Phelan Parking Lot Maintenance CA

Phelan’s history dates back to the days of the Mormon Trail, when settlers passed through the area on their way to San Bernardino and points beyond. Phelan was named after Senator James D. Phelan and his brother, John Thomas (J.T) Phelan.

Situated south of State Route 18 and northeast of State Route 138, the town is 30 miles (48 km) east of Palmdale and 18 miles (29 km) west of Victorville. The area around it is nearly flat desert country dotted with joshua trees and heavy brush.

Southwestern areas of Phelan are in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, reaching elevations of more than 4,900 feet above sea level. The California Aqueduct runs through the northern half of the town, eleven miles (18 km) from State Route 18 and ten miles (16 km) from Phelan Road. Covering more than 60 square miles, Phelan has an elevation that varies from 3,293 feet (1,004 m) to 4,910 feet (1,500 m) above sea level. The town center is at the corner of Phelan and Sheep Creek roads. Most businesses are situated in strip malls dotted along the sides of Phelan Road.

In 2001, according to a feature in the Los Angeles Times, the town was a “wind-swept, tiny unincorporated town nestled in the shadow of a mountain ski resort, just above the vast expanse that is the Mojave Desert. … There are no shopping malls here, and the closest movie theater is in Victorville, about 15 miles away.” Another Times feature said in 1990:

Phelan, along with Victorville, Hesperia, Apple Valley, and several other towns, is considered part of a region known as the High Desert.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP covers an area of 60.1 square miles (155.7 km), all of it land.

In May 2010, the United States Census Bureau made Phelan its own separate CDP for statistical purposes.

The 2010 United States Census reported that Phelan had a population of 14,304. The population density was 238.0 people per square mile (91.9/km²). The racial makeup of Phelan was 10,807 (75.6%) White (63.3% Non-Hispanic White), 276 (1.9%) African American, 139 (1.0%) Native American, 446 (3.1%) Asian, 20 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 1,993 (13.9%) from other races, and 623 (4.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4,128 persons (28.9%).

The Census reported that 14,267 people (99.7% of the population) lived in households, 37 (0.3%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.

There were 4,581 households, out of which 1,883 (41.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 2,705 (59.0%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 509 (11.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 360 (7.9%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 274 (6.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 31 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 788 households (17.2%) were made up of individuals, and 293 (6.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.11. There were 3,574 families (78.0% of all households); the average family size was 3.48.

The population was spread out, with 3,921 people (27.4%) under the age of 18, 1,417 people (9.9%) aged 18 to 24, 3,188 people (22.3%) aged 25 to 44, 4,232 people (29.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,546 people (10.8%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.8 males.

There were 5,148 housing units at an average density of 85.7 per square mile (33.1/km), of which 3,588 (78.3%) were owner-occupied, and 993 (21.7%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.9%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.9%. 10,934 people (76.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 3,333 people (23.3%) lived in rental housing units.

According to the 2010 United States Census, Phelan had a median household income of $52,639, with 15.3% of the population living below the federal poverty line.