Castro Valley is named after Don Guillermo Castro, who was a soldier in the Mexican army and later a rancher. Castro Valley is the original 28,000 acres of land granted to Castro, originally called Rancho San Lorenzo. This land also included Hayward and San Lorenzo, including Crow Canyon, Cull Canyon, and Palomares Canyons. Shortly after obtaining this land, Castro was forced to sell off parts of it to pay back debt due to bad gambling habits.
Then in 1864 the last of his holdings (Castro Valley) was sold in a sheriff’s sale to Faxon Atherton for 400,000 dollars. Atherton (whom the city of Atherton is named after) in turn began selling off small parcels of the land. Two gentlemen named Cull (Cull Canyon) and Luce bought some 2,400 acres and built a steam-operated saw mill in Redwood Canyon. The Jensen brothers also bought land from Atherton in 1867. In the 1940s and 1950s, Castro Valley was a farm town known for its chicken ranches. Later it developed into a small suburban community, where workers lived and commuted to other cities for work.
In a 2000 census report, Castro Valley had a population of 57,272 with roughly 21,600 homes. The racial makeup in Castro Valley was 70.84% White, 5.14% Black or African American, 0.59% Native American, 13.54% Asian, 0.44% Pacific Islander, 4.11% from other races, and 5.34% from two or more races. 12.19% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. As of the 2000 census, it is the fifth most populous unincorporated area in California, and the twenty-third in the United States.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $76,197, and the median income for a family was $91,713 as of a 2008 estimate. About 2.7% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those 65 or over.
PCLC agent Devon Corkery specializes in Castro Valley where he was born and raised. Castro Valley has and always will be close to his heart. Contact Devon at Devon8604@yahoo[REMOVETHIS].com or call 510-828-0326.
Castro Valley is small but considered big to its residents. Still known for its Mom & Pop shops, not much has changed with Castro Valley. Many businesses have been around for over 50 years such as Luccas Deli, the lumber yard and Rudy’s Donut House. Castro Valley has numerous residents who have been here for many years, which has been the main reason for it staying traditional for so long. Even though it neighbors some high-crime cities, Castro Valley is a very quiet town. Its low crime rate and great schools are the main reasons for high desirability to reside in Castro Valley. The only crime Castro Valley is known for is the murder of Jenny Lynn, after which a foundation was started to protect young girls in the community.
Castro Valley is considered an untouched gold mine in the heart of the San Francisco Bay Area. With a great community and respected residents, it’s no wonder that Castro Valley is a great place to live. Castro Valley BART is directly in the center of town. Castro Valley also has a wonderful Village shopping center with abundant family-owned stores and great shops. Many home and multifamily building owners are very happy with their properties and find it is easy to enjoy holding on to assets in Castro Valley.
