San Bernardino County, California

San Bernardino County, California
County
County of San Bernardino
Images, from top down, left to right: Downtown San Bernardino, Big Bear Lake, Joshua Tree in the Mojave National Preserve, Calico Ghost Town, Bear Mountain
Flag Seal
Location in the state of California
California's location in the United States
Country	United States of America
State	California
Metropolitan area	Inland Empire
Established	April 26, 1853
Named for	City of San Bernardino
County seat	San Bernardino
Largest city	San Bernardino
Area
• Total	20,105 sq mi (52,070 km2)
• Land	20,057 sq mi (51,950 km2)
• Water	48 sq mi (120 km2)
Highest elevation	11,503 ft (3,506 m)
Population (April 1, 2010)
• Total	2,035,210
• Estimate (2014)	2,112,619
• Density	100/sq mi (39/km2)
Time zone	Pacific Time Zone (UTC−8)
• Summer (DST)	Pacific Daylight Time (UTC−7)
Area codes	442/760, 909
FIPS code	06-071
GNIS feature ID	277300
Website	www.sbcounty.gov

San Bernardino County, California, officially the County of San Bernardino, is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 2,035,210, making it the fifth-most populous county in California, and the 12th-most populous in the United States. The county seat is San Bernardino.

San Bernardino County is included in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area, also known as the Inland Empire, as well as the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA Combined Statistical Area.

With an area of 20,105 square miles, San Bernardino County is the largest county in the United States by area, although some of Alaska's boroughs and census areas are larger. It is larger than each of the nine smallest states, larger than the four smallest states combined, and larger than 71 different sovereign nations.

Located in southeast California, the thinly populated deserts and mountains of this vast county stretch from where the bulk of the county population resides in two Census County Divisions, some 1,422,745 people as of the 2010 Census, covering the 450 square miles (1,166 km²) south of the San Bernardino Mountains in San Bernardino Valley, to the Nevada border and the Colorado River.

History

San Bernardino County horticulture exhibit at World Columbian Exposition, Chicago 1893.

Spanish Missionaries from Mission San Gabriel Arcángel established a church at the village of Politania in 1810. Father Francisco Dumetz named the church San Bernardino on May 20, 1810, after the feast day of St. Bernardino of Siena. The Franciscans also gave the name San Bernardino to the snowcapped peak in Southern California, in honor of the saint and it is from him that the county derives its name. In 1819, they established the San Bernardino de Sena Estancia, a mission farm in what is now Redlands.

Following Mexican independence from Spain in 1821, Mexican citizens were granted land grants to establish ranchos in the area of the county. Rancho Jurupa in 1838, Rancho Cucamonga and El Rincon in 1839, Rancho Santa Ana del Chino in 1841, Rancho San Bernardino in 1842 and Rancho Muscupiabe in 1844.

Agua Mansa was the first town in what became San Bernardino County, settled by immigrants from New Mexico on land donated from the Rancho Jurupa in 1841.

Following the purchase of Rancho San Bernardino, and the establishment of the town of San Bernardino in 1851 by Mormon colonists, San Bernardino County was formed in 1853 from parts of Los Angeles County. Some of the southern parts of the county's territory were given to Riverside County in 1893.

Geography

The Arrowhead natural feature is the source of many local names and icons, such as Lake Arrowhead and the county's seal.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 20,105 square miles (52,070 km²), of which 20,057 square miles (51,950 km²) is land and 48 square miles (120 km²) (0.2%) is water. It is the largest county by area in California and the largest in the United States (excluding boroughs in Alaska). It is slightly larger than the states of New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island combined. It borders both Nevada and Arizona.

The bulk of the population, roughly two million, live in the roughly 480 square miles south of the San Bernardino Mountains adjacent to Riverside and in the San Bernardino Valley. Over 300,000 others live just north of the San Bernardino Mountains, agglomerating around Victorville covering roughly 280 square miles in Victor Valley, adjacent to Los Angeles County. Roughly another 100,000 people live scattered across the rest of the sprawling county.

The Mojave National Preserve covers some of the eastern desert, especially between Interstate 15 and Interstate 40. The desert portion also includes the cities of Needles next to the Colorado River and Barstow at the junction in Interstate 15 and Interstate 40. Trona is at the northwestern part of the county west of Death Valley. This national park, mostly within Inyo County, also has a small portion of land within the San Bernardino County. The largest metropolitan area in the Mojave Desert part of the county is Victor Valley, with the incorporated localities of Adelanto, Apple Valley, Hesperia, and Victorville. Further south, a portion of Joshua Tree National Park overlaps the county near Twentynine Palms. Additional places near and west of Twentynine palms include Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree, and Morongo Valley.

The mountains are home to the San Bernardino National Forest, and include the communities of Crestline, Lake Arrowhead, Running Springs, Big Bear City, Forest Falls, and Big Bear Lake.

The San Bernardino Valley is at the eastern end of the San Gabriel Valley. The San Bernardino Valley includes the cities of Ontario, Chino, Chino Hills, Upland, Fontana, Rialto, Colton, Grand Terrace, Rancho Cucamonga, San Bernardino, Loma Linda, Highland, Redlands, and Yucaipa.

Adjacent counties

Counties adjacent to San Bernardino County, California

San Bernardino

Inyo

Los
Angeles

Kern

Riverside

Orange

Clark County,
Nevada

Mohave
County,
Arizona

La Paz
County,
Arizona

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Counties adjacent to San Bernardino County, California

National protected areas

• Angeles National Forest (part)
• Death Valley National Park (part)
• Havasu National Wildlife Refuge (part)
• Joshua Tree National Park (part)
• Mojave National Preserve
• San Bernardino National Forest (part)

There are at least 35 official wilderness areas in the county that are part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. This is the largest number of any county in the United States (although not the largest in total area). The majority are managed by the Bureau of Land Management, but some are integral components of the above listed national protected areas. Most of these wilderness areas lie entirely within the county, but a few are shared with neighboring counties (and two of these are shared with the neighboring states of Arizona and Nevada).

