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CALIFORNIA 42 : San Bernardino County - San Bernardino

The city of San Bernardino forms the base of the 42nd, which is located in the heart of the Inland Empire and borders Los Angeles and Orange counties. Explosive growth in the 42nd's western city of Rancho Cucamonga and the more eastern cities of Fontana and Rialto added to the Empire's reputation as California's fastest growing region.

The 42nd is more than one-third Hispanic, and registered Democratic voters have a substantial majority over Republicans. But while the 42nd remains a Democratic seat, the area is becoming more conservative and less predictable. Ethnically diverse San Bernardino and Colton consistently vote Democratic, but other parts of the district are beginning to follow areas like the more upscale Rancho Cucamonga in voting Republican.

A steel mill bankruptcy in the 1980s and the 1994 closing of Norton Air Force base in the neighboring 40th District hurt the 42nd's job base, but new government jobs and growing high-tech and manufacturing industries prove the economy is recovering steadily.

Major Industry
Manufacturing, electronics, construction

Population
571,595 (1990)

Cities
San Bernardino, 180,300; Rancho Cucamonga, 118,045; Rialto, 81,476 (1998 est.) Fontana 104,124 (1996)

People
100% urban; 7% age 65+ (ranks 47 of 52 in state; bottom third nationally); 58% married couples, 35% married couples with children; 13% college educated (ranks 43 of 52 in state; bottom third nationally); 54% white collar (ranks 37 of 52 in state; middle third nationally), 32% blue collar (ranks ninth of 52 in state; top third nationally) (1990)

Race
66% white, 11% black, 4% Asian; 34% Hispanic origin (1990)

Median Household Income
$33,737 (ranks 28 of 52 in state; top third nationally) (1990)

Unusual Features
Wyatt Earp's brother, Virgil, was the first sheriff of Colton; Fontana is the birthplace of the Hell's Angels; San Bernardino is a former fruit-packing and citrus center.

© 2002 The Washington Post Company