Editing Bonita, California

{{more citations needed|date=December 2016}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                            = Bonita, California
| settlement_type                 = [[census-designated place]]
| image_skyline                   = 
| image_caption                   = Looking east, over Corral Canyon Road, with [[San Miguel Mountain]] in the background
| image_seal                      = 
| image_map                       = San_Diego_County_California_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Bonita_Highlighted.svg
| mapsize                         = 250x200px
| map_caption                     = Location in [[San Diego County, California|San Diego County]] and the state of [[California]]
| image_map1                      = 
| mapsize1                        = 
| map_caption1                    = 
| pushpin_map                     = California#USA
| pushpin_map_caption             = Location in California##Location in the United States
| subdivision_type                = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name                = {{USA}}
| subdivision_type1               = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1               = {{flag|California}}
| subdivision_type2               = [[List of counties in California|County]]
| subdivision_name2               = [[San Diego County, California|San Diego]]
| government_type                 = 
| leader_title                    = 
| leader_name                     = 
| established_title               = Year founded
| established_date                = 1884<ref name="LFetzer2005">{{cite book |title=San Diego County Place Names A to Z |last=Fetzer |first=Leland |year=2005 |publisher=Sunbelt Publications, Inc. |location=San Diego, California |isbn=978-0-932653-73-4 |page=13 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AOVyQyWDyqUC&q=Bonnie+Brae+lemon&pg=PA13 |access-date=2 March 2012}}</ref>
<!-- Area------------------>
| area_magnitude                  = 
| unit_pref                       = Imperial
| area_footnotes                  = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_06.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=October 30, 2021}}</ref>
| area_total_sq_mi                = 5.16
| area_land_sq_mi                 = 5.02
| area_water_sq_mi                = 0.14
| area_total_km2                  = 13.35
| area_land_km2                   = 12.99
| area_water_km2                  = 0.36
| area_water_percent              = 2.71
| area_note                       = 
| elevation_ft                    = 118
| elevation_m                     = 36
| population_as_of                = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes            = 
| population_total                = 12917
| population_metro                = 
| population_density_km2          = 994.10
| population_density_sq_mi        = 2574.65
| timezone                        = [[Pacific Time Zone|PST]]
| utc_offset                      = -8
| coordinates                     = {{coord|32|39|30|N|117|2|7|W|region:US-CA|display=inline,title}}
| timezone_DST                    = PDT
| utc_offset_DST                  = -7
| postal_code_type                = [[ZIP code]]s
| postal_code                     = 91902, 91908
| area_code                       = [[Area code 619|619]]
| blank_name                      = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info                      = {{FIPS|06|07414}}
| blank1_name                     = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info                     = {{GNIS 4|1660356}}
| website                         = 
| pop_est_as_of                   = 
| pop_est_footnotes               = 
| population_est                  = 
}}

'''Bonita''' ([[Spanish language|Spanish]] for "Beautiful") is a [[census-designated place]] (CDP) in southern [[San Diego County, California]], nestled between the cities of [[Chula Vista, California|Chula Vista]], [[National City, California|National City]], and [[San Diego]]. The population was 12,917 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], up from 12,538 at the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]].

== Geography ==
Bonita is located at {{Coord|32.658420|-117.035336|type:city_region:US|format=dms|display=inline}}.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref>

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], Bonita has a total area of {{convert|5.1|sqmi|km2|abbr=off|sp=us}}.  {{convert|5.0|sqmi|km2}} of it is land and {{convert|0.1|sqmi|km2}} of it (2.71%) is water.

While Bonita is politically designated as an unincorporated community, bounded by the incorporated cities of [[Chula Vista, California|Chula Vista]], [[San Diego, California|San Diego]] and [[National City, California|National City]], it is closely associated with the geography of the Lower Sweetwater Valley. Thus considered, Bonita occupies about a five-mile (8&nbsp;kilometer) stretch of the [[Sweetwater River (California)|Sweetwater River]], its valley, and surrounding hills on either side, bounded upstream (east) by [[Sweetwater Reservoir]], and downstream (west) effectively by [[Interstate 805 (California)|Interstate 805]].  The community crosses west of I-805—an area less than {{convert|160|acre|km2|abbr=off|sp=us}}—reaching as far south and west as East H Street and Hilltop Drive. Its northern boundary is [[California State Route 54|State Route 54]] and its southern extent reaches approximately one-mile (1.6&nbsp;km) south of the river.

