Moraga, California

"Moraga" redirects here. For the surname, see Moraga (surname).

Moraga, California
Town
Town of Moraga
Saint Mary's College of California
Location in Contra Costa County and the state of California
Moraga, California Location in the United States
Coordinates: 37°50′06″N 122°07′47″W
Country	USA
State	California
County	Contra Costa
Incorporated	November 13, 1974
Government
• Mayor	Roger Wykle
• State Senator	Jesse Arreguín (D)
• State Assembly	Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D)
• U. S. Congress	Nancy Pelosi (D)
Area
• Total	9.47 sq mi (24.54 km2)
• Land	9.46 sq mi (24.51 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2)  0.09%
Elevation	499 ft (152 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	16,016
• Estimate  (2018)	17,692
• Density	1,840.04/sq mi (710.46/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (PST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP codes	94556, 94570, 94575
Area code	925
FIPS code	06-49187 (formerly 06-49194)
GNIS feature IDs	1659171, 2413013
Website	www.moraga.ca.us

Moraga is a town in Contra Costa County, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. The town is named in honor of Joaquín Moraga, member of the famed Californio family, son of Gabriel Moraga, and grandson of José Joaquín Moraga, famous 18th century expeditionaries of the Californias. Moraga incorporated in 1974, when the communities of Moraga Town, Rheem, and Rheem Valley, united into one town.

As of 2010, Moraga had a total population of 16,016 people.

Geography

Moraga is located at 37°50'06" North, 122°07'47" West, at an elevation of 499 feet (152 m). It is located adjacent to the cities of Lafayette and Orinda, as well as the unincorporated community of Canyon. Other nearby cities include Walnut Creek, Oakland, San Francisco, Concord and Berkeley.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 9.4 square miles (24 km²), of which, 9.4 square miles (24 km²) is land and 0.09% is water. Moraga is in a valley, surrounded by rolling hills. Large sections of the Lafayette-Moraga Regional Trail pass through the town.

History

The land now called Moraga was first inhabited by the Saklan Indians, who belonged to the Bay Miwok language group.

Joaquin Moraga was the grandson of José Joaquín Moraga, builder of the Presidio of San Francisco and founder of the pueblo that grew into the city of San Jose. Joaquin's father Tenzin Moraga was also a soldier, and an early explorer who named many of the state's rivers, including the Sacramento and San Joaquin.

Moraga is located on the 1835 Mexican Land Grant Rancho Laguna de Los Palos Colorados given to Joaquin Moraga and his cousin, Juan Bernal. Part of that grant was the property today known as Moraga Ranch. The Moraga Adobe has been preserved and is located in neighboring Orinda. Joaquin Moraga Intermediate School, a middle school in Moraga, bears his name.

In the first half of the 20th century, the line of the Sacramento Northern Railroad ran through Moraga; much of the old right-of-way is now part of the Lafayette-Moraga Regional Trail.

Moraga's first post office opened in 1886, and was closed in 1887; it reopened in 1915. In 1955, Moraga built a new post office.

Saint Mary's College of California moved to Moraga in 1928.

In June 2017, Moraga declared a fiscal emergency, because a sinkhole in the downtown area and a failed bridge on Canyon Road were expected to cost $5 million to repair.

Climate

Moraga has a Mediterranean climate, with warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters. In the summer, morning fog is a common occurrence, but it usually burns off by the late morning or early afternoon, giving way to clear skies the rest of the day. Most of the annual rainfall comes during the winter; snow is very rare, but occasional light dustings have been seen. Over the course of a year, the town averages 26 days of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher, 40 nights of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower, and 59 days with rain. In 2014, the southwestern US was plagued by a serious drought. Moraga was badly burdened, with high fire warnings.

Moraga
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     6.1     53 35     4.3     58 38     3.7     62 39     2     67 42     0.6     72 47     0.2     77 51     0.1     82 54     0.1     81 54     0.3     81 52     1.6     73 46     3.6     62 40     5     54 36 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches Source: <http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?ca7661>
Metric conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     155     12 2     109     15 3     95     17 4     50     19 5     16     22 8     4.1     25 10     1.3     28 12     1.8     27 12     6.4     27 11     41     23 8     91     17 4     126     12 2 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mm

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1970	14,205		—
1980	15,014		5.7%
1990	15,852		5.6%
2000	16,290		2.8%
2010	16,016		−1.7%
2018 (est.)	17,692		10.5%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the 2000 census, Moraga was the 79th-wealthiest place in the US with a population above 10,000.

2010

The 2010 United States Census reported that Moraga had a population of 16,016. The population density was 1,696.3 people per square mile (654.9/km²). The racial makeup of Moraga was 12,201 (76.2%) White, 277 (1.7%) African American, 31 (0.2%) Native American, 2,393 (14.9%) Asian, 25 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 281 (1.8%) from other races, and 808 (5.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1,123 persons (7.0%).

The Census reported that 14,293 people (89.2% of the population) lived in households, 1,545 (9.6%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 178 (1.1%) were institutionalized.

There were 5,570 households, out of which 1,945 (34.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 3,685 (66.2%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 418 (7.5%) had a female householder with no husband present, 165 (3.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 121 (2.2%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 24 (0.4%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,073 households (19.3%) were made up of individuals and 564 (10.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57. There were 4,268 families (76.6% of all households); the average family size was 2.95.

