thumb|right|A fountain in one of Patterson's many roundabouts
Patterson is a city in Stanislaus County, California, United States, located off Interstate 5. It is southeast of Tracy and is part of the Modesto Metropolitan Statistical Area. Patterson is known as the "Apricot Capital of the World"; and holds an annual Apricot Fiesta to celebrate with many drinks, food, desserts and games. The population was 23,781 at the 2020 Census.
History
The Rancho Del Puerto Mexican land grant (1844) by Governor Manuel Micheltorena extended east of the present-day Highway 33 to the San Joaquin River. The northern boundary was Del Puerto Creek, and the southern boundary was just south of present-day Marshall Road. This early land grant marked the beginning of the area that would eventually become modern-day Patterson.
Samuel G. Reed and Ruben S. Wade claimed the land on January 7, 1855. A patent encompassing the land grant was signed by President Abraham Lincoln, confirming their ownership. Reed and Wade received title to on August 15, 1864. Reed and Wade then sold the grant to J. O. Eldredge on June 18, 1866, for $5,000. Mr. Eldredge held the title for only two months before selling it to John D. Patterson on August 14, 1866, for $5,400. John D. Patterson purchased additional land that expanded the property upon his death on March 7, 1902, a total of were willed to Thomas W. Patterson and William W. Patterson, his estate executors, and other heirs. The land was sold to the Patterson Ranch Company on May 16, 1908, for $540,000 cash gold coin. Thomas W. Patterson subdivided the land into ranches of various sizes and plotted the design of the town of Patterson. Determined to make Patterson different from most rural towns, he modeled Patterson after the cities of Washington, D.C., and Paris, France, using a series of circles and radiating streets. Major streets were planted with palm, eucalyptus, and sycamore trees.
The Patterson Colony map was filed with the Stanislaus County Recorder's office on December 13, 1909. Sales of the ranch properties and city lots commenced. Patterson was the third city in Stanislaus County to incorporate on December 22, 1919. In May 1971, the chamber of commerce approved the title of "Apricot Capital of the World" for Patterson, highlighting the identity.
In recent years, Patterson has become known for its distribution centers, including for Amazon.com and RH.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which 98.9% is land and 1.1% is water. and southeast of Oakland making it close to the San Francisco Bay Area and major cities.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Patterson had a population of 23,781. The population density was .
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| White || 6,970 || 29.3%
|-
| Black or African American || 1,685 || 7.1%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 544 || 2.3%
|-
| Asian || 1,550 || 6.5%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 331 || 1.4%
|-
| Some other race || 8,870 || 37.3%
|-
| Two or more races || 3,831 || 16.1%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 14,961 || 62.9%
|}
2023 ACS estimates
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that 21.1% of the population was foreign-born. Of all people aged 5 or older, 43.9% spoke only English at home, 48.7% spoke Spanish, 2.2% spoke other Indo-European languages, 4.2% spoke Asian or Pacific Islander languages, and 1.1% spoke other languages. Of those aged 25 or older, 74.7% were high school graduates and 14.2% had a bachelor's degree.
The median household income in 2023 was $93,542, and the per capita income was $29,365. About 7.8% of families and 8.5% of the population were below the poverty line.
2010 census
The 2010 United States census reported that Patterson had a population of 20,413. The population density was . The racial makeup of Patterson was 10,117 (49.6%) White, 1,291 (6.3%) African American, 221 (1.1%) Native American, 1,069 (5.2%) Asian, 280 (1.4%) Pacific Islander, 6,235 (30.5%) from other races, and 1,200 (5.9%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11,971 persons (58.6%).
The Census reported that 20,410 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 3 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 5,630 households, out of which 3,162 (56.2%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 3,398 (60.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 758 (13.5%) had a female householder with no husband present, 491 (8.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 453 (8.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 47 (0.8%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 716 households (12.7%) were made up of individuals, and 273 (4.8%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.63. There were 4,647 families (82.5% of all households); the average family size was 3.95.
The population was spread out, with 6,890 people (33.8%) under the age of 18, 2,140 people (10.5%) aged 18 to 24, 5,822 people (28.5%) aged 25 to 44, 4,280 people (21.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,281 people (6.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.0 males.
There were 6,328 housing units at an average density of , of which 3,801 (67.5%) were owner-occupied, and 1,829 (32.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 4.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.7%. 13,304 people (65.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units, and 7,106 people (34.8%) lived in rental housing units.
Government
State and national
In the California State Legislature, Patterson is in , and . In the United States House of Representatives, Patterson is in .
Local
The city council consists of five representatives. The mayor is elected to a two-year term, and four council members are elected in district elections to four-year terms on a staggered basis; this means that every two years, there are two council seats and the mayor's seat up for election. The current council consists of Mayor Michael Clauzel and Council members Shivaughn Alves (District A), Jessica Romero (District B), Dominic Farinha (District C), and Carlos Roque (District D). The City Council appoints a city manager, who hires all city staff and manages the day-to-day business of the city. Advisory bodies work with the city council and identify issues before the council makes final decisions. Advisory body members are appointed by the mayor, subject to the approval of a majority of the council.
Public safety
Patterson previously had a local police department. In 1998, it was merged into the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department.
Culture
Media
The daily newspaper in Patterson is the Patterson Irrigator, which was founded in 1911. It is located in downtown Patterson and has been at the same location since 1929.
Patterson has also been the site of the Fiestas Patrias celebration, commemorating the independence of various Latin American countries. This celebration is held in mid-September.
Education
The Patterson Joint Unified School District serves more than 5,669 students and operates four elementary schools, one middle school, and two high schools.
Transportation
Major highways include Interstate 5 and State Route 33. Patterson is also the eastern terminus of State Route 130 as defined by state legislation, although the route is unbuilt in Stanislaus County. A freeway has been proposed for construction along this route, passing directly through the Diablo Range west of the city toward the San Francisco Bay Area.
Public transit service is operated by the Stanislaus Regional Transit Authority, including commuter service to Dublin/Pleasanton station.
Notable people
- Amy Franceschini, artist
- Eslabon Armado, band
- Pedro Tovar, singer