Large portions of modern Bonita consist of housing tracts built throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, including:
* Bonita Verde Estates
* Bonita Downs
* Bonita Fairways
* Bonita Glen
* Bonita Highlands
* Bonita Long Canyon
* Bonita Woods
* Bonita Woods Park
* Emerald Ranch
* Lynwood Hills
* Ames Ranch
* Villas de Bonita
* Rancho Robinhood

The Bonita area is populated by coyote, racoon, fox, rabbit, squirrel, bobcat, opossum, and skunk, among other wildlife.

== History ==
{{more citations needed section|date=March 2017}}

Before the arrival of the Spanish, [[Kumeyaay]] lived in the area around Sweetwater Valley, and called it Apusquel.<ref name="7SchoenherrOswell2009">{{cite book|last1=Schoenherr|first1=Steven|last2=Oswell|first2=Mary E.|title=Bonita|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y8ZXqlAJVzkC&pg=PA7|year=2009|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|isbn=978-0-7385-7000-6|page=7}}</ref> After the establishment of [[Mission San Diego de Alcalá]], the valley was used for cattle raising but was not significantly settled.<ref name="7SchoenherrOswell2009" /> After gaining independence from the Spanish Empire, the valley became part of a land grant awarded to [[John (Don Juan) Forster]].<ref name="7SchoenherrOswell2009" />  The word ''Bonita'' is a feminine word for "pretty" in the [[Spanish language]]. It was the name of a ranch owned by [[Henry Ernest Cooper, Sr.]] in 1884, and was used by the nearby post office.<ref name="LFetzer2005" /><ref>{{cite book |author1=Erwin G. Gudde |author2=William Bright |title=California Place Names: The Origin and Etymology of Current Geographical Names |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Kqwt5RlMVBoC&pg=PA42  |date=May 10, 2004 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-24217-3 |page=42}}</ref> The ranch itself was used to cultivate [[lemons]], which were first grown in the area beginning in 1871.<ref name="Reader2007">{{cite news |title=It's Fairly Easy to Get Bored Around Here |author=Rosa Jurjevics |url=http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2007/oct/18/its-fairly-easy-get-bored-around-here/ |newspaper=[[San Diego Reader]] |date=18 October 2007 |access-date=2 March 2012}}</ref> During the early years lemon industry was thriving, where it became the originator of the [[Bonnie Brae Lemon]] variety,<ref name="Reader2007" /><ref>{{cite book |title=Bonita |last=Schoenherr |first=Steven |author2=Mary E. Oswell |author3=Bonita Museum |author4=Cultural Center |year=2009 |publisher=[[Arcadia Publishing]] |location=[[Charleston, South Carolina]] |isbn=978-0-7385-7000-6 |page=15 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y8ZXqlAJVzkC&q=Bonnie+Brae+lemon&pg=PA15 |access-date=2 March 2012}}</ref> named after the first lemon ranch in the community.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Jones |first1=James P. |year=1889 |title=Bonnie Brae |journal=The Great Southwest: A Monthly Journal of Horticulture, Volumes 1-5 |volume=1 |issue=5 |pages=7–8 |publisher=Great Southwest Publishing Company |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kChIAAAAYAAJ&q=Bonnie+Brae+lemon&pg=PR4-IA8 |access-date=2 March 2012 }}</ref>

In 1888, [[Sweetwater Dam]] was built, creating [[Sweetwater Reservoir]] and forever changing the geography of the region. Soon after, in 1906, the dam broke as a result of extensive rains which overfilled the reservoir, and the Lower Sweetwater Valley was completely flooded.

Bonita has experienced minor flooding throughout history, generally as a result of high seasonal rains attributed to [[El Niño]]. The floods most affect the Central Avenue river crossing, as no bridge has ever been built, unlike the Bonita Road and Willow Road crossings which are bridges, the former of which was rebuilt in the late 1990s.

[[File:Bonita-south.jpg|thumb|Bonita Valley in 2005]]

In the 1990s and 2000s, the development of [[California State Route 125|State Route 125]] (The South Bay Expressway) became a major issue to Bonita residents, much as [[Interstate 805 (California)|Interstate 805]] and [[California State Route 54|State Route 54]] did during their development. Opponents argued that Bonita's rural nature would be compromised without benefit while proponents argued that the highway would reduce the significant increase in surface-street car traffic the community had seen since the 1980s when the eastern Chula Vista communities surrounding [[Eastlake, Chula Vista, California|Eastlake]] were developed. The tollway opened in November 2007 and sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy on March 22, 2010, when the cost of litigation over the construction of the road threatened to overwhelm its ability to operate and pay off its loans. On April 14, 2011, South Bay Expressway LP emerged from bankruptcy, and in a closed session on July 29, 2011, the [[San Diego Association of Governments|SANDAG]] board of directors voted to purchase the lease to operate the State Route 125 toll road for approximately $345 million.