The population was spread out with 3,474 people (21.7%) under the age of 18, 2,342 people (14.6%) aged 18 to 24, 2,193 people (13.7%) aged 25 to 44, 4,947 people (30.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 3,060 people (19.1%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males.

There were 5,754 housing units at an average density of 609.4 per square mile (235.3/km²), of which 4,673 (83.9%) were owner-occupied, and 897 (16.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.1%. 12,073 people (75.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 2,220 people (13.9%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

As of the census of 2000, there are 16,290 people, 5,662 households, and 4,325 families permanently residing in the town. The population density is 1,756.9 people per square mile (678.5 people/km²). There are 5,760 housing units at an average density of 621.2 people/sq mi (239.9 people/km²). The racial makeup is 81.10% White, 1.01% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 12.44% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 1.45% from other races, and 3.75% from two or more races. 4.76% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 5,662 households out of which 35.1% have children under age 18 living with them, 67.7% are married couples living together, 6.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 23.6% are non-families. 19.2% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.59 and the average family size is 2.99. In 2009 there were 3,570 licensed dogs in 67% of the households.

In the town the population is spread out with 22.7% under age 18, 13.9% from 18–24, 18.6% from 25–44, 29.1% from 45–64, and 15.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 42 years. For every 100 females there are 89.2 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there are 84.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town is $98,080, and the median income for a family is $116,113. Males have a median income of $92,815 versus $51,296 for females. The per capita income for the town is $45,437. 2.9% of the population and 1.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 3.5% of those under the age of 18 and 1.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Politics

As of February 10, 2019, Moraga has 11,024 voters with 4,737 (43%) registered Democrats, 2,766 (25.1%) registered Republicans and 3,105 (28.2%) independent voters.

Moraga vote
by party in presidential elections

Year	Democratic	Republican
2016	69.5% 6,071	23.7% 2,071
2012	58.7% 5,244	39.0% 3,487
2008	62.9% 5,932	35.3% 3,324
2004	56.3% 5,062	42.6% 3,835
2000	47.5% 4,129	48.1% 4,184
1996	44.8% 3,831	48.2% 4,126
1992	40.4% 3,839	41.3% 3,926
1988	34.9% 3,226	64.3% 5,953
1984	27.0% 2,253	72.2% 6,021
1980	20.1% 1,490	67.0% 4,972
1976	26.4% 1,877	72.7% 5,177

Education

Moraga is home to the grade schools of Los Perales Elementary, Donald L. Rheem School, Camino Pablo School, and Joaquin Moraga Intermediate School; Campolindo High School; and Saint Mary's College of California, a private college. In 2011, Moraga was named a top city to live and learn in.

Primary and secondary schools

The Moraga School District includes:

• Camino Pablo Elementary School, grades K–5
• Los Perales Elementary School, grades K–5
• Donald L. Rheem Elementary School, grades K–5
• Joaquin Moraga Intermediate School, grades 6–8

The Acalanes Union High School District includes:

• Campolindo High School, grades 9–12

The Saklan School (formerly known as Saklan Valley School and The Carden School of Moraga), a private elementary school founded in 1954, is also located in Moraga. It is a co-educational school with around 155 students from preschool to 8th grade. The school is accredited by the California Association of Independent Schools (a member of the National Association of Independent Schools), and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. It has a maximum class size of 16.

Moraga's only public high school is Campolindo High School, although some Moraga students choose to attend Miramonte High School, located just across the town border in Orinda. Both schools are part of the Acalanes Union High School District, which encompasses Moraga, Lafayette, Orinda, and parts of Walnut Creek.

Orion Academy is a private secondary school for students with conditions such as Asperger syndrome, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and nonverbal learning disorder.

Colleges and universities

Saint Mary's College of California is located just northeast of downtown Moraga; it is a Catholic university with 3,962 undergraduate and postgraduate students in the 2007–2008 school year. The college was originally located in San Francisco and then Oakland, but moved to Moraga in 1928.

Public libraries

The Moraga Library of the Contra Costa County Library is located along Saint Marys Road in Moraga.

Notable people

• Conrad Bassett-Bouchard, North American Scrabble champion
• Matt Biondi, Olympic gold medalist (swimming)
• Hans Florine, speed climber
• Will Forte, actor, comedian, and writer; former cast member of Saturday Night Live
• George Harrison, 1960 Olympic gold medalist and world record holder (swimming)
• Daniel Levitin, best-selling author, cognitive neuroscientist, and musician
• Patty Mills, professional NBA player, San Antonio Spurs
• Aaron Poreda, Major League Baseball pitcher
• Stephen Robinson, astronaut and professor
• Kim Vandenberg, Olympic silver medalist (swimming)
• Peter Varellas, Olympic silver medalist (water polo)
• Matt Vasgersian, sportscaster for MLB Network; was raised in Moraga

References

• "Moraga". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.

External links

• Official website
  • History page
• Moraga Chamber of Commerce
• Moraga Historical Society
• St. Mary's College of California
• Lamorinda Weekly newspaper
• Lamorinda Presents: Community events in Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda, California