Lompoc ( ; Chumashan ) is a city in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Located on the Central Coast, its population was 43,834 as of July 2021.

Lompoc has been inhabited for thousands of years by the Chumash people, who called the area , meaning 'lagoon' in the local Purisimeño language. The Spanish called the area after Fermín de Lasuén had established in 1787. In 1837, the Mexican government sold the area as the Rancho Lompoc land grant. After the U.S. conquest of California, multiple settlers acquired the Lompoc Valley, including William Welles Hollister, who sold the land around the mission to the Lompoc Valley Land Company, which established a temperance colony that incorporated in 1888 as Lompoc. Lompoc is often considered a military town because it is near Vandenberg Space Force Base.

Etymology It was once be believed that Lompoc meant "lake" or "stagnant waters",McCall, Lynne & Rosalind, Perry, red. (1991): The Chumash People: Materials for Teachers and Students. Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. San Luis Obispo, CA: EZ Nature Books. ISBN 0-945092-23-7. Page 29. as first mentioned in Richard Applegate's 1974 paper Chumash Placenames.APPLEGATE, RICHARD B. “Chumash Placenames.” The Journal of California Anthropology, vol. 1, no. 2, 1974, pp. 187–205. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/27824791. Accessed October 21, 2020.

In 1981 the writings of John P. Harrington were catalogued at the Smithsonian Museum and quoted Maria Solares with the correct translation. Linguists affiliated with the Western Institute for Endangered Language Documentation (WIELD) confirmed in 2018 the Chumash Purisimeño word lumpo'o̥ means 'in the cheeks'. Chumash place names were often adapted from human body parts, such as the eye, face, kneecap, eyelash, nose or shoulder.

History

Before the Spanish conquest, the area around Lompoc was inhabited by the Chumash people. The Original Mission La Purísima was established in 1787 near what is now the southern edge of the city. Purisimeño, a Chumashan language, was spoken in the region during the mission period. After an earthquake destroyed the mission in 1812, it was moved to its present location northeast of the present city. After independence from the Spanish Empire, the First Mexican Empire was established in 1821. The Mexicans secularized the Spanish missions in 1833, and La Purisima Mission fell into ruins.

In 1893, a diatomaceous earth mine, formerly owned by Johns Manville, World Mineral, and Celite corporation, now Imerys Inc., opened in the southern hills in Miguelito Canyon. It became (and still is) the largest marine diatomite mine in the world, and at one time was the largest employer in the valley. While owned by Johns Manville, the mine employed more than 900 people at its peak, and built housing for its employees onsite and in town; the houses in town are next to JM park, which the mine donated to the city. Another diatomaceous earth company, Grefco, operated here from the 1940s until 1998. The remnants of its mine at the northeast end of town were torn down in 2001.

In 1909, the Sibyl Marston—at the time, the largest steam schooner built on the West Coast—sank nearby while carrying of lumber. Many Lompoc homes were built with lumber from the shipwreck. The wreckage can still be seen south of Surf Beach.

The coastal branch of the Southern Pacific Railroad opened around 1900 and eventually replaced ship transportation. A paved road linked Lompoc to Buellton and the rest of California around 1920. In 1923, the Honda Point disaster, the U.S.'s largest peacetime naval accident, occurred just off the coast; nine U.S. destroyers ran aground, killing 23 people. During the Great Depression, La Purisima Mission was restored by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). During World War II, the coast west of Lompoc was the site of Camp Cooke, a United States Army training camp where large units could practice maneuvers.

Lompoc grew slowly until 1958, when the United States Air Force announced that the former Camp Cooke would be a test site for the Thor family of intermediate-range ballistic missiles and the first operational base for the SM-65 Atlas, an intercontinental ballistic missile. The city then began to grow rapidly to provide housing for thousands of civilians and contractors employed at what was soon renamed Vandenberg Air Force Base. It was the Air Force's first missile base.

The Space Shuttle program was slated to begin launches from Vandenberg in the late 1980s, and the city experienced a boom in restaurant and hotel construction in anticipation of tourists coming to see shuttle launches. But after the Challenger exploded during takeoff from Cape Canaveral in 1986, the West Coast shuttle program was terminated, sending Lompoc into a severe recession.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of , 99.34% land and 0.66% water.

