About Milpitas

Stink in Milpitas-Smell Map

The Silicon Valley odor problem seems incomprehensible. Learn about the history and current issues of the stink from Newby Island Landfill.

car window crankWhen I was a youngster 60 or so years ago, we had a song we would sing as we drove from Oakland to Santa Cruz for a day at the Beach-Boardwalk. We’d drive our parents nuts with the repetitive drone of “doo-do-n-do-doo” over and over again, and then shouting out the name of each city we went through for the whole hour+ drive. Each had a specific hand gesture, and I don’t remember most of them any longer, but for Milpitas we’d make the gesture of rolling up the car windows with window cranks (Remember those?) while really rolling up the windows as fast as we could. No air conditioned cars back in those days! Windows down the whole way…except through Milpitas. The stink was so bad back in the 50’s and 60’s and…so on. Back then the explanation was the rotten fruit and fruit peels from the canneries around here.

So why, 60 years later, does Milpitas still stink?

Milpitas has a history of odor problems that are related to industrial activities, landfills, and waste processing facilities in the surrounding areas. The smell that occurs when there are odor issues in Milpitas can come from many different sources, including sewage treatment plants, landfills, garbage dumps, petrochemical plants, and other industrial facilities. The exact source of the bad air smell can be difficult to pinpoint, and it may also be due to natural factors such as atmospheric conditions or wind patterns. Milpitas has worked to address the odor issues by regulating the industrial facilities and working with neighboring cities and counties to find solutions that reduce the odors.

Milpitas Smell Map

Milpitas Smell Map
Click to view larger map

Milpitas Odor Info
The number one thing you can do is call the BAAQMD odor hotline (1-800-334-ODOR (6367)) every time you smell it, see the reporting page.  Subscribe to a BAAQMD email list. The City of Milpitas is trying to do several things to help with the odor issue.  However, Milpitas has no jurisdiction on The Newby Island Landfill OR the San Jose Waste Water Treatment Plant.

According to the Milpitas Odor Control Action Plan, potential sources of odors in the Milpitas area include:


A child explains the Silicon Valley odor problem to us adults in this Milpitas Odor Info video. Learn about the history and current issues surrounding Newby Island Landfill Expansion in the heart of Silicon Valley.

Politics and Lawsuits

Dateline June 12, 2018. Republic Services and other facilities throughout California lobbied and killed AB 1975 (the odor taskforce bill).  Opposition worked it hard this year and got facilities throughout the state to send letters and call their assembly members. Not enough votes to get the bill off the Assembly floor. It is very disappointing that other state assemblymen would go against a harmless bill that merely mandates the participation of odor nuisance offenders in a local task force. Kansen Chu’s staff will continue working with the air districts and local enforcement agency to see if something else can be done outside of legislation in the meantime. (Kansen Chu is no longer our state assembly member, and I don’t know if Alex Lee or Bob Wieckowski (our State Senator) has taken up the problem.)

Milpitas landfill reaches $210K settlement with Air District over pollution violations
September 1, 2022. CBS News
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District announced a settlement Thursday over numerous violations at the Newby Island Landfill in Milpitas. Browning-Ferris Industries of California Inc., and International Disposal Corp. of California agreed to pay $210,000 to settle with the air quality district. The settlement covers 30 notices of violation from 2014 to 2020 for non-compliance with air quality regulations at the landfill.

City Hall Phone Numbers to Talk to Someone


BAAQMD 3/20/2017 discussion of the San Jose/Milpitas odor issues
Watch Alameda County Supervisor Scott Haggerty grilled BAAQMD staff. He has gotten a lot of complaints from his constituents. He spoke out against San Jose’s bad decision and BAAQMD’s inaction. He called out the poor facilities siting near resident and that San Jose clearly stuck it to Milpitas and Fremont. He suggested San Jose should have used the existing ACE rail tracks to send waste to Altamont Landfill (in rural Livermore with no odor complaints) instead of processing waste within urban areas.

Milpitas, Calif., Opts to Continue Litigation Over Landfill Expansion Decision
The Milpitas City Council voted to continue litigation against the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery for not considering odor complaints in approving a landfill expansion.
Waste360 Staff | Jun 16, 2017

In November 2016, after putting off its decision for several months, Milpitas selected Garden City Sanitation Inc. as its new hauler, replacing longtime collector Republic Services.

