax marijuana after the legalization of the sale and distribution of cannabis in California was legalized. The measure set a 6% tax on cannabis sales and a tax of up to $6 per square foot per year on cultivation. The city issued its first license to a delivery service in June 2020. This was the first legal cannabis business in Kern County as similar measures have failed in other jurisdictions. Companies must be licensed by the local agency and the state to grow, test, or sell cannabis and each city or county may authorize none or only some of these activities. Local governments may not prohibit adults who are in compliance with state laws from growing, using, or transporting marijuana for personal use. ==Education==

The city of Arvin is served by the Arvin Union School District and the Kern High School District. Other nearby districts include Di Giorgio School District, Vineland School District, and the Lamont School District. The Arvin Union School District consists of Sierra Vista Elementary School, Bear Mountain Elementary School, El Camino Real Elementary School, Haven Drive Middle School, and Arvin State Preschool. The land for the Haven Drive campus was acquired in 1943. Sierra Vista and Haven Drive are the two oldest schools in Arvin. The district serves preschool to eighth grade students. The Arvin Union School District also serves the community with the Arvin Family Resource Center. The Kern High School District serves grades 9–12 in Arvin. It operates Arvin High School, which also services students from the surrounding rural areas and the nearby town of Lamont. Bakersfield College, a community college, serves the community of Arvin with a satellite campus at the Arvin Educational Center, approximately 22 miles south of the main campus in Bakersfield, California. ==Public safety==

The city of Arvin has its own police department. In January 2008, the city purchased six hybrid police vehicles with a grant by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. The city also purchased six hybrid SUVs in December 2008 with a grant by the San Joaquin Valley Air Quality District. Station 54 of the Kern County Fire Department is responsible for fire prevention services. Crime statistics 2010 • Population: 15,410 • Violent crime: 187 • Murder and non-negligent manslaughter: 10 • Forcible rape: 1 • Robbery: 19 • Aggravated assault: 167 • Property crime: 500 • Burglary: 186 • Larceny: 232 • Motor vehicle theft: 82 • Arson: 14 Full-time law enforcement employees 2010 • Population: 15,410 • Total law enforcement employees: 27 • Total Officers: 18 • Total Civilians: 9 ==References==