Most of the city is in the valley of the Santa Ynez River, at an elevation of about 80–100 feet (25–30 meters). Expansion has been to the north, on higher ground known as Vandenberg Village, with elevations of 150–300 feet (50–100 meters). Like most rivers in Southern California, the Santa Ynez River has no surface flow most of the year. Underground flow in the sandy river bed recharges the aquifer beneath the city, from which nine wells (a tenth is planned) supply the city with water. Unlike many Southern California cities, Lompoc is not connected to the State Water Project.

Climate Lompoc has a cool Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csb), typical of coastal California. The city is mostly sunny, with an ocean breeze. Fog is common. Snow is virtually unknown. The highest recorded temperature was in 1987, and the lowest was in 1990.

Demographics

2020 census As of the 2020 census, Lompoc had a population of 44,444 and a population density of 3,823.8 inhabitants per square mile (1,476.1/km2). The median age was 35.7 years. 24.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 13.2% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 109.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 111.6 males.

The Census reported that 41,375 people (93.0%) lived in households, 156 (0.35%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 2,913 (6.5%) were institutionalized. 99.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.4% lived in rural areas.

There were 14,104 households, of which 38.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 44.7% were married-couple households, 27.8% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present, and 18.5% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present. There were 1,210 unmarried opposite-sex partner households and 77 same-sex married-couple or partner households. About 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.06; there were 9,453 families (67.0% of all households), and the average family size was 3.67.

There were 14,609 housing units at an average density of 1,257 per square mile (485/km2), with 505 vacant units (3.5%). Of occupied units, 6,687 (45.7%) were owner-occupied and 7,417 (50.7%) were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 3.1%.

+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 18,848 42.4% Black or African American 2,007 4.5% American Indian and Alaska Native 1,147 2.6% Asian 1,756 4.0% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 112 0.3% Some other race 11,268 25.4% Two or more races 9,306 20.9% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 25,472 57.3%

2010 census

In the 2010 United States census, Lompoc had a population of 42,434. The population density was . The racial makeup was 25,950 (61.2%) White; 2,432 (5.7%) African American; 750 (1.8%) Native American; 1,615 (3.8%) Asian; 186 (0.4%) Pacific Islander; 9,020 (21.3%) from other races; and 2,481 (5.8%) from two or more races. There were 21,557 Hispanic or Latino residents of any race (50.8%).

The Census reported that 38,778 people (91.4% of the population) lived in households, 99 (0.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 3,557 (8.4%) were institutionalized.

There were 13,355 households, of which 5,481 (41.0%) had children under the age of 18 living in them; 6,323 (47.3%) were opposite-sex married couples living together; 2,061 (15.4%) had a female householder with no husband present; and 913 (6.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 949 (2.2%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships and 75 (0.17%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 3,304 households (24.7%) were made up of individuals, and 1,187 (8.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.9. There were 9,297 families (69.6% of all households); the average family size was 3.48.

The population included 11,188 people (26.4%) under the age of 18, 4,452 people (10.5%) aged 18 to 24, 12,233 people (28.8%) aged 25 to 44, 10,338 people (24.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 4,223 people (10.0%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 33.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 114.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 118.7 males.

There were 14,416 housing units at an average density of , of which 6,493 (48.6%) were owner-occupied and 6,862 (51.4%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.1%. 18,534 people (43.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units, and 20,244 people (47.7%) lived in rental housing units.

2000 census

As of the 2000 Census, there were 43,284 people, 13,059 households and 9,311 families residing in Lompoc. The population density was . There were 13,621 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 65.81% White, 7.34% African American, 1.58% Native American, 3.90% Asian, 0.32% Pacific Islander, 15.68% from other races, and 5.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race made up 37.31% of the population.

There were 13,059 households, of which 41.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.7% were non-families. 23.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.88, and the average family size was 3.42.

The population included 29.9% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 33.3% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 or older. The median age was 32. For every 100 females, there were 113.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 116.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $47,587, and the median income for a family was $62,199. Males had a median income of $35,074, versus $26,824 for females. The per capita income was $15,509. About 12.6% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.8% of those under 18 and 6.7% of those 65 or older.

Economy

Vandenberg Space Force Base dominates the economy, directly employing more Lompoc residents than any other employer and contributing $1.7 billion to the regional economy. Other mainstays of the economy include the Federal Correctional Institution, the diatomaceous earth mine (today owned by Imerys), the Lompoc Oil Field and associated oil processing facilities north of town, and agriculture (especially seed flowers and vegetables). Lompoc is called "The City of Arts and Flowers".