Laytonville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Mendocino County, California, United States. It is located north-northwest of Willits, at an elevation of . The population was 1,152 at the 2020 census, down from 1,227 at the 2010 census.

Geography Laytonville is located in northern Mendocino County at . It is in the Long Valley, drained to the north by Tenmile Creek, a tributary of the South Fork of the Eel River. The headwaters of the South Fork are south of Laytonville.

U.S. Route 101 passes through the center of town, leading south through Willits to Ukiah, the Mendocino county seat, and northwest to Leggett.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the Laytonville CDP has a total area of , of which , or 1.16%, are water.

History The Cahto Native Americans lived in the region that would eventually become Cahto, California and Laytonville prior to Europeans settling in the area. They referred to nearby Cahto Mountain as "Signal Peak," as it was used to send and receive smoke signals between local native groups.

Laytonville was founded by Nova Scotian Frank B. Layton, who in 1874 built a blacksmithy and house at the site.Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Clovis, California: Word Dancer Press. p. 91. ISBN 1-884995-14-4.Hogle, Gene NAC Green Book of Pacific Coast Touring (1931) National Automobile Club p.45 Layton had previously attempted to set up his blacksmith business in Cahto, but was forced to relocate after an altercation with the local authorities. The first Laytonville post office opened in 1879.

In 1885 a road was opened between Laytonville and Covelo, California, and a bridge over the Eel River was constructed in 1892. These additions caused winter travel to flow through Laytonville which increased the town's popularity and business.

The town suffered two devastating fires in 1904 and 1907, resulting in the loss of several businesses, including three hotels, a store, and the telephone office.

Demographics

2020 census As of the 2020 census, Laytonville had a population of 1,152. The population density was , and the median age was 42.0 years. The age distribution was 225 people (19.5%) under the age of 18, 82 people (7.1%) aged 18 to 24, 312 people (27.1%) aged 25 to 44, 314 people (27.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 219 people (19.0%) who were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 119.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 112.6 males age 18 and over.

The whole population lived in households. There were 464 households, out of which 117 (25.2%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 155 (33.4%) were married-couple households, 51 (11.0%) were cohabiting couple households, 117 (25.2%) had a female householder with no spouse or partner present, and 141 (30.4%) had a male householder with no spouse or partner present. 157 households (33.8%) were one person, and 72 (15.5%) were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.48. There were 267 families (57.5% of all households).

0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 508 housing units at an average density of , of which 464 (91.3%) were occupied. Of these, 301 (64.9%) were owner-occupied, and 163 (35.1%) were occupied by renters. There were 44 vacant housing units (8.7%); the homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 1.2%.

+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 750 65.1% Black or African American 6 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native 172 14.9% Asian 18 1.6% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.0% Some other race 73 6.3% Two or more races 133 11.5% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 146 12.7%

Income and poverty In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $35,798, and the per capita income was $21,716. About 14.6% of families and 21.9% of the population were below the poverty line.

2010 census The 2010 United States census reported that Laytonville had a population of 1,227 at that time. The population density was . The racial makeup of Laytonville was 839 (68.4%) White, 16 (1.3%) African American, 244 (19.9%) Native American, 10 (0.8%) Asian, 1 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 60 (4.9%) from other races, and 57 (4.6%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 141 persons (11.5%).

The Census reported that 1,226 people (99.9% of the population) lived in households, 1 (0.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.

There were 493 households, out of which 163 (33.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 166 (33.7%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 82 (16.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 48 (9.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 59 (12.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 8 (1.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 146 households (29.6%) were made up of individuals, and 37 (7.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49. There were 296 families (60.0% of all households); the average family size was 3.04.

The population age distribution is 271 people (22.1%) under the age of 18, 96 people (7.8%) aged 18 to 24, 326 people (26.6%) aged 25 to 44, 384 people (31.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 150 people (12.2%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 108.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.7 males.

There were 562 housing units at a reported average density of . Of these 562 housing units in the Laytonville area, 270 (54.8%) were owner-occupied, and 223 (45.2%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 9.7%. 640 people (52.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 586 people (47.8%) lived in rental housing units.

Transportation The Amtrak Thruway 7 bus provides daily connections to/from Laytonville (with a curbside stop at 44900 Highway 101), Martinez to the south, and Arcata to the north. Additional Amtrak connections are available from Martinez station.

Politics In the state legislature, Laytonville is in , and .

Federally, Laytonville is in .

Notable people Anna M. Morrison Reed (1849/50-1921), poet, lecturer, suffragist, editor/publisher of a newspaper and a magazine

See also Hog Farm, a Laytonville organization considered to be America's longest-running hippie commune

References