In 2007, Glen Abbey Memorial Park was declared a historic district, having been designed by architects who also worked on [[Balboa Park (San Diego)|Balboa Park]], and other landscapes and architectures that are significant to the history of [[San Diego]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sandiego.gov/sites/default/files/bonita-historical-survey-rpt.pdf |title=A Historical Survey Report for Bonita Pump Station Project, San Diego, California  |last1=Pentney |first1=Sandra |last2=DeGiovine |first2=Michael M. |date=20 November 2015 |publisher=City of San Diego |access-date=8 March 2017 }}</ref> It is one of only three historic districts in unincorporated San Diego County.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sandiegocounty.gov/pds/gpupdate/docs/BOS_Aug2011/EIR/FEIR_2.05_-_Cultural_2011.pdf |title=2.5 Cultural and Paleontological Resources |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=April 2011 |website=San Diego County General Plan Update EIR |publisher=County of San Diego |access-date=8 March 2017 |quote=Three designated historic districts exist in unincorporated County, the Camp Lockett in Campo, the Mataguay Historic District, and the Glen Abbey Memorial Park in Bonita. }}</ref>

The Bonita Historical Society, which operates the Bonita Museum & Cultural Center, is the principal repository of historical information for the Lower Sweetwater Valley.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Home|url=https://www.bonitahistoricalsociety.org/|website=The Bonita Museum and Cultural Center}}</ref>

== Climate ==

The climate in Bonita is a combination of the coastal and inland valley climates of [[San Diego County]]: warmer (and sunnier during the [[May Gray]] and [[June Gloom]] periods) than areas directly adjacent to [[San Diego Bay]] or the coast, but not as hot as communities in inland valleys such as [[El Cajon, California|El Cajon]], or even nearby Spring Valley. In summer, Bonita's climate is pleasant.{{citation needed|date=December 2022}}

== Government ==

In the [[San Diego County Board of Supervisors]], Bonita is in District 1.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sandiegocounty.gov/general/bos.html |title=Board of Supervisors |publisher=County of San Diego |access-date=November 5, 2014}}</ref>

In the [[California State Senate]], Bonita is in [[California's 40th State Senate district]].  In the [[California State Assembly]], Bonita is split between {{Representative|caad|79|fmt=adistrict}}, and {{Representative|caad|80|fmt=adistrict}}.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://statewidedatabase.org/gis/gis2011/index_2011.html |title=Statewide Database |publisher=UC Regents |access-date=November 5, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150201113744/http://statewidedatabase.org/gis/gis2011/index_2011.html |archive-date=February 1, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In the [[United States House of Representatives]], Bonita is in {{Representative|cacd|53|fmt=district}}.<ref>{{Cite GovTrack|CA|53}}</ref>

== Educational institutions ==
The following districts serve the local Bonita community:

===Elementary schools===
[[Chula Vista Elementary School District]]
*Ella B. Allen Elementary School
*Sunnyside Elementary School
*Tiffany Elementary School ([[Chula Vista]])
*Valley Vista Elementary School

===Middle and high school===
[[Sweetwater Union High School District]]
*Bonita Vista Middle School (Chula Vista)
*[[Bonita Vista High School]] (Chula Vista)

===Community college===
Southwestern Community College District
*[[Southwestern College (California)|Southwestern College]] (Chula Vista)

== Parks and recreation ==

[[Image:bonita-reservoir.jpg|thumb|View over Sweetwater Reservoir toward Mt. Miguel]]

Bonita is considered a rural and equestrian enclave in the middle of suburbia.

To visitors and residents alike, one of the most visible features of Bonita's recreational life is the walking trail that loops the Chula Vista Municipal Golf Course in central Bonita. Hundreds of residents walk, run, and ride this trail every day for pleasure and fitness, and the trail has become a vital component of Bonita's life for many residents. During El Nino years, this golf course and surrounding walking trails have flooded, closing the golf course and preventing many residents from using the walking trails.

