Editing Stratford, California

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Stratford, California
|settlement_type          = [[census-designated place]]
|image_skyline            = Stratford CA Main St view east.jpeg
|imagesize                =
|image_caption            = Stratford, California
|image_seal               =
|image_map                = Kings_County_California_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Stratford_Highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250x200px
|map_caption              = Location in [[Kings County, California|Kings County]] and the U.S. state of [[California]]
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = {{Flagu|United States|size=23px}}
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = {{flag|California|size=23px}}
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in California|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = {{Flagicon image|Flag of Kings County, California.png|border=|size=25px}} [[Kings County, California|Kings]]
|government_type          =
|leader_title             =
|leader_name              =
| established_title       = Founded
| established_date        = 1901 (as Stratton)
<!-- Area------------------>
|area_magnitude           =
| unit_pref               =US
| area_footnotes          = <ref>[https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt U.S. Census] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125061959/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |date=2012-01-25 }}</ref>
| area_total_sq_mi        = 0.683
| area_land_sq_mi         = 0.683
| area_water_sq_mi        = 0
| area_total_km2          = 1.769
| area_land_km2           = 1.769
| area_water_km2          = 0
| area_water_percent      = 0
| area_note               =

|elevation_ft             = 203
|elevation_m              = 62
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = <ref name="US Census Bureau 2020 Stratford, CA Population">{{cite web |title=US Census Bureau |url=https://data.census.gov/all?q=Stratford%20CDP,%20California |website=www.census.gov |access-date=21 August 2024}}</ref>
|population_total         = 1121
|population_metro         =
|population_density_km2   = auto
|population_density_sq_mi = auto
|population_est          = 
|pop_est_as_of           = 
|timezone                 = [[Pacific Time Zone|Pacific (PST)]]
|utc_offset               = -8
|coordinates              = {{coord|36|11|22|N|119|49|23|W|region:US-CA|display=inline,title}}
|elevation_footnotes    =  <ref name=gnis>{{gnis|1661510}}</ref>
|timezone_DST             = PDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -7
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 93266
|area_code                = [[Area code 559|559]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 06-75252
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 1661510
|footnotes                = {{gnis|1661510}}
|website                  =
}}
'''Stratford''' (formerly, '''Stratton''')<ref name=gnis /> is a [[census-designated place]] (CDP) in [[Kings County, California|Kings County]], [[California]], United States. Stratford is located {{convert|14|mi|km|0}} southwest of [[Hanford, California|Hanford]],<ref name=CGN>{{California's Geographic Names|1111}}</ref> at an elevation of {{Convert|203|feet}}.<ref name=gnis /> It is part of the [[Hanford, California|Hanford]]&ndash;[[Lemoore, California|Lemoore]] [[Hanford-Lemoore metropolitan area|Metropolitan Statistical Area]]. The population was 1,277 at the 2010 census, up from 1,264 at the 2000 census.

==Geography==
Stratford lies near the historic shoreline of [[Tulare Lake]]. The [[Kings River (California)|Kings River]] flows through an artificial channel into the normally dry Tulare Lake bed about {{Convert|10|mile}} south of Stratford.<ref>{{cite book | last=Durham | first=David L. | title=Place-Names of Central California | page=146 | publisher=Word Dancer Press | location=Clovis, CA | year=2001 | isbn=1-884995-33-0}}</ref>

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], Stratford has a total area of {{convert|0.7|sqmi|km2}}, all of it land. Stratford is located at {{coord|36|11|22|N|119|49|23|W}}.<ref name=gnis />

==History==
The town was originally named Stratton in 1901 for William Stratton of the Empire Land and Water Company.  The name was changed to Stratford in 1906 due to the efforts of the local women's club.  The first post office at Stratford opened in 1910.<ref>{{cite book | last=Durham | first=David L. | title=Place-Names of Central California | pages=266–267 | publisher=Word Dancer Press | location=Clovis, CA | year=2001 | isbn=1-884995-33-0}}</ref>
From the 1930s through the 1970s, Stratford was the home of Irigaray's, a restaurant run by Mariana Irigaray and her daughter Alice, pioneering a [[Basque cuisine|Basque-inspired]] version of what would later be called [[California cuisine]].<ref>{{cite book | title= A Travel Guide to Basque America | first=Nancy |last=Zubiri | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=mNK_W8va9h8C&pg=PA150 | page=150| publisher= University of Nevada Press | year= 2006 |isbn= 0874176328 | quote= Although Basque families live in the suburbs and towns around Fresno, none of the latter have a restaurant.  But in nearby Stratford, Mariana Irigaray is famous to this day for the Basque meals she once served at her home....From the 1930s through the 1960s Mariana and her daughter Alice Irigaray were serving California cuisine before the term was ever invented.|access-date= 2014-10-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Home is Alice's restaurant |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |via=Milwaukee Journal |date=June 13, 1979 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19790613&id=8J8oAAAAIBAJ&pg=1982,1554075 }}</ref>

