San Juan Bautista, California

San Juan Bautista (Spanish for "Saint John the Baptist") is a city in San Benito County, California, United States. The population was 2,089 as of the 2020 census.

In 1930, the last native speaker of Mutsun, Ascención Solórzano de Cervantes, died, rendering the Mutsun language extinct.

In 1971, Luis Valdez moved El Teatro Campesino, one of the most important cultural institutions of the Chicano Movement, to San Juan. Initially, they only had use of La Calavera Theatre, but eventually also built out a larger theatre, simply known as El Teatro Campesino.

Geography

thumb|right|Downtown San Juan Bautista

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.

The Gabilán Range is to the south of San Juan Bautista. The San Andreas Fault runs through San Juan Bautista. Fremont Peak, overlooking the town of San Juan, is open to the public as Fremont Peak State Park.

Climate

This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above . According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, San Juan Bautista has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.

Demographics

2020 census

thumb|left|The Vache Adobe, built in 1856, now hosts the Santana Gallery.

thumb|left|The former padre's residence at [[Mission San Juan Bautista]]

As of the 2020 census, San Juan Bautista had a population of 2,089, and the population density was . 0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

{| class="wikitable"

|+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census

The age distribution was 19.6% under the age of 18, 8.2% aged 18 to 24, 29.6% aged 25 to 44, 24.6% aged 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 101.1 males age 18 and over.

2010 census

thumb|left|Interior of the [[Roman Catholic church of Mission San Juan Bautista]]

thumb|upright|La Calavera Theatre

At the 2010 census San Juan Bautista had a population of 1,862. The population density was . The racial makeup of San Juan Bautista was 1,125 (60.4%) White, 12 (0.6%) African American, 58 (3.1%) Native American, 52 (2.8%) Asian, 2 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 494 (26.5%) from other races, and 119 (6.4%) from two or more races. There were 907 Hispanic or Latino residents, of any race (48.7%).

The mission had 1,248 Mutsun Native Americans. The census reported that 1,857 people (99.7% of the population) lived in households, 5 (0.3%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized.

There were 681 households, 229 (33.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 345 (50.7%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 86 (12.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 48 (7.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 42 (6.2%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 8 (1.2%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 157 households (23.1%) were one person and 48 (7.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.73. There were 479 families (70.3% of households); the average family size was 3.21.

The age distribution was 431 people (23.1%) under the age of 18, 178 people (9.6%) aged 18 to 24, 476 people (25.6%) aged 25 to 44, 556 people (29.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 221 people (11.9%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 38.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.

There were 745 housing units at an average density of 1,046.9 per square mile, of the occupied units 345 (50.7%) were owner-occupied and 336 (49.3%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.6%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.1%. 898 people (48.2%) residing in the city. The population density was . There were 615 housing units at an average density of 0.0 per square mile (334.4/km). The racial makeup of the city in 2010 was 43.9% non-Hispanic White, 0.6% non-Hispanic African American, 1.6% Native American, 2.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.2% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 48.7% of the population.

Economy

San Juan is largely an agricultural community, though the town has a strong tourist industry, owing to its historic and cultural sites.

Earthbound Farm, based in San Juan, is the largest producer of organic salads in the United States.

The Fremont Peak Observatory, located atop Fremont Peak in the Gabilán Range, is a non-profit astronomical institution serving the local community.

Government

thumb|right|San Juan Community Hall, built in the 1920s in a [[Mission Revival style]]

In the California State Legislature, San Juan Bautista is in , and in .

In the United States House of Representatives, San Juan Bautista is in .

Media

CMAP TV – Community Media Access Partnership operates Channels 17, 18, 19 & 20 on Charter/Spectrum Cable as well as streaming online, offering public access and educational programming to Gilroy and San Benito County as well as covering live civic meetings, including the City of San Juan Bautista.

Popular culture

The location was used for scenes in the Alfred Hitchcock film Vertigo, though the church tower, which had been demolished years earlier by fire, was added by special effects.

Notable people

Amalia Mesa-Bains, Chicana feminist author and artist
Ed Walker, last surviving member of the Alaskan Scouts
George H. Moore, member of Los Angeles City Council
Jaime Cortez, artist and LGBT rights activist
Luis Valdez, father of Chicano film and founder of El Teatro Campesino
Robert J. Mazzuca, 11th CEO of the Boy Scouts of America
Rowena Meeks Abdy, modernist painter
Salomón Pico, a Californio "Robin Hood"
Xochiquetzal Candelaria, poet

Historical Landmarks

San Juan Bautista State Historic Park
Mission San Juan Bautista 1797
Plaza Hotel 1813
José Castro House 1838
Juan de Anza House 1830
Marentis House 1873
Rozas House 1856
Benjamin Wilcox House 1858
San Juan Jail 1870
Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail