La Habra Heights, California

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, La Habra Heights has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csa" on climate maps.^[8]

Racial and ethnic composition

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, La Habra Heights had a population of 5,682 and a population density of 922.6 inhabitants per square mile (356.2/km²). The census reported that 99.5% of the population lived in households, 0.3% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.2% were institutionalized. The city was 100.0% urban and 0.0% rural.^[29][30][31]

There were 1,921 households, of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 65.6% were married-couple households, 3.5% were cohabiting couple households, 17.5% had a female householder with no partner present, and 13.4% had a male householder with no partner present. About 13.0% of households were one person, and 7.8% had one person who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.94, and there were 1,572 families (81.8% of all households).^[29][30]

The age distribution was 16.8% under the age of 18, 8.1% aged 18 to 24, 20.5% aged 25 to 44, 30.7% aged 45 to 64, and 23.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.8 males age 18 and over.^[29][31]

There were 2,022 housing units at an average density of 328.3 units per square mile (126.8 units/km²), of which 1,921 (95.0%) were occupied. Of the occupied units, 88.1% were owner-occupied and 11.9% were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 0.0%.^[29][31]

2010 census

At the 2010 census La Habra Heights had a population of 5,325. The population density was 864.3 inhabitants per square mile (333.7/km²). The racial makeup of La Habra Heights was 3,855 (72.4%) White (57.2% Non-Hispanic White),^[32] 47 (0.9%) African American, 26 (0.5%) Native American, 841 (15.8%) Asian, 6 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 333 (6.3%) from other races, and 217 (4.1%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,254 persons (23.5%).^[33]

The census reported that 5,305 people (99.6% of the population) lived in households, 14 (0.3%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 6 (0.1%) were institutionalized.

There were 1,805 households, of which 542 (30.0%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,289 (71.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 123 (6.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 79 (4.4%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 33 (1.8%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 14 (0.8%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 253 households (14.0%) were one person and 139 (7.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.94. There were 1,491 families (82.6% of households); the average family size was 3.21.

The age distribution was 1,019 people (19.1%) under the age of 18, 470 people (8.8%) aged 18 to 24, 938 people (17.6%) aged 25 to 44, 1,862 people (35.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,036 people (19.5%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 47.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.6 males.

There were 1,880 housing units at an average density of 305.1 per square mile, of the occupied units 1,682 (93.2%) were owner-occupied and 123 (6.8%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.3%. 4,955 people (93.1% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 350 people (6.6%) lived in rental housing units.

Income and poverty

During 2009–2013, La Habra Heights had a median household income of $118,871, with 2.8% of the population living below the federal poverty line.^[32]

In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $186,837, and the per capita income was $95,723. About 2.0% of families and 3.6% of the population were below the poverty line.^[34]

Rudolph Hass & the Discovery of the Hass Avocado

All commercial, fruit-bearing Hass avocado trees have been grown from grafted seedlings propagated from a single tree from a seed bought by Rudolph Hass in 1926 from A. R. Rideout of Whittier, California. At the time, Rideout was getting seeds from any source, even restaurant food scraps. The cultivar this seed came from is not known. In 2019, the National Academy of Sciences published a genetic study concluding that the Hass avocado is a cross between Mexican (61%) and Guatemalan (39%) avocado varieties.

In 1926, at his 1.5-acre grove at 430 West Road, La Habra Heights, California, Hass planted three seeds he had bought from Rideout, which yielded one strong seedling. After trying and failing at least twice to graft the seedling with branches from Fuerte avocado trees (the leading commercial cultivar at the time), Hass thought of cutting it down. Still, a professional grafter named Caulkins told him the young tree was sound and robust, so he let it be. When the tree began bearing odd, bumpy fruit, his children liked the taste. As the tree's yields grew, Hass quickly sold what his family did not eat to co-workers at the post office.[1] The Hass avocado had one of its first commercial successes at the Model Grocery Store on Colorado Street in Pasadena, California, where chefs working for some of the town's wealthy residents bought the new cultivar's big, nutty-tasting fruit for $1 each, a very high price at the time (equivalent to $17 in 2023).

Hass patented the tree in 1935 and contracted with Whittier nurseryman Harold Brokaw to grow and sell grafted seedlings propagated from its cuttings,[1] with Brokaw getting 75% of the proceeds. Brokaw then specialized in the Hass and often sold out of grafted seedlings since, unlike the Fuerte, Hass yields are year-round and plentiful, with giant fruit, a longer shelf life, and richer flavor owing to higher oil content.

By the early 21st century, the US avocado industry took in over $1 billion a year from the heavy-bearing, high-quality Hass cultivar, which accounted for around 80% of all avocados grown worldwide.

Owing to later suburban sprawl in Southern California, the mother tree stood for many years in front of a residence in La Habra Heights. The tree died when it was 76 years old and was cut down on 11 September 2002 after a ten-year fight with phytophthora (root rot), which often kills avocado trees. Two plaques by the private residence at 426 West Road mark where it grew. The wood was stored in a tree nursery, and from this stock, a nephew of Rudolph Hass, Dick Stewart, made keepsakes, jewelry, and other gifts.

From 2010 to 2013, in mid-May, and starting again in September 2018, the city of La Habra Heights celebrated the Hass avocado at its Annual La Habra Heights Avocado Festival.