Except as noted, these wilderness areas are managed solely by the Bureau of Land Management and lie entirely within San Bernardino County:

• Bigelow Cholla Garden Wilderness
• Bighorn Mountain Wilderness (part)
• Black Mountain Wilderness
• Bristol Mountains Wilderness
• Cadiz Dunes Wilderness
• Chemehuevi Mountains Wilderness
• Cleghorn Lakes Wilderness
• Clipper Mountain Wilderness
• Cucamonga Wilderness
• Dead Mountains Wilderness
• Death Valley Wilderness (part)
• Golden Valley Wilderness
• Grass Valley Wilderness
• Havasu Wilderness (part)
• Hollow Hills Wilderness
• Joshua Tree Wilderness (part)
• Kelso Dunes Wilderness
• Kingston Range Wilderness
• Mesquite Wilderness
• Mojave Wilderness
• Newberry Mountains Wilderness
• North Mesquite Mountains Wilderness
• Old Woman Mountains Wilderness
• Pahrump Valley Wilderness (part)
• Piute Mountains Wilderness
• Rodman Mountains Wilderness
• Saddle Peak Hills Wilderness (par)
• San Gorgonio Wilderness (part)
• Sheep Mountain Wilderness (part)
• Sheephole Valley Wilderness
• Stateline Wilderness
• Stepladder Mountains Wilderness
• Trilobite Wilderness
• Turtle Mountains Wilderness
• Whipple Mountains Wilderness

Demographics

2011

Population, race, and income
Total population	2,023,452
White	1,240,228	61.3%
Black or African American	176,209	8.7%
American Indian or Alaska Native	20,762	1.0%
Asian	126,991	6.3%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander	5,984	0.3%
Some other race	364,236	18.0%
Two or more races	89,042	4.4%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)	984,022	48.6%
Per capita income	$21,932
Median household income	$55,853
Median family income	$61,525

Places by population, race, and income

Places by population and race
Place	Type	Population	White	Other	Asian	Black or African American	Native American	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Adelanto	City	30,670	55.5%	19.4%	2.4%	21.1%	1.5%	51.8%
Apple Valley	Town	68,316	76.6%	10.1%	2.0%	10.4%	0.9%	28.7%
Baker	CDP	713	37.0%	52.5%	0.0%	8.7%	1.8%	69.6%
Barstow	City	22,913	58.8%	18.0%	1.7%	16.4%	5.0%	39.6%
Big Bear City	CDP	11,504	82.3%	13.7%	1.1%	1.3%	1.6%	23.7%
Big Bear Lake	City	5,109	74.9%	20.9%	0.0%	1.8%	2.3%	24.0%
Big River	CDP	1,213	88.0%	8.9%	0.0%	0.0%	3.1%	12.1%
Bloomington	CDP	25,234	60.9%	33.2%	0.8%	3.5%	1.6%	83.5%
Bluewater	CDP	114	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	10.5%
Chino	City	78,050	60.8%	22.2%	9.8%	6.4%	0.9%	54.3%
Chino Hills	City	74,765	55.6%	11.8%	28.3%	3.8%	0.5%	30.2%
Colton	City	52,283	50.2%	32.5%	5.2%	10.4%	1.6%	68.0%
Crestline	CDP	8,743	87.5%	9.7%	0.8%	1.2%	0.8%	14.2%
Fontana	City	192,779	58.2%	24.8%	6.4%	9.7%	0.9%	65.9%
Fort Irwin	CDP	9,781	69.4%	10.1%	7.1%	10.2%	3.2%	25.5%
Grand Terrace	City	12,132	65.4%	20.8%	7.6%	5.6%	0.6%	37.9%
Hesperia	City	88,247	74.9%	15.0%	2.1%	6.3%	1.7%	47.9%
Highland	City	52,777	52.4%	29.5%	7.1%	10.1%	0.9%	47.9%
Homestead Valley	CDP	3,072	94.7%	3.6%	1.3%	0.0%	0.4%	3.8%
Joshua Tree	CDP	7,194	82.4%	10.6%	2.7%	3.0%	1.3%	16.4%
Lake Arrowhead	CDP	9,434	81.0%	16.4%	0.6%	1.4%	0.6%	23.7%
Lenwood	CDP	3,784	63.3%	25.1%	0.4%	9.4%	1.8%	44.7%
Loma Linda	City	23,081	48.4%	15.0%	28.7%	6.8%	1.1%	22.8%
Lucerne Valley	CDP	6,029	76.4%	6.6%	1.7%	12.1%	3.1%	21.3%
Lytle Creek	CDP	735	86.8%	2.3%	8.2%	0.0%	2.7%	27.3%
Mentone	CDP	8,670	75.5%	12.0%	4.2%	7.7%	0.7%	29.7%
Montclair	City	36,802	43.1%	39.8%	10.2%	4.6%	2.3%	67.1%
Morongo Valley	CDP	3,550	81.7%	15.3%	0.1%	0.0%	2.9%	25.4%
Mountain View Acres	CDP	3,376	68.5%	18.2%	1.9%	11.1%	0.4%	58.4%
Muscoy	CDP	11,573	52.2%	41.8%	3.2%	1.7%	1.0%	82.8%
Needles	City	4,910	74.5%	9.3%	1.6%	3.0%	11.5%	16.0%
Oak Glen	CDP	502	95.6%	1.4%	0.0%	3.0%	0.0%	20.9%
Oak Hills	CDP	8,780	84.2%	9.6%	3.5%	0.7%	2.1%	34.5%
Ontario	City	165,120	52.6%	33.9%	4.6%	7.6%	1.4%	66.5%
Phelan	CDP	12,851	78.5%	14.8%	4.0%	1.2%	1.4%	29.5%
Piñon Hills	CDP	6,130	93.4%	5.1%	0.4%	1.0%	0.0%	18.0%
Rancho Cucamonga	City	163,151	63.2%	16.4%	10.5%	8.4%	1.5%	34.8%
Redlands	City	68,995	69.6%	15.9%	7.9%	5.3%	1.3%	29.5%
Rialto	City	99,501	59.2%	22.5%	2.4%	14.9%	0.9%	67.2%
Running Springs	CDP	5,027	84.4%	11.2%	0.9%	0.4%	3.1%	17.6%
San Antonio Heights	CDP	3,914	74.0%	18.0%	7.1%	0.1%	0.8%	21.5%
San Bernardino	City	210,100	44.8%	34.9%	4.4%	14.9%	1.1%	58.8%
Searles Valley	CDP	1,812	91.9%	5.0%	0.0%	2.2%	0.8%	9.9%
Silver Lakes	CDP	4,508	88.1%	4.3%	3.7%	3.2%	0.7%	14.2%
Spring Valley Lake	CDP	8,080	91.3%	5.4%	1.9%	1.0%	0.3%	21.1%
Twentynine Palms	City	25,786	74.8%	10.1%	3.6%	7.4%	4.1%	19.8%
Upland	City	74,021	61.0%	22.5%	9.3%	5.5%	1.8%	37.8%
Victorville	City	111,704	62.0%	17.1%	4.5%	15.4%	1.1%	47.5%
Wrightwood	CDP	4,556	96.6%	2.5%	0.9%	0.0%	0.0%	10.1%
Yucaipa	City	50,862	81.0%	13.6%	2.5%	1.9%	1.0%	26.3%
Yucca Valley	Town	20,508	82.7%	11.0%	2.6%	2.4%	1.4%	14.1%

Places by population and income
Place	Type	Population	Per capita income	Median household income	Median family income
Adelanto	City	30,670	$11,771	$42,208	$45,187
Apple Valley	Town	68,316	$23,229	$50,664	$57,811
Baker	CDP	713	$11,235	$33,000	$43,047
Barstow	City	22,913	$20,571	$45,417	$55,403
Big Bear City	CDP	11,504	$21,008	$41,509	$54,881
Big Bear Lake	City	5,109	$22,207	$31,541	$36,750
Big River	CDP	1,213	$24,254	$29,219	$43,611
Bloomington	CDP	25,234	$13,492	$44,673	$44,855
Bluewater	CDP	114	$25,664	$32,500	$41,250
Chino	City	78,050	$22,918	$73,400	$80,411
Chino Hills	City	74,765	$35,157	$101,905	$108,140
Colton	City	52,283	$16,385	$41,788	$46,195
Crestline	CDP	8,743	$24,872	$51,478	$58,171
Fontana	City	192,779	$19,297	$64,058	$65,652
Fort Irwin	CDP	9,781	$18,214	$52,798	$53,774
Grand Terrace	City	12,132	$29,591	$64,337	$82,898
Hesperia	City	88,247	$17,589	$48,624	$52,894
Highland	City	52,777	$22,494	$59,419	$66,445
Homestead Valley	CDP	3,072	$19,107	$26,356	$38,838
Joshua Tree	CDP	7,194	$25,501	$43,510	$49,221
Lake Arrowhead	CDP	9,434	$35,810	$63,117	$68,462
Lenwood	CDP	3,784	$16,799	$43,000	$53,938
Loma Linda	City	23,081	$31,242	$61,116	$71,844
Lucerne Valley	CDP	6,029	$16,034	$25,323	$34,167
Lytle Creek	CDP	735	$21,703	$65,982	$74,050
Mentone	CDP	8,670	$25,747	$56,075	$57,198
Montclair	City	36,802	$17,173	$50,959	$51,434
Morongo Valley	CDP	3,550	$23,084	$37,734	$57,321
Mountain View Acres	CDP	3,376	$17,573	$54,427	$58,125
Muscoy	CDP	11,573	$11,294	$44,853	$50,236
Needles	City	4,910	$19,818	$30,139	$34,968
Oak Glen	CDP	502	$23,376	$63,902	$68,462
Oak Hills	CDP	8,780	$29,805	$76,882	$84,158
Ontario	City	165,120	$19,123	$55,902	$57,731
Phelan	CDP	12,851	$23,682	$52,863	$61,746
Piñon Hills	CDP	6,130	$26,576	$38,140	$58,542
Rancho Cucamonga	City	163,151	$32,738	$78,782	$88,362
Redlands	City	68,995	$32,586	$68,015	$82,420
Rialto	City	99,501	$15,967	$50,452	$54,271
Running Springs	CDP	5,027	$28,608	$60,833	$76,121
San Antonio Heights	CDP	3,914	$46,524	$97,960	$102,692
San Bernardino	City	210,100	$15,762	$40,161	$42,771
Searles Valley	CDP	1,812	$22,908	$31,970	$65,472
Silver Lakes	CDP	4,508	$30,517	$64,058	$73,405
Spring Valley Lake	CDP	8,080	$24,390	$54,344	$67,877
Twentynine Palms	City	25,786	$21,546	$43,412	$45,225
Upland	City	74,021	$29,614	$67,449	$75,304
Victorville	City	111,704	$17,249	$52,357	$53,667
Wrightwood	CDP	4,556	$36,747	$80,793	$89,583
Yucaipa	City	50,862	$26,985	$59,596	$73,302
Yucca Valley	Town	20,508	$21,990	$45,502	$52,942

2010

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1860	5,551		—
1870	3,988		−28.2%
1880	7,786		95.2%
1890	25,497		227.5%
1900	27,929		9.5%
1910	56,706		103.0%
1920	73,401		29.4%
1930	133,900		82.4%
1940	161,108		20.3%
1950	281,642		74.8%
1960	503,591		78.8%
1970	684,072		35.8%
1980	895,016		30.8%
1990	1,418,380		58.5%
2000	1,709,434		20.5%
2010	2,035,210		19.1%
Est. 2014	2,112,619		3.8%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2014

The 2010 United States Census reported that San Bernardino County had a population of 2,035,210. The racial makeup of San Bernardino County was 1,153,161 (56.7%) White, 181,862 (8.9%) African American, 22,689 (1.1%) Native American, 128,603 (6.3%) Asian, 6,870 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 439,661 (21.6%) from other races, and 102,364 (5.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,001,145 persons (49.2%).

Population reported at 2010 United States Census
The county	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
San Bernardino County	2,035,210	1,153,161	181,862	22,689	128,603	6,870	439,661	102,364	1,001,145
Incorporated cities and towns	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Adelanto	31,765	13,909	6,511	411	617	194	8,337	1,786	18,513
Apple Valley	69,135	47,762	6,321	779	2,020	294	8,345	3,614	20,156
Barstow	22,639	11,840	3,313	477	723	278	4,242	1,766	9,700
Big Bear Lake	5,019	4,204	22	48	78	10	491	166	1,076
Chino	77,983	43,981	4,829	786	8,159	168	16,503	3,557	41,993
Chino Hills	74,799	38,035	3,415	379	22,676	115	6,520	3,659	21,802
Colton	52,154	22,613	5,055	661	2,590	176	18,413	2,646	37,039
Fontana	196,069	92,978	19,574	1,957	12,948	547	58,449	9,616	130,957
Grand Terrace	12,040	7,912	673	120	778	32	1,898	627	4,708
Hesperia	90,173	55,129	5,226	1,118	1,884	270	22,115	4,431	44,091
Highland	53,104	27,836	5,887	542	3,954	168	11,826	2,891	25,556
Loma Linda	23,261	11,122	2,032	97	6,589	154	2,022	1,245	5,171
Montclair	36,664	19,337	1,908	434	3,425	74	9,882	1,604	25,744
Needles	4,844	3,669	95	399	35	9	323	314	1,083
Ontario	163,924	83,683	10,561	1,686	8,453	514	51,373	7,654	113,085
Rancho Cucamonga	165,269	102,401	15,246	1,134	17,208	443	19,878	8,959	57,688
Redlands	68,747	47,452	3,564	625	5,216	235	8,266	3,389	20,810
Rialto	99,171	43,592	16,236	1,062	2,258	361	30,993	4,669	67,038
San Bernardino	209,924	95,734	31,582	2,822	8,454	839	59,827	10,666	125,994
Twentynine Palms	25,048	17,938	2,063	329	979	345	1,678	1,716	5,212
Upland	73,732	48,364	5,400	522	6,217	159	9,509	3,561	28,035
Victorville	115,903	56,258	19,483	1,665	4,641	489	26,036	7,331	55,359
Yucaipa	51,367	40,824	837	485	1,431	74	5,589	2,127	13,943
Yucca Valley	20,700	17,280	666	232	469	44	1,185	824	3,679
Census-designated places	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Baker	735	302	1	5	10	14	380	23	502
Big Bear City	12,304	10,252	83	202	103	31	1,089	544	2,323
Big River	1,327	1,137	14	50	2	0	54	70	160
Bloomington	23,851	12,988	649	309	330	47	8,600	928	19,326
Bluewater	172	156	2	1	0	1	9	3	11
Crestline	10,770	9,289	107	135	96	20	526	597	1,775
Fort Irwin	8,845	5,481	1,086	103	402	120	916	737	2,261
Homestead Valley	3,032	2,594	34	58	30	9	196	111	517
Joshua Tree	7,414	6,176	234	84	104	18	368	430	1,308
Lake Arrowhead	12,424	10,729	95	93	152	33	847	475	2,709
Lenwood	3,543	2,133	219	94	37	25	813	222	1,675
Lucerne Valley	5,811	4,507	170	106	90	0	676	262	1,447
Lytle Creek	701	606	6	7	23	0	25	34	98
Mentone	8,720	6,114	438	122	352	32	1,234	428	3,085
Morongo Valley	3,552	3,076	40	73	31	4	187	141	531
Mountain View Acres	3,130	1,748	215	48	98	17	861	143	1,647
Muscoy	10,644	4,459	454	125	101	16	4,992	497	8,824
Oak Glen	638	545	50	13	2	1	14	13	123
Oak Hills	8,879	6,796	266	100	226	28	1,166	297	2,719
Phelan	14,304	10,807	276	139	446	20	1,993	623	4,128
Piñon Hills	7,272	5,966	58	65	189	4	659	331	1,738
Running Springs	4,862	4,325	23	47	50	6	146	265	695
San Antonio Heights	3,371	2,765	67	24	284	15	115	101	612
Searles Valley	1,739	1,405	69	56	16	6	83	104	293
Silver Lakes	5,623	4,566	315	39	198	15	270	220	907
Spring Valley Lake	8,220	6,450	403	55	381	23	481	427	1,528
Wrightwood	4,525	4,126	38	28	51	7	112	163	538
Unincorporated communities	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
All others not CDPs (combined)	115,368	69,810	5,951	1,738	2,997	366	29,149	5,357	61,233

2000

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,709,434 people, 528,594 households, and 404,374 families residing in the county. The population density was 85 people per square mile (33/km²). There were 601,369 housing units at an average density of 30 per square mile (12/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 58.9% White, 9.1% African American, 1.2% Native American, 4.7% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 20.8% from other races, and 5.0% from two or more races. 39.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 8.3% were of German, 5.5% English and 5.1% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000. 66.1% spoke English, 27.7% Spanish and 1.1% Tagalog as their first language.

There were 528,594 households, out of which 43.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.8% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.5% were non-families. 18.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.6% had someone 65 years of age or older living alone. The average household size was 3.2 people, and the average family size was 3.6 people.

The number of homeless in San Bernardino County grew from 5,270 in 2002 to 7,331 in 2007, a 39% increase.

In the county the population was spread out—with 32.3% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 99.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.2 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,066, and the median income for a family was $46,574. Males had a median income of $37,025 versus $27,993 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,856. About 12.6% of families and 15.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.6% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors has 5 members elected from their districts.

State and federal representation

In the United States House of Representatives, San Bernardino County is split between 5 congressional districts:

• California's 8th congressional district, represented by Republican Paul Cook,
• California's 27th congressional district, represented by Democrat Judy Chu,
• California's 31st congressional district, represented by Democrat Pete Aguilar,
• California's 35th congressional district, represented by Democrat Norma Torres, and
• California's 39th congressional district, represented by Republican Ed Royce.

In the California State Assembly, San Bernardino County is split between 8 assembly districts:

• the 33rd Assembly District, represented by Republican Jay Obernolte,
• the 36th Assembly District, represented by Republican Tom Lackey,
• the 40th Assembly District, represented by Republican Marc Steinorth,
• the 41st Assembly District, represented by Democrat Chris Holden,
• the 42nd Assembly District, represented by Republican Chad Mayes,
• the 47th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Cheryl Brown,
• the 52nd Assembly District, represented by Democrat Freddie Rodriguez, and
• the 55th Assembly District, represented by Republican Ling Ling Chang.

In the California State Senate, San Bernardino County is split between 6 districts:

• the 16th Senate District, represented by Republican Jean Fuller,
• the 20th Senate District, represented by Democrat Connie Leyva,
• the 21st Senate District, represented by Republican Sharon Runner,
• the 23rd Senate District, represented by Republican Mike Morrell,
• the 25th Senate District, represented by Democrat Carol Liu, and
• the 29th Senate District, represented by Republican Bob Huff.

Politics

Voter registration

Population and registered voters
Total population	2,023,452
Registered voters	869,637	43.0%
Democratic	339,603	39.1%
Republican	307,945	35.4%
Democratic–Republican spread	+31,658	+3.7%
Independent	31,121	3.6%
Green	3,174	0.4%
Libertarian	5,121	0.6%
Peace and Freedom	3,204	0.4%
Americans Elect	68	0.0%
Other	1,941	0.2%
No party preference	177,460	20.4%

Cities by population and voter registration

Cities by population and voter registration
City	Population	Registered voters	Democratic	Republican	D–R spread	Other	No party preference
Adelanto	30,670	29.8%	48.8%	21.7%	+27.1%	11.1%	23.2%
Apple Valley	68,316	52.3%	29.1%	46.1%	-17.0%	11.5%	18.4%
Barstow	22,913	37.2%	41.5%	29.0%	+12.5%	11.0%	23.3%
Big Bear Lake	5,109	56.7%	23.9%	51.6%	-27.7%	10.8%	17.9%
Chino	78,050	42.0%	39.2%	36.9%	+2.3%	7.1%	19.8%
Chino Hills	74,765	52.6%	31.8%	40.6%	-8.8%	6.9%	23.4%
Colton	52,283	38.9%	49.9%	25.4%	+24.5%	7.5%	20.2%
Fontana	192,779	38.2%	48.6%	24.7%	+23.9%	7.0%	22.5%
Grand Terrace	12,132	54.9%	37.0%	39.3%	-2.3%	8.1%	18.9%
Hesperia	88,247	41.7%	34.3%	38.2%	-3.9%	10.9%	21.2%
Highland	52,777	45.5%	38.4%	37.4%	+1.0%	8.0%	19.5%
Loma Linda	23,081	46.2%	32.9%	36.3%	-3.4%	8.5%	25.8%
Montclair	36,802	35.8%	50.2%	23.5%	+26.7%	7.1%	21.8%
Needles	4,910	39.1%	40.8%	28.7%	+12.1%	13.8%	22.8%
Ontario	165,120	36.7%	46.9%	28.5%	+18.4%	7.1%	20.3%
Rancho Cucamonga	163,151	53.8%	35.6%	39.5%	-3.9%	8.0%	20.3%
Redlands	68,995	56.1%	33.9%	42.4%	-8.5%	8.9%	18.4%
Rialto	99,501	39.6%	52.0%	23.7%	+28.3%	6.9%	20.1%
San Bernardino	210,100	36.8%	46.5%	29.5%	+17.0%	7.7%	19.4%
Twentynine Palms	25,786	22.1%	27.5%	41.1%	-13.6%	11.1%	24.9%
Upland	74,021	52.0%	35.4%	40.7%	-5.3%	7.6%	19.3%
Victorville	111,704	38.4%	43.5%	29.6%	+13.9%	10.0%	21.1%
Yucaipa	50,862	54.1%	27.5%	48.9%	-21.4%	10.4%	17.5%
Yucca Valley	20,508	48.0%	28.1%	45.3%	-17.2%	11.4%	20.1%

Overview

San Bernardino County vote
by party in presidential elections

Year	GOP	DEM	Others
2012	45.1% 262,358	52.3% 305,109	2.3% 12,376
2008	45.8% 277,408	52.1% 315,720	2.2% 13,206
2004	55.3% 289,306	43.6% 227,789	1.1% 5,682
2000	48.8% 221,757	47.2% 214,749	4.0% 18,387
1996	43.6% 180,135	44.4% 183,372	12.1% 49,848
1992	37.2% 176,563	38.7% 183,634	24.0% 113,873
1988	60.0% 235,167	38.6% 151,118	1.5% 5,723
1984	64.8% 222,071	34.0% 116,454	1.2% 4,180
1980	59.7% 172,957	31.7% 91,790	8.7% 25,065
1976	49.5% 113,265	47.9% 109,636	2.6% 5,984
1972	59.7% 144,689	35.5% 85,986	4.8% 11,581
1968	50.1% 111,974	40.0% 89,418	9.9% 22,224
1964	42.8% 92,145	57.1% 123,012	0.1% 243
1960	52.0% 99,481	47.5% 90,888	0.5% 944
1956	56.9% 86,263	42.8% 64,946	0.3% 443
1952	57.3% 77,718	41.8% 56,663	0.9% 1,153
1948	48.6% 46,570	47.7% 45,691	3.8% 3,577
1944	46.5% 34,084	52.6% 38,530	0.9% 646
1940	44.3% 30,511	54.5% 37,520	1.2% 847
1936	39.0% 22,219	59.5% 33,955	1.5% 842
1932	44.6% 22,094	50.2% 24,889	5.2% 2,565
1928	74.7% 29,229	24.1% 9,436	1.1% 447
1924	56.9% 15,974	9.4% 2,634	33.7% 9,453
1920	62.8% 12,518	28.2% 5,620	9.0% 1,783

San Bernardino County is a county in which candidates from both major political parties have won in recent elections. The Democratic Party carried the county in 2008 and 2012, when Barack Obama won majorities of the county's votes, and in 1992 and 1996, when Bill Clinton won pluralities. Republican George W. Bush took the county in 2000 by a plurality and in 2004 by a majority. The county is split between heavily Latino, middle-class, and Democratic areas and more wealthy conservative areas. The heavily Latino cities of Ontario and San Bernardino went for John Kerry in 2004, but with a relatively low voter turnout. In 2006, San Bernardino's population exceeded 201,000, and in 2004, only 42,520 votes were cast in the city; in 2006, strongly Republican Rancho Cucamonga had over 145,000 residents, of whom 53,054 voted.

According to the California Secretary of State, as of May 2009, there were 806,589 registered voters in San Bernardino County. Of those, 324,857 (40.28%) were registered Democrats, 306,203 (37.96%) were registered Republicans, with the remainder belonging to minor political parties or declining to state.

On November 4, 2008 San Bernardino County voted 67% for Proposition 8, which amended the California Constitution to ban same-sex marriages.

Public safety

Law enforcement

SBC Sheriff's department operates a sizable fleet of helicopters. Shown here are a Bell 212 (foreground) and a Sikorsky S-61 at the air unit's Rialto Airport headquarters.

The county's primary law enforcement agency is the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. The department provides law enforcement services in the unincorporated areas of the county and in 14 contract cities, operates the county jail system, provides marshal services in the county superior courts, and has numerous other divisions to serve the residents of the county.

Sergeant Phil Brown of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said the gangs are growing more violent in the farthest reaches of the county, including the High Desert. Racial tensions among Chicano gangs and African-American gangs have increased dramatically in the Inland Empire, affecting even the most rural areas. "It's getting out in more remote areas," Brown said. "They go gang against gang. There's more gang violence to the general public and it's becoming more random..."

Fire rescue

The county operates the San Bernardino County Consolidated Fire District (commonly known as the San Bernardino County Fire Department). The department provides "all-risk" fire, rescue, and emergency medical services to all unincorporated areas in the county except for several areas served by independent fire protection districts, and several cities that chose to contract with the department.

Crime

The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense.

Population and crime rates
Population	2,023,452
Violent crime	10,038	4.96
Homicide	121	0.06
Forcible rape	500	0.25
Robbery	3,017	1.49
Aggravated assault	6,400	3.16
Property crime	35,314	17.45
Burglary	15,178	7.50
Larceny-theft	31,697	15.66
Motor vehicle theft	9,730	4.81
Arson	512	0.25

Cities by population and crime rates

Cities by population and crime rates
City	Population	Violent crimes	Violent crime rate per 1,000 persons	Property crimes	Property crime rate per 1,000 persons
Adelanto	32,520	199	6.12	924	28.41
Apple Valley	70,823	221	3.12	1,874	26.46
Barstow	23,188	207	8.93	843	36.36
Big Bear Lake	5,141	42	8.17	313	60.88
Chino	79,792	291	3.65	2,116	26.52
Chino Hills	76,632	64	0.84	956	12.48
Colton	53,431	189	3.54	1,907	35.69
Fontana	200,874	850	4.23	4,494	22.37
Grand Terrace	12,333	29	2.35	285	23.11
Hesperia	92,383	402	4.35	2,502	27.08
Highland	54,403	296	5.44	1,616	29.70
Loma Linda	23,819	43	1.81	626	26.28
Montclair	37,556	197	5.25	1,703	45.35
Needles	4,963	23	4.63	213	42.92
Ontario	167,933	534	3.18	5,056	30.11
Rancho Cucamonga	169,276	321	1.90	4,362	25.77
Redlands	70,399	221	3.14	2,992	42.50
Rialto	101,595	509	5.01	3,571	35.15
San Bernardino	214,987	2,022	9.41	10,510	48.89
Twentynine Palms	25,612	81	3.16	463	18.08
Upland	75,531	148	1.96	2,328	30.82
Victorville	118,687	676	5.70	4,465	37.62
Yucaipa	52,622	119	2.26	944	17.94
Yucca Valley	21,204	90	4.24	560	26.41