In the late 1990s, Sweetwater Regional Park was expanded and significantly improved, extending the walking and equestrian trails to an even greater number, and introducing a camping area at Summit Meadow Road. Now, virtually the entire valley from the reservoir to I-805 formally serves recreational purposes as either park or golf course. Sweetwater County Park, at the intersection of Briarwood Road and Sweetwater Road, is a wildlife preserve with a small pond that supports some fishing.

Equestrianism has long been a part of the Bonita community, and many trails exist throughout the Lower Sweetwater Valley. There are several connections to trails external to Bonita as well. Many residents still keep their own horses and can be seen riding the trails regularly. The Bonita Valley Trails organization monitors and supports the network of trails throughout the valley.

The following parks serve the Bonita community:
* Rohr Park<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.chulavistaca.gov/departments/public-works/parks/locations-features-amenities-photos/rohr-park|title = Rohr Park &#124; City of Chula Vista}}</ref>
* Sweetwater Regional Park
* Sweetwater County Park
* Sweetwater Reservoir Riding and Hiking Trail
* Bonita Golf Course
* Chula Vista Municipal Golf Course

== Events ==
{{more citations needed section|date=February 2020}}

[[Bonitafest]] is an annual community event, held in early autumn, highlighted by a parade and street fair along Bonita Road which includes crafts, music, entertainment, and food.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Schoenherr|first1=Steven|last2=Oswell|first2=Mary E.|title=Bonita|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y8ZXqlAJVzkC&pg=PA121|year=2009|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|isbn=978-0-7385-7000-6|pages=121–126|chapter=Bonitafest}}</ref> The Kiwanis Club hosts a Bonitafest Golf Tournament in conjunction with this event. At this time, there is also an annual community play called the Bonitafest Melodrama, co-founded by Max Branscomb in the 1970s.
In 2008, Bonita did not have enough funds to pay for traffic police to redirect traffic during the parade, so no parade was held during the Bonitafest.

== Demographics ==

{{US Census population
|1980= 6257
|1990= 12542
|2000= 12401
|2010= 12538
|2020= 12917
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.html|title=Decennial Census by Decade|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=}}</ref><br>1850–1870<ref name=1870CensusCA1>{{Cite web|title= 1870 Census of Population - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties - California - Almeda County to Sutter County |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1870/population/1870a-12.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref><ref name=1870CensusCA2>{{Cite web|title= 1870 Census of Population - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties - California - Tehama County to Yuba County  |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1870/population/1870a-13.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> 1880-1890<ref name=1890CensusCA>{{Cite web|title= 1890 Census of Population - Population of California by Minor Civil Divisions |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1890/bulletins/demographics/134-population-of-ca.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref><br> 1900<ref name=1900CensusCA>{{Cite web|title= 1900 Census of Population - Population of California by Counties and Minor Civil Divisions |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1900/bulletins/demographic/10-population-ca.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> 1910<ref name=1910CensusCA>{{Cite web|title= 1910 Census of Population - Supplement for California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1910/abstract/supplement-ca.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> 1920<ref name=1920CensusCA>{{Cite web|title= 1920 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1920/bulletins/demographics/population-ca-number-of-inhabitants.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref><br> 1930<ref name=1930CensusCA>{{Cite web|title= 1930 Census of Population - Number and Distribution of Inhabitants - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1930/population-volume-1/03815512v1ch03.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> 1940<ref name=1940CensusCA>{{Cite web|title= 1940 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1940/population-volume-1/33973538v1ch03.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> 1950<ref name=1950CensusCA>{{Cite web|title= 1950 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1950/population-volume-1/vol-01-08.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref><br> 1960<ref name=1960CensusCA>{{Cite web|title= 1960 Census of Population - General population Characteristics - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1960/population-volume-1/vol-01-06-d.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> 1970<ref name=1970CensusCA>{{Cite web|title= 1970 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1970a_ca1-01.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> 1980<ref name=1980CensusCA>{{Cite web|title= 1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1980a_caAB-01.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref><br> 1990<ref name=1990CensusCA>{{Cite web|title= 1990 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/cen1990/cph2/cph-2-6.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
2000<ref name=2000CensusCA>{{Cite web|title= 2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2003/dec/phc-3-6.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> 2010<ref name=2010CensusCA>{{Cite web|title= 2010 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/2010/cph-2/cph-2-6.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
}}