OPINION: We Must Get Rid of The Smell
By Eric Shapiro, in Opinion on July 23, 2018.
In my mind, often, I say the word “Smellpitas.” Sometimes, while complaining, I say it out loud. And a dear colleague tells me “Milstinkas” is out there, in good, solid circulation. What exactly’s going on here? And how has it been allowed to sustain for so many years?

“They” keep telling us, “The number one thing you can do is call the BAAQMD odor hotline every time you smell it.” So the City put up this webpage with a form that allows you to complain about a bad odor. You will need to have location services turned on so they can map exactly where you reported the smell.

Report odor to 1-800-334-6367 or click here.

How bad is the stink?

Well, we have our own twitter hashtag for it: #MilpitasStinks.
Notice that most posts are fairly long ago. Has the air improved or have residents quit complaining?

We tried to limit expansion


Should a South Bay landfill on the border of San Jose and Milpitas be allowed to expand? Neighbors say no, and with a decision later this month, many neighbors are escalating grass-roots efforts to stop the expansion. NBC Bay Area’s Marianne Favro reports with a closer look at their last-ditch efforts to curb the unbearable smell. (Published Sunday, Jan. 4, 2015)

Home Buyers Beware!

The south end of town is spared the smell. Anywhere south of Calaveras Blvd. to the San Jose border. The older neighborhoods with yards are on the hill side (east side) of Milpitas and have names like Parktown (homes clustered around parks), and Milford. The southwest side of town, where BART is going in and Light Rail already exists, has lots of brand new condo-style homes. If you are very rich, living in a mansion in the hills is an option, but you will need to worry about wildfires, landslides, rattlesnakes, and coyotes eating pets. Oh, and wells going dry, and less than optimal sewage systems.

Where is the Newby Island Landfill, and What is Near it?

Newby Island Aerial Shot
Newby Island Aerial Shot

Note that the San Jose/Santa Clara waste water treatment plant is also in the same area. The future plans for this facility includes major odor mitigation strategies like covering the sludge drying area. However, this will take many years to fund and implement.

See also ~ Recycling & Garbage

Mission/Rancho Era – 1700s

Milpitas was along the route taken by the De Anza Expedition, and between Mission San Jose and Mission Santa Clara. There is a sign posted near the intersection of Calaveras and Milpitas Blvd., near City Hall, showing where the expedition passed through.

Alviso Adobe Park
The adobe’s history can be traced back to 1834, when its original owner, José Maria de Jesus Alviso, penned a petition describing what he had built: “two walled houses,” outside of which were 600 cattle, a 600-vine vineyard, and an orchard bearing 60 fruit trees. The function of the petition was for Alviso to gain formal ownership of the property, which he cited as “the place named Milpitas.” Tours are offered at 1PM, 2PM, and 3PM on the second Saturday of every month. You can RSVP here. If you have the app AdventureLab on your smart phone, there are 5 clues outside at this location. There is also 1 geocache.
2087 Alviso Adobe Ct.

A demonstration of the 20-foot-long wrap the women on the De Anza Expedition wore to carry their babies and supplies.

Adobe Peralta House
The Peralta Adobe is San José’s oldest address. Built in 1797, the Peralta Adobe is the last remaining structure from El Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe.

California Missions Interactive Internet Field Trip
In May of 1995, some bicyclists road along the El Camino (King’s Highway) between 12 of the California Missions. They kept up an internet dialog with 4th grade students in Palo Alto.

The California missions school project is becoming a thing of the past. Here’s why
Building missions from sugar cubes or popsicle sticks does not help students understand the period and is offensive to many,” the new History-Social Science Framework adopted last year says. “Missions were sites of conflict, conquest, and forced labor. Students should consider cultural differences, such as gender roles and religious beliefs, in order to better understand the dynamics of Native and Spanish interaction.”

California Missions Resource Center
Your comprehensive guide to discovering the history behind the California missions and the people who founded and shaped the character of California.

El Camino de San Jose
El Camino nominally links the missions, but Mission San José in Fremont is nowhere near today’s El Camino Real. So what route did early Californians take from Mission Santa Clara to Mission San José? It goes along Main Street and Milpitas Boulevard in Milpitas!

A History of Mexican Americans in California
Hispanic settlement of what is now California began in 1769 when the Presidio and Catholic mission of San Diego were established.

Juan Bautista De Anza
National Historic Trail. In 1775-76 he led a contingent of 30 soldiers and their families to found a presidio and mission on the San Francisco Bay. Here is a map showing where he came to Milpitas. Translation of diaries of De Anza, Font and Eixarch.