Economy

Major Employers

Name of Employer	Location	Number of Employees
County of Riverside	Riverside	18291
Stater Bros. Markets	San Bernardino	18000
Arrowhead Regional Medical Center	Colton	18000
County of San Bernardino	San Bernardino	17395
National Training Center	Fort Irwin	13805
U.S. Marine Corps Air	Twentynine Palms	12486
Abbott Vascular	Temecula	12000
March Air Reserve Base	Moreno Valley	8750
San Bernardino City Unified School District	San Bernardino	8574
Ontario International Airport	Ontario	7510
University of California	Riverside	6657
Claremont Colleges	Claremont	6500
University of California	Riverside	6294
Kaiser Permanente	Fontana	5682
Riverside Unified School District	Riverside	5099
Pechanga Resort & Casino	Temecula	4800
Loma Linda University Medical Center	Loma Linda	4676
Guidant Corp (now Abbot Labs)	Temecula	4500
San Bernardino City Unified School District	San Bernardino	4055
Fontana Unified School District	Fontana	3953
Loma Linda University	Loma Linda	3906
Riverside Community College	Riverside	3753
Kaiser Permanente Medical Center	Riverside	3200
Chino Valley Unified School District	Chino	3200
City of Riverside	Riverside	3261
San Manuel Band of Mission Indians	Highland	3261
California State University	San Bernardino	3012
Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa	Cabazon	3000
Southern California Edison	Rosemead	2804
Temecula Unified School District	Temecula	2667
Cal Poly Pomona	Pomona	2640
California Institution for Men	Chino	2327
Hemet Unified School District	Hemet	2270
Pomona Unified School District	Pomona	2267
Colton Joint Unified School District	Colton	2257
Jerry L. Pettis Veterans Hospital	Loma Linda	2100
Eisenhower Medical Center	Rancho Mirage	2053
Riverside County Office of Education	Riverside	2000
Hemet Valley Medical Center	Hemet	2000
Patton State Hospital	Highland	2000
Fender	Corona	2000
Alvord Unified School District	Riverside	2000
Hesperia Unified School District	Hesperia	1946
San Antonio Community Hospital	Upland	1900
Fleewood Enterprises Inc.	Riverside	1875
Marine Corps Logistics Base	Barstow	1868
Redlands Unified School District	Redlands	1824
City of San Bernardino	San Bernardino	1760
Riverside Community Hospital	Riverside	1600
Environmental Science Research Institute (ESRI)	Redlands	1600
Lake Elsinore Unified School District	Lake Elsinore	1577
Jurupa Unified School District	Riverside	1548
City of San Bernardino	San Bernardino	1500
Watson Pharmaceuticals	Corona	1500
Riverside Community College	Riverside	1436
The Press-Enterprise	Riverside	1400
United States Postal Service	Redlands	1400
Starcrest	Perris	1400
Saint Bernardine Medical Center	San Bernardino	1400
Apple Valley Unified School District	Apple Valley	1390
Chaffey Community College District	Rancho Cucamonga	1385
North American Medical Management	Ontario	1304
Redlands Community Hospital	Redlands	1300
Community Hospital of San Bernardino	San Bernardino	1200
State of California Rehabilitation Center	Norco	1169
Fantasy Springs Resort Casino	Indio	1100
Etiwanda School District	Etiwanda	1094
City of Ontario	Ontario	1075
Corona Regional Medical Center	Corona	1011
Agua Caliente Casino	Rancho Mirage	1000
California Steel Industries Inc.	Fontana	956
Naval Surface Warfare Center	Corona	926

Education

Colleges and universities

• Barstow Community College
• Brandman University (Ontario campus)
• California State University, San Bernardino
• Chaffey College
• Crafton Hills College
• Loma Linda University
• National University (campuses in Ontario and San Bernardino)
• Palo Verde Community College (Needles campus)
• San Bernardino Valley College
• University of La Verne
• University of Redlands
• Victor Valley College

Libraries

San Bernardino County is home to the San Bernardino County Library system, which consists of 34 branches within the county and branches in College of the Desert, Moreno Valley, Murrieta, and Victorville. Branch libraries offer services such as free internet access, live 24/7 reference services, vital records, LITE (Literacy, Information, Technology, and Education) Centers for children, and literacy programs.

City-sponsored public libraries also exist in San Bernardino County, including A. K. Smiley Public Library in Redlands, California, which was built in 1898. Other public libraries in the County include: The San Bernardino City Public Library System, Rancho Cucamonga Public Library, Upland Public Library, Colton City Library, and the Ontario City Library.

Transportation

Major highways

• Interstate 10
• Interstate 15
• Interstate 40
• Interstate 210
• Interstate 215
• U.S. Route 95
• U.S. Route 395
• Historic U.S. Route 66
• State Route 18
• State Route 38
• State Route 58
• State Route 60
• State Route 62
• State Route 66
• State Route 71
• State Route 83
• State Route 127
• State Route 138
• State Route 142
• State Route 173
• State Route 178
• State Route 189
• State Route 247
• State Route 259
• State Route 330

Public transportation

• Barstow Area Transit serves Barstow and the surrounding county area.
• Morongo Basin Transit Authority provides bus service in Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree and Twentynine Palms (including the Marine base). Limited service is also provided to Palm Springs.
• Mountain Area Regional Transit Authority (MARTA) covers the Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear regions. Limited service is also provided to Downtown San Bernardino.
• Needles Area Transit serves Needles and the surrounding county area.
• Omnitrans provides transit service in the urbanized portion of San Bernardino County, serving the City of San Bernardino, as well as the area between Montclair and Yucaipa.
• Victor Valley Transit Authority operates buses in Victorville, Hesperia, Adelanto, Apple Valley and the surrounding county area.
• Foothill Transit connects the Inland Empire area to the San Gabriel Valley and downtown Los Angeles.
• OCTA connects Chino to Irvine and Brea.
• RTA connects Montclair to Riverside County.
• San Bernardino County is also served by Greyhound buses and Amtrak trains. Metrolink commuter trains connect the urbanized portion of the county with Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside Counties.