=== 2020 ===
The [[2020 United States census]] reported that Bonita had a population of 12,917. The population density was {{convert|2,574.6|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of Bonita was 42.3% [[White Americans|White]], 3.6% [[African Americans|African American]], 1.2% [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]], 10.3% [[Asian Americans|Asian]], 0.4% [[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]], 17.1% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 25.1% from two or more races. [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] of any race were 48.6% of the population.<ref name=DP1>{{cite web |title=Bonita CDP, California; DP1: Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics - 2020 Census of Population and Housing |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALDP2020.DP1?g=1600000US0607414 |website=US Census Bureau |access-date=May 18, 2025}}</ref>

The census reported that 99.3% of the population lived in households, 0.1% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.6% were institutionalized.<ref name=DP1/>

There were 4,223 households, out of which 33.2% included children under the age of 18, 59.8% were married-couple households, 4.8% were [[cohabitation|cohabiting]] couple households, 22.1% had a female householder with no partner present, and 13.4% had a male householder with no partner present. 14.7% of households were one person, and 8.9% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.04.<ref name=DP1/> There were 3,391 [[family (U.S. Census)|families]] (80.3% of all households).<ref>{{cite web |title=Bonita CDP, California; P16: Household Type - 2020 Census of Population and Housing |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALDHC2020.P16?g=1600000US0607414 |website=US Census Bureau |access-date=May 18, 2025}}</ref>

The age distribution was 20.2% under the age of 18, 8.5% aged 18 to 24, 23.1% aged 25 to 44, 25.5% aged 45 to 64, and 22.7% who were 65{{nbsp}}years of age or older. The median age was 43.5{{nbsp}}years. For every 100 females, there were 93.7 males.<ref name=DP1/>

There were 4,391 housing units at an average density of {{convert|875.2|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}, of which 4,223 (96.2%) were occupied. Of these, 74.9% were owner-occupied, and 25.1% were occupied by renters.<ref name=DP1/>

===2023 estimates===
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that 21.9% of the population were foreign-born. Of all people aged 5 or older, 59.8% spoke only English at home, 31.5% spoke [[Spanish language|Spanish]], 1.4% spoke other [[Indo-European languages]], 7.2% spoke Asian or Pacific Islander languages, and 0.1% spoke other languages. Of those aged 25 or older, 91.4% were high school graduates and 39.2% had a bachelor's degree.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bonita CDP, California; CP02: Comparative Social Characteristics in the United States - 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates Comparison Profiles |url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSCP5Y2023.CP02?g=1600000US0607414 |website=US Census Bureau |access-date=May 18, 2025}}</ref>

The median household income was $117,750, and the [[per capita income]] was $58,271. About 6.3% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the poverty line.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bonita CDP, California; DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics - 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates Comparison Profiles |url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDP5Y2023.DP03?g=1600000US0607414 |website=US Census Bureau |access-date=May 18, 2025}}</ref>

===2008 estimates===
Bonita is primarily served by three elementary K-6 schools in Chula Vista Elementary School District: Ella B. Allen, Sunnyside, and Valley Vista. As of the 2007–08 school year, 1291 students were enrolled in these schools; their combined demographic makeup was 54.1% Hispanic, 23.5% non-Hispanic White, 5.7% Filipino, 3.8% African American, 1.5% Asian, 1.2% Native American, 0.8% Pacific Islander. 9.4% belonged to multiple races or declined to state the race.

Like many communities in the southwestern United States, Bonita could go through the process of [[hispanicization]]. According to 2008 [[SANDAG]] estimates, between 2000 and 2008, the number of Whites in Bonita dropped by 8%, and the number of Blacks, by 17%. At the same time, the Hispanic population in the community grew by 26%. <!-- Asian/Pacific population spike is likely a glitch --> Hispanics now constitute the majority of the population of Bonita in all age cohorts under 40; they are far outnumbered (by a factor of 2 or more) in age cohorts over 50.<ref>[http://profilewarehouse.sandag.org/profiles/est/zip91902est.pdf SANDAG 2008 population estimates, zip code 91902]</ref>

==Notable people==
*[[Andrew Cunanan]], American spree killer, lived briefly in Bonita as a child.<ref name="The Washington Post">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1997/07/27/death-removes-mystique-from-cunanans-life/b4c0c94e-cf0c-496a-bed4-2674ca83c598/|title=DEATH REMOVES MYSTIQUE FROM CUNANAN'S LIFE|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|last1=Achenbach|first1=Joel|last2=Suro|first2=Roberto|date=July 29, 1997|access-date=11 February 2023 }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{San Diego County}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Census-designated places in San Diego County, California]]
[[Category:South Bay (San Diego County)]]
[[Category:Census-designated places in California]]