Milpitas Images of America Milpitas
Images of America
by Robert Burrill
$21.95 or $25 with author signature.
Call 408-263-5468 to order.
Robert L. Burrill, Milpitas filmmaker and photography teacher for more than 35 years, has combed the archives of the Milpitas Historical Society, private local collections, and his own works to find more than 200 vintage photographs chronicling the heritage, enterprise, and wit of Milpitas from the 1700s to the present day.

The Missions
The Franciscans came to California not merely to convert the tribes to Christianity but to train them for life in a European colonial society. Conversion was seldom an entirely voluntary process.

Model Behavior
The agony of the tradition of 4th grade Mission model building. The author wonders: What does this really teach? By David Templeton

Peralta Adobe
A 200-year old adobe home in the heart of downtown San Jose. This page tells you about its history.

Photo Gallery of California Missions & Other Hispanic Sites
A good site to begin your research into historic Spanish California. Contact information for dozens of historic places of this era.

Harry Wu: His Legacy

Releasing Wu was a major embarrassment to the PRC government. And, where in the world did Wu live? You guessed it: Milpitas. In fact, a very big deal was made to welcome Harry Wu home to Milpitas when he returned to the United States.

Dateline: 3/19/98, Updated 6/18/2023/

From his inauspicious Milpitas tract home, Harry Wu has been operating a center for international intrigue. Once again, the controversial Chinese human rights crusader has made his blow for the fate of imprisoned dissidents in China, and put Milpitas on the front page of papers around the world.

Harry’s target this time: China’s practice of reselling the organs of executed prisoners for transplant purposes here in the United States, in China, and in other countries.

This particular battle began when Harry received a phone call in his home office, crammed with computers and file cabinets. The caller had been contacted by a Mr. Wang Cheng Yong about helping him to sell human organs smuggled in from China. Knowing this was illegal, the caller had first contacted the Laogai Research Foundation, which tracks prison camps in China. He was given Harry’s number here in Milpitas.

After hearing the caller’s tale, Harry, posing as a director of a kidney dialysis clinic, contacted Wang, and made arrangements to meet him in Manhattan on February 13.

Wang eagerly offered kidneys, corneas, livers and lungs, “Whatever you want, I can give it to you.” Harry remembered thinking he felt like he was in some gruesome butcher shop.

Harry contacted the FBI immediately afterwards. They arranged for Wu’s original contact, Harry, and an FBI undercover agent to meet with Wang again on February 20.

Wang offered even pancreases and skin this time. He was accompanied by a Chinese citizen, Xingqui Fu, who lives in Flushing, New York. They were ready to deal. The exact details will come out in the men’s trial, as the FBI arrested the two on charges of conspiring to violate the federal law against selling human organs for profit.

China may have an “official” position, banning the sale of prisoners’ organs, but the trade flourishes with little restraint from the Chinese government. China has more than 65 capital offenses, executing an estimated 4,300 prisoners a year. With the demand for organs increasing as the risk in transplant operations decreases, the danger of unscrupulous sales of human organs rises.


Harry Wu knows firsthand the atrocious conditions of the Laogai. In 1960, Wu was imprisoned at the age of 23 for criticizing the Communist Party, and subsequently spent 19 years toiling in the factories, mines, and fields of the Laogai.

Related Links

Amnesty International

Laogai Research Foundation

News Chronolgy

The Saga of Harry Wu – June 19, 1995
Shortly before noon on June 19, 1995, began an extraordinary ordeal for Harry Wu, whose outcome remained very much in doubt until the Chinese government expelled him 66 days later, on Aug. 24.

Aug 23, 1995
China finds Harry Wu guilty of spying, says it will expel him.

Aug 24, 1995
China’s swift sentencing of activist Harry Wu could be the key to unlock an immediate impasse in troubled U.S. ties.

Aug 25, 1995
Harry Wu returned home to a hero’s welcome.

March 8, 1996
Harry Wu recipient of the Columbia Human Rights Law Review’s 1996 Award for Leadership in Human Rights.

April 1, 1997
An exclusive interview with Robert R. Reilly.

April 19, 1998
Former Chinese political prisoner Harry Wu to speak at Earlham.

The trouble with Harry Wu. Maria Chan Morgan, professor of Politics, Earlham U., Harry Wu is an anticommunist demagogue.

China debate shifts. John White, senior History major, Earlham U., When the issue is taking jobs away from American labor and replacing them with Chinese labor who may be forced against their will to complete products, then there is a problem.

May 9, 1996
The Cargo Letter reminds shippers that it is illegal to import goods made by prison labor.