Many local residents are employed in agriculture, affected by the [[late 2000s recession|Great Recession]] and the [[Drought in the United States#2010s|California drought]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/599635/dry-town-central-valley/|title=Inside California's Central Valley Water Crisis - The Atlantic|last=Buder|first=Emily|website=www.theatlantic.com|language=en|access-date=2019-10-10}}</ref> Stratford has been affected by [[land subsidence]].<ref name=LA>{{cite news |first=Diana |last=Marcum |url=http://www.latimes.com/local/great-reads/la-me-c1-stratford-20141024-story.html |title=A parched farm town is sinking, and so are its residents' hearts |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=October 24, 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |first1=Joris |last1=Debeij |first2=Emmanuel |last2=Vaughan-Lee |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/483120/when-a-town-runs-dry |title=When a Town Runs Dry |publisher=Go Project Films |type=documentary video, 8 mins. 15 secs. |via=Nadine Ajaka, ''The Atlantic'' |date=May 17, 2016 }}</ref>

In November 2016, the unemployment rate was estimated at 13.1%.<ref>{{cite web |title=LMI for Kings County, California |url=http://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/county/kings.html#AA |website=[[Employment Development Department]] |access-date=19 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161216154236/http://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/county/kings.html |archive-date=Dec 16, 2016 |language=en}}</ref>

== Transportation ==
[[Kings Area Regional Transit]] (KART) operates regularly scheduled fixed route bus service, vanpool service for commuters and Dial-A-Ride (demand response) services throughout Kings County as well as to Fresno.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://kingscog.org/transit.html | title= Transit| publisher= Kings County Association of Governments |access-date= 2014-10-24}}</ref>

[[File:California 41.svg|20px]] [[California State Route 41|Highway 41]] runs north-northeast on the west side of town, connecting it with [[Kettleman City, California|Kettleman City]] on the south and [[Lemoore, California|Lemoore]] on the north.

==Education==
Stratford Elementary School is within the [[Central Union School District]].<ref name=LA/><ref>[http://stratford.central.k12.ca.us Stratford Elementary School]</ref>

==Politics==
In the [[California State Legislature|state legislature]], Stratford is located in the 14th [[California State Senate|Senate]] District, which is represented by [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] [[Melissa Hurtado]], and in the 32nd [[California State Assembly|Assembly]] District, represented by Democrat [[Rudy Salas]]. Federally, Stratford is located in [[California's 21st congressional district]] and is represented by Democrat [[TJ Cox]].

Stratford is represented on the Kings County Board of Supervisors by Joe Neves, a Stratford resident.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.countyofkings.com/about-us/district-map|title=District Map, Kings County Board of Supervisors|website=Kings County California|access-date=August 10, 2017}}</ref>

==Demographics==

===2010===
The [[2010 United States Census]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=06:0675252 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140715033424/http://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=06:0675252 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 15, 2014 |title=2010 Census Interactive Population Search: CA - Stratford CDP|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=July 12, 2014}}</ref> reported that Stratford had a population of 1,277. The population density was {{convert|1,870.0|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1,069 persons (83.7%).  The racial makeup of Stratford was 574 (44.9%) [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 19 (1.5%) [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 17 (1.3%) [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 16 (1.3%) [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 1 (0.1%) [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 617 (48.3%) from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 33 (2.6%) from two or more races.

The Census reported that 1,277 people (100% of the population) lived in households.  There were 312 households, of which 184 (59.0%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 206 (66.0%) were [[marriage|opposite-sex married couples]] living together, 44 (14.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 22 (7.1%) had a male householder with no wife present.  There were 18 (5.8%) [[POSSLQ|unmarried opposite-sex partnerships]], and 4 (1.3%) [[same-sex partnerships|same-sex married couples or partnerships]]. 31 households (9.9%) were made up of individuals, and 13 (4.2%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.09.  There were 272 [[family (U.S. Census)|families]] (87.2% of all households); the average family size was 4.33.

433 people (33.9%) were under the age of 18, 143 people (11.2%) aged 18 to 24, 332 people (26.0%) aged 25 to 44, 277 people (21.7%) aged 45 to 64, and 92 people (7.2%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.4 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.5 males.

There were 328 housing units at an average density of {{convert|480.3|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}, of which 206 (66.0%) were owner-occupied, and 106 (34.0%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9%; the rental vacancy rate was 2.7%.  827 people (64.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 450 people (35.2%) lived in rental housing units.

===2000===
At the [[2000 United States Census]],<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> there were 1,264 people, 292 households and 259 families residing in the CDP. The population density was {{convert|1,816.9|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 311 housing units at an average density of {{convert|447.0|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the CDP was 33.47% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.19% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 1.98% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 1.74% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.55% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 54.83% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 6.25% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 75.95% of the population.

There were 292 households, of which 64.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.3% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 11.0% were non-families. 8.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 4.33 and the average family size was 4.57.

40.8% of the population were under the age of 18, 11.7% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 15.7% from 45 to 64, and 5.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.9 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.6 males.

The [[median household income]] was $29,205 and the median family income was $35,481. Males had a median income of $33,750 versus $28,125 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the CDP was $9,790. About 20.2% of families and 24.8% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 28.1% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Kings County, California}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Census-designated places in Kings County, California]]
[[Category:Census-designated places in California]]