Rossmoor
I’ve always liked this Rossmoor because of its proximity to Los Angles. Rossmoor is an affluent planned census-designated place located in Orange County. As of the 2010 census, the CDP had a total population of 10,244, down from 10,298 at the 2000 census.
The gated Leisure World retirement community in the city of Seal Beach is to the south of Rossmoor, Los Alamitos is to the east and north, and Long Beach is to the west (on the other side of the San Gabriel River, the 605 freeway and the border with Los Angeles County). The community of Rossmoor has two shopping centers within its boundaries, but only one—the Rossmoor Village Square—is now within the political boundaries of the Rossmoor Community Services District. A larger shopping center, the Rossmoor Business Center, now remodeled and called the Shops at Rossmoor—was annexed, despite many protests, by the city of Seal Beach in 1962.
History
The Rossmoor community was developed from 1955 through 1961 by Ross W. Cortese, who had earlier developed the architecturally-significant Lakewood Rancho Estates in Long Beach (1953) and the Frematic Homes (1954) in Anaheim, just north and west of Disneyland.
Originally created as a nudist colony, this quickly changed when Cortese's original partners in securing the first large parcels of land that would become Rossmoor included California governor Goodwin Knight and Judge Alfred Gittelson, who had also partnered with him in the Lakewood Rancho Estates and the Frematic homes. (It was Gittelson who later agreed to annex his Rossmoor Shopping Center property to Seal Beach in the 1960s.)
After Rossmoor, Cortese would construct the first of his very successful Leisure World gated retirement community in that part of Seal Beach which is immediately south of Rossmoor. The Rossmoor community is easy to recognize because of its red brick "signature wall" that borders the entire unincorporated community. It is a signature of the Rossmoor community that differentiates it from neighboring cities Los Alamitos and Seal Beach.
There are 3,430 single family homes and 1 condominium complex within Rossmoor.
According to a June 2006 consultant's report to the Rossmoor Planning Committee, the most cost effective solution for Rossmoor would be to be annexed by the city of Seal Beach.
Although it is not part of the city of Los Alamitos, it is served under the Los Alamitos "sphere of influence" and was proposed to be annexed to the city by 2007 after the Local Agency Formation Commission reviews the proposal.
Another proposal would combine Rossmoor with adjacent Seal Beach and Los Alamitos to form one city. Read more
Rossmoor is served by and the Rossmoor/Los Alamitos Area Sewer District. The mainly residential area is also served by the Rossmoor Community Services District, which serves the community as an independent functionary would, and provides limited services like landscape upkeep, city and road maintenance, and performing some general day-to-day upkeep of the community. However, the council lacks any central government, authority to the California State Government, and cannot make decisions about the future of the community, which is all delegated to the County of Orange's Unincorporated Islands Program.
Current status
At the May 22, 2008 meeting, LAFCO recommended that the Rossmoor Incorporation Plan go to a vote of the community. A vote by residents on the issue of incorporation was held on November 4, 2008. The proposition for cityhood was resoundingly defeated by a vote of 72% to 28% indicating that the majority of residents desire not be incorporated as a city. Residents also voted down three separate utility tax proposals by a wide margin.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 1.5 square miles, all of it land.
Demographics
The 2010 United States Census reported that Rossmoor had a population of 10,244. The racial makeup of Rossmoor was 8,691 White, 84 African American, 36 Native American, 838 Asian, 29 Pacific Islander, 168 from other races, and 398 from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,174 persons.
As of the census of 2000, there were 10,298 people, 3,715 households, and 2,975 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 6,583.8 people per square mile. There were 3,761 housing units at an average density of 2,404.5 per square mile. The racial makeup of the CDP was 88.88% White, 0.78% African American, 0.34% Native American, 5.72% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 1.36% from other races, and 2.83% from two or more races. 6.7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 3,715 households out of which 37.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.9% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.9% were non-families. 16.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 23.4% from 25 to 44, 26.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $86,457, and the median income for a family was $93,500. Males had a median income of $71,875 versus $46,913 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $38,642. 2.0% of the population and 1.3% of families were below the poverty line. 2.5% of those under the age of 18 and 1.3% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
In the news
Real Estate Basics