June 18, 1997
Committee on Foreign Affairs, Security and Defense Policy Subcommittee on Human Rights. Public Hearing: “The Social Clause: Human Rights Promotion or Protectionism?” The Abuse of Prison Labor, Harry Wu.

September 18, 1997
Testimony before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, by Harry Wu, Executive Director, The Laogai Research Foundation
Research Fellow, Hoover Institute

November 6, 1998
Activist Wu addresses students, tells them what they can do.

October 1999
Harry Wu announces he is looking for an apartment in Virginia to better manage the Laogai Research Foundation. His parents will continue to live in his home in Milpitas.

February 22-24, 2000
Internationally renowned human rights advocate and Chinese dissident Harry Wu visited Charlotte as the guest speaker for The Echo Foundation’s first annual Benefit Award Dinner.

April 5, 2001
Harry Wu on the real China: WND interviews former political prisoner, human-rights champion.

June 22, 2005
Testimony of Harry Wu Executive Director, Laogai Research Foundation Before the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation Of the United States Senate.

April 26, 2016
Harry Wu (Wu Hongda), victim and exposer of China’s gulag, died on April 26th, aged 79, in Honduras where he was vacationing.

Oct 10, 2018
You buy a purse at Walmart. There’s a note inside from a “Chinese prisoner.” Now what?

Historical trivia: Milpitas’ history as the constant butt of nationwide jokes

By Eric Shapiro, June 17, 2023, in The Milpitas Beat

The Milpitas Beat last Saturday caught up with Milpitas Historical Society President Bill Hare for a fun, quick chat about our city’s long yet forgotten history as the butt of endless jokes around the nation…

According to Hare, for about a century, a comparable cultural sentiment was in circulation about a “man from Milpitas…” No man in particular, just a general, fictional Milpitas resident…

The Milpitas Historical Society can trace the whole thing back to news articles from the 1860s. According to Hare, “In 1863, there was talk of California maybe leaving the union and becoming a slave state…There was enough Southern sympathy that there was talk of this. So there were various meetings going on [across the state]…”

At one such meeting, a pro-Union group from Milpitas brought in a banner (or, depending upon which accounts you believe, a kerosene wall projection powered by a lantern) that was visible to everyone there. Upon it were the words “As goes Milpitas, so goes the state.”

With a smile, Hare said, “People found this very amusing…” The attitude was, “You think a whole lot of yourself, don’t you, Milpitas?” Hare continued, “The Oakland Tribune was a big factor in this. They loved to make fun of Milpitas.”

Back in the late 1800s, the Oakland Tribune would sometimes run a serious article, then end it with a dose of mockery at Milpitas’ expense.

Best Place to Live: the Great Town of Milpitas, California

Maps of California, showing location of Santa Clara County, and the county showing location of Milpitas.

Why is Milpitas a Best Place to Live?

Milpitas is a fair sized, suburban city that is situated between San Jose and Fremont, but has retained that small town feel, making us a best place to live. City Council and School Board meetings are social events, and are currently online during Covid-19, so even if you live elsewhere, you can still attend. Politically, we tend to vote Democrat, but every nuance of progressive politics is evident.

Being in Northern California, it is cooler than the southern end of the state, yet because of the Silicon Valley mountains that block the worse weather, it tends to be “nice” year around so heating and cooling bills are trivial. Frost is rare, and it never snows in the valley. Heat is seldom unbearable. Prevailing winds are typically toward the eastern hills, so if grass fires start there, they tend to go away from the town. Landslides are not a concern.

Location of Our Great Town

Santa Clara County
aka Silicon Valley
SE San Francisco Bay Area
California, United States
37n26 (Latitude)
121w54 (Longitude)
13.6 square miles
Zip code is 95035
P.O. Box Zip code is 95036
Area Code is 408
(Some cell phones and faxes have 669 or 650 area codes.)
Time Zone: Pacific We do observe daylight savings time.

Highlights making Milpitas a Best Place to Live

ECONOMY
California Labor Force & Unemployment Rates by County
Updated monthly at the time of the official EDD Press Release for Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County Labor Force

COST OF LIVING
Milpitas, California’s cost of living is 110% higher than the national average. Compare Milpitas’s Cost of Living to where you live now.

WEATHER & CLIMATE
Milpitas Temperature
Milpitas is the best place to be in August, July and September our most pleasant months, while December and January are the least comfortable months when you might need an umbrella. February is often surprisingly warm. Today’s Weather | Climate Averages. Milpitas is 20 ft (6 m) above sea level. The climate here is mild, and generally warm and temperate. The average temperature in Milpitas is 15.3 °C | 59.5 °F. In a year, the rainfall is 496 mm | 19.5 inch.

