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CALIFORNIA 48 : Part of Orange, San Diego and Riverside counties

Registered Republicans outnumber Democrats nearly 2-to-1 in this GOP stronghold, which includes San Diego and Orange County bedroom communities. Only the neighboring 47th District is considered more Republican. The typical district resident has been described as conservative, white, upper-middle-class and well-educated, with 2.5 children and two cars. To the south and east, the areas of north San Diego County and Vista are a bit more blue-collar.

Although Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base sits squarely in the middle of the district, the local economy relies less on military contracts than on the neighboring 47th. A steady stream of visitors to the 48th's beach communities provides an economic cushion to the 48th's economy, which also relies on the service industry.

Several areas in the district have seen prodigious growth since the 1980s, especially wine-producing Temecula in Riverside County, and San Diego County's San Marcos, where young families, as well as a growing number of military retirees, are settling.

Major Industry
Tourism, defense, service, health care

Miliary Bases
Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base, Air Station, Naval Hospital; 34,000 military, 4,700 civilian (1998)

Population
573,211 (1990)

Cities
Oceanside, 153,869; Mission Viejo, 89,900; Vista, 82,901 (1998)

People
85% urban; 10% age 65+ (ranks 29 of 52 in state; bottom third nationally); 63% married couples, 30% married couples with children; 28% college educated (ranks 15 of 52 in state; top third nationally); 66% white collar (ranks 17 of 52 in state; top third nationally), 20% blue collar (ranks 36 of 52 in state; bottom third nationally) (1990)

Race
83% white, 4% black, 5% Asian; 17% Hispanic origin (1990)

Median Household Income
$42,389 (ranks 16 of 52 in state; top third nationally) (1990)

Unusual Features
San Clemente, home of Richard Nixon; Swallows flock to Spanish mission in San Juan Capistrano; Fallbrook's famous avocado groves.

© 2002 The Washington Post Company