Airports

• Commercial passenger flights are available at L.A./Ontario International Airport.
• San Bernardino International Airport is being remodeled and is expected to serve the region as an international airport. The airport will have access through interstate I-215 and I-10 through Mill Street. Terminal construction recently finished, and commercial flights are planned, awaiting carriers to select SBD as a destination city.
• Southern California Logistics Airport (Victorville) is a major cargo and general aviation airport.
• The County of San Bernardino owns six general aviation airports: Apple Valley Airport, Baker Airport, Barstow-Daggett Airport, Chino Airport, Needles Airport, and Twentynine Palms Airport.
• Other general aviation airports in the county include: Big Bear City Airport, Cable Airport (Upland), Hesperia Airport (not listed in NPIAS), and Redlands Municipal Airport

Environmental quality

California Attorney General Jerry Brown sued the county in April 2007 under the state's environmental quality act for failing to account for the impact of global warming in the county's 25-year growth plan, approved in March. The Center for Biological Diversity, the Sierra Club and the Audubon Society also sued in a separate case. According to Brendan Cummings, a senior attorney for the plaintiffs: "San Bernardino has never seen a project it didn't like. They rubber-stamp development. It's very much of a frontier mentality." The plaintiffs want the county to rewrite its growth plan's environmental impact statement to include methods to measure greenhouse gases and take steps to reduce them.

According to county spokesman David Wert, only 15% of the county is actually controlled by the county; the rest is cities and federal and state land. However, the county says it will make sure employment centers and housing are near transportation corridors to reduce traffic and do more to promote compact development and mass transit. The county budgeted $325,000 to fight the lawsuit.

The state and the county reached a settlement in August 2007. The county agreed to amend its general plan to include a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Plan, including an emissions inventory and reduction targets.

Communities

Cities

San Bernardino County Cities	Year Incorporated	Population, 2014	Median Income, 2012	Land Area sq mi (km2)
Adelanto	1970	32,511	$34,925	56.009 (145.062)
Apple Valley	1988	70,755	$40,313	73.193 (189.57)
Barstow	1947	23,292	$41,556	41.385 (107.186)
Big Bear Lake	1981	5,121	$32,869	6.346 (16.435)
Chino	1910	81,747	$66,035	29.639 (76.766)
Chino Hills	1991	76,131	$82,241	44.681 (115.723)
Colton	1887	53,057	$38,329	15.324 (39.689)
Fontana	1952	204,312	$61,085	42.432 (109.899)
Grand Terrace	1978	12,285	$64,073	3.502 (9.07)
Hesperia	1988	91,506	$38,058	73.096 (189.316)
Highland	1987	54,033	$53,524	18.755 (48.575)
Loma Linda	1970	23,614	$59,358	7.516 (19.467)
Montclair	1956	37,374	$47,360	5.517 (14.289)
Needles	1913	4,908	$29,613	30.808 (79.793)
Ontario	1891	167,382	$52,014	49.941 (129.345)
Rancho Cucamonga	1977	172,299	$74,118	39.851 (103.212)
Redlands	1888	69,882	$61,681	36.126 (93.565)
Rialto	1911	101,429	$48,197	22.351 (57.889)
San Bernardino	1854	212,721	$37,244	59.201 (153.33)
Twentynine Palms	1987	26,576	$40,975	59.143 (153.179)
Upland	1906	75,147	$56,480	15.617 (40.448)
Victorville	1962	120,590	$44,426	73.178 (189.529)
Yucaipa	1989	52,654	$57,539	27.888 (72.231)
Yucca Valley	1991	21,053	$40,057	40.015 (103.639)

Unincorporated communities

• Amboy
• Angelus Oaks
• Arrowhead Farms
• Baker
• Baldwin Lake
• Baldy Mesa
• Bell Mountain
• Big Bear City
• Big River
• Bloomington
• Blue Jay
• Bluewater
• Cadiz
• Cajon Junction
• Cedar Glen
• Cima
• Crafton
• Crestline
• Daggett
• Declezville
• Devore (Devore Heights)
• Earp
• El Mirage
• Essex
• Fawnskin
• Fenner
• Forest Falls
• Fort Irwin
• Goffs
• Green Valley Lake
• Halloran Springs
• Helendale
• Hinkley
• Hodge
• Homestead Valley
• Ivanpah
• Joshua Tree
• Johnson Valley
• Kingston
• Kramer Hills
• Kramer Junction
• Lake Arrowhead
• Landers
• Lenwood
• Lucerne Valley
• Ludlow
• Lytle Creek
• Mentone
• Morongo Valley
• Mount Baldy
• Mountain Home Village
• Mountain Pass
• Mountain View Acres
• Muscoy
• Newberry Springs
• Nipton
• Oak Glen
• Oak Hills
• Oro Grande
• Parker Dam
• Phelan
• Pinon Hills
• Pioneertown
• Red Mountain
• Running Springs
• Rice
• Rimforest
• San Antonio Heights
• Searles Valley
• Siberia
• Silver Lakes
• Skyforest
• Sleepy Hollow
• Spring Valley Lake
• Sugarloaf
• Sunfair
• Trona
• Twentynine Palms Base
• Twin Peaks
• Venus
• Vidal
• Vidal Junction
• Wild Crossing
• Wrightwood
• Yermo
• Zzyzx

Places of interest

• The Mojave National Preserve
• Calico Ghost Town — northeast of Barstow via Interstate 15
• Zzyzx — a small desert settlement that used to be a health spa and is now the Desert Studies Center
• Joshua Tree National Park
• San Bernardino National Forest — home to Big Bear Lake outdoor activities
• Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex
• Snow Summit and Bear Mountain (Ski Area) are home to Southern California's premier winter ski resorts. Mountain High, although technically located in Los Angeles County, is also an alternative to Snow Summit and Bear Mountain because of its proximity to San Bernardino County.

See also

• List of California counties
• List of cemeteries in San Bernardino County
• List of museums in the Inland Empire (California)
• List of school districts in San Bernardino County, California
• National Register of Historic Places listings in San Bernardino County, California

External links

• San Bernardino County Museum website
• San Bernardino County Library website