Perris, California
Perris is an old railway city in Riverside County, California, United States, located east-southeast of Los Angeles and north of San Diego. It is known for Lake Perris, skydiving, the Southern California Railway Museum, and its sunny dry climate. Perris is within the Inland Empire metropolitan area of Southern California. Perris had a population of 78,700 as of the 2020 census.
History
Native Americans inhabited the hills. Gold deposits were found when Spanish and Mexican miners entered the area.The coming of the California Southern Railroad led to the founding of the city around the new depot, on the rail connection between the present-day cities of Barstow and San Diego. The Perris Depot is included in the Library of Congress’ Historic American Buildings Survey. Due to a land title dispute at Pinacate, most of its citizens moved two miles north on the railroad and established Perris in 1885. The city is named in honor of Fred T. Perris, chief engineer of the California Southern Railroad. The city of Perris was incorporated in 1911. It originally was within San Diego County but, in 1892, it was transferred to the newly established Riverside County.
In 2005, the National Archives and Records Administration opened the National Archives at Riverside, which is its regional branch for federal documents relating to the Pacific Region in Perris.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, of which, of it is land and of it is water.Climate
Perris has a Mediterranean climate, with long, hot summers and short, mild winters. The climate in this area is described by the Köppen Climate Classification System as "dry-summer subtropical" often referred to as "Mediterranean" and abbreviated as Csa.Demographics
2020
The 2020 United States census reported that Perris had a population of 78,700. The population density was. The racial makeup of Perris was 18.8% White, 10.5% African American, 2.2% Native American, 3.7% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 45.8% from other races, and 18.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 75.7% of the population.The census reported that 99.7% of the population lived in households, 0.2% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.1% were institutionalized.
There were 19,027 households, out of which 59.0% included children under the age of 18, 55.8% were married-couple households, 7.8% were cohabiting couple households, 22.4% had a female householder with no partner present, and 14.0% had a male householder with no partner present. 8.6% of households were one person, and 3.0% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 4.12. There were 16,647 families.
The age distribution was 31.2% under the age of 18, 11.7% aged 18 to 24, 28.6% aged 25 to 44, 21.1% aged 45 to 64, and 7.4% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 29.5years. For every 100 females, there were 98.1 males.
There were 19,424 housing units at an average density of, of which 19,027 were occupied. Of these, 65.4% were owner-occupied, and 34.6% were occupied by renters.
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that 29.8% of the population were foreign-born. Of all people aged 5 or older, 34.0% spoke only English at home, 62.5% spoke Spanish, 0.5% spoke other Indo-European languages, 1.9% spoke Asian or Pacific Islander languages, and 1.0% spoke other languages. Of those aged 25 or older, 70.9% were high school graduates and 11.6% had a bachelor's degree.
The median household income in 2023 was $82,523, and the per capita income was $24,862. About 9.3% of families and 11.9% of the population were below the poverty line.
2010
At the 2010 census Perris had a population of 68,386. The population density was. The racial makeup of Perris was 28,937 White, 8,307 African American, 589 Native American, 2,461 Asian, 286 Pacific Islander, 24,345 from other races, and 3,461 from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 49,079 persons.The census reported that 68,146 people lived in households, 140 lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 100 were institutionalized.
There were 16,365 households: 10,836 had children under the age of 18 living in them; 9,778 were opposite-sex married couples living together; 3,128 had a female householder with no husband present; 1,441 had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,314 unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 120 same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,442 households were one person and 383 had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 4.16. There were 14,347 families ; the average family size was 4.32.
The age distribution was 25,288 people under the age of 18, 7,951 people aged 18 to 24, 20,088 people aged 25 to 44, 11,711 people aged 45 to 64, and 3,348 people who were 65 or older. The median age was 25.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.9 males.
There were 17,906 housing units at an average density of 568.4 per square mile, of the occupied units 10,854 were owner-occupied and 5,511 were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 5.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.8%. 44,695 people lived in owner-occupied housing units and 23,451 people lived in rental housing units.
According to the 2010 United States Census, Perris had a median household income of $46,435, with 28.2% of the population living below the federal poverty line.
Economy
Top employers
According to Perris's 2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:| # | Employer | # of Employees |
| 1 | Ross Stores, Inc. | 2,193 |
| 2 | Val Verde Unified School District | 1,493 |
| 3 | Perris Union High School District | 1,106 |
| 4 | Lowe's Distribution Center | 926 |
| 5 | Home Depot Distribution Center | 905 |
| 6 | Perris Elementary School District | 701 |
| 7 | NFI Industries | 612 |
| 8 | Eastern Municipal Water District | 600 |
| 9 | Walmart Supercenter | 430 |
| 10 | C R & R Waste | 238 |
Arts and culture
The Southern California Railway Museum is the largest operating museum of its kind on the West Coast of the United States. The Southern California Fair has been held at the Lake Perris Fairgrounds since 1987.The Farmer Boys restaurant chain, which has many locations throughout the Inland Empire, was started in Perris in 1981.
Rock Castle house is set on a hill above town.
Government
In the California State Legislature, Perris is in, and in.In the United States House of Representatives, Perris is in.
Education
The city is served by several school districts. In portions, they are:- The Perris Elementary School District and the Perris Union High School District
- The Romoland Elementary School District and Perris UHSD
- The Menifee Union School District and Perris UHSD
- The Val Verde Unified School District, which also serves the southern part of Moreno Valley.
Middle schools include Pinacate, Lakeside, Perris and Tomas Rivera. There are ten elementary schools.
Infrastructure
Aviation
The nearby, privately owned, Perris Valley Airport has a runway. Perris has drawn a crowd of skydivers, amateur and professional, to Perris Valley Skydiving. The area's sudden fame gave Perris the nickname: "the skydiving capital of America". On April 22, 1992, a de Havilland Twin Otter crashed during takeoff at Perris Valley after an engine lost power. The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the accident was caused by contaminated fuel obtained from the improper handling of the airfield's fuel tanks and the pilot's improper actions after the power loss, as well as other factors. The aircraft never rose above 50 feet and 14 parachutists and the two pilots were killed.Highways
Perris is served by Interstate 215 which runs from Murrieta to the south to San Bernardino to the north, and by State Route 74, which serves Lake Elsinore and Orange County to the west, and the San Jacinto and Coachella valleys to the east.Public safety
The Riverside County Sheriff's Department provides police services to the entire Perris Valley area from its regional station on 4th Street.The city of Perris contracts for fire and paramedic services with the Riverside County Fire Department through a cooperative agreement with CAL FIRE. The CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department headquarters is located in Perris.
The California State Parks have a dispatch center located in the city as well – Southern Communications Center. Communications Centers operate multi-frequency/channel radio systems, law enforcement telecommunications systems, computer terminals, and associated equipment to dispatch law enforcement/emergency response units and coordinate services with field personnel and other agencies.