VOTING
Report of Registration as of March 11, 2022 Registration by County:
Santa Clara
1,266,750 Eligible
999,033 Total Registered
508,027 Democratic
165,468 Republican
24,799 American Independent
3,715 Green
Voting data and information for Milpitas.

POPULATION
Milpitas’s population is 81,067 people. From 2010 to 2023, it has had a population growth of 21.6%. Learn More about our growth.

TRANSPORTATION
Transportation expenses like bus fares and gas prices are 23% higher than the national average. Data older than June 13, 2020 about average commute time is outdated, as the BART station opened in Milpitas. This substantially shortens commute time to places along the BART routes. For example, a commuter can get from Milpitas to the Salesforce Plaza in San Francisco in 1:12h, including a 10 minute walk. Google Employees can catch Google Bus on Calaveras, just west of Hillview.

REAL ESTATE
The median home cost in Milpitas is $1,661,670 and median rent is $5,052/month. Highest Appreciating Milpitas Neighborhoods Since 2000: the best are Cielo Terra Serena Villa/Granada and Central Milpitas. Check out the homes in the area.

SCHOOLS
Milpitas Unified School District’s 2021-22 proposed budget was adopted July 1, 2022. To see the right hand numbers you must download the pdf file. The amount allocated for 2021-2022 was $136,822,630.00

MUSD’s Strategic Goal #1, Build a Culture of We, is about diversity, equity, and inclusion in our policies, practices, and especially, in our relationships with one another. Striving for this goal requires a commitment to learning about others, and ourselves, which is why we have established a Culture of We Equity Team this year to accelerate our growth.

More on Education in Milpitas.

COMMUNICATIONS
Civic and social organizations have fully adopted modern means of social networking and other means of getting information out to Milpitas. For social networks, click on the “Social” tab to find social networks hosted by this community website, and other social networking groups.

We have two newspaper resources, plus a very good high school online newspaper, The Union.

A search on “Milpitas” in YouTube brings up thousands of locally made videos demonstrating our interests and showcasing the talents of our videographers.

Census Data for Milpitas

If you’ve come to this page to see if your family or business would thrive in Milpitas, you are in the right place to find census data for Milpitas.

Money magazine lists Milpitas among nation’s top 50 small cities
In 2014 Milpitas is was named the 29th best small city in the USA to live in. There is a lot of Silicon Valley money in Milpitas. Tech giants like Solectron Corp, Infineon Technologies, KLA, and Lumentum are big employers. The city is centralized and convenient to other cities. It’s also a magnet for a well-educated diverse population.

California Demographics
The Demographic Research Unit of the California Department of Finance is designated as the single official source of demographic data for State planning and budgeting.

California Demographic Research Unit Reports
Population growth estimates and projections. Historic immigration patterns.

The Demographic Research Unit (DRU) of the California Department of Finance

  • Estimates – Official population estimates of the state, counties and cities produced by the Demographic Research Unit for state planning and budgeting.
  • Projections – Forecasts of population, births and public school enrollment at the state and county level produced by the Demographic Research Unit.
  • State Census Data Center – Demographic, social, economic, migration, and housing data from the decennial censuses, the American Community Survey, the Current Population Survey, and other special and periodic surveys.
  • Data In Action – Interactive visualizations, charts, and maps that illustrate the data that the DRU tabulates and produces.
  • DRU Data Hub – DRU’s interactive data portal for exploring, sharing, and visualizing data. It includes maps, dashboards, and other applications featuring a range of demographic, housing and socioeconomic data.

E-1 Population Estimates for Cities, Counties, and the State — January 1, 2022 and 2023
From the Department of Finance, so should be best data available online, as the State depends on these numbers for distributions of funds.
Released in May each year.
Total Population of Milpitas January 1, 2023: 81,067. (Note: this and the USDOC population report are very different!)
Table columns can be sorted.

YearPopulation% Change
202381,0670.25%
202280,8620.72%
202180,2871.04%
202077,1801.27%
201976,2111.64%
201874,9800.88%
201774,327-1.59%
201675,5281.87%
201574,1406.06%
201469,9033.03%
201367,8451.47%
201266,8640.34%
201166,637-0.03%
201066,659-5.87%
200970,8172.01%
200869,4194.43%
200766,4721.83%
200665,2760.43%
200564,9980.05%
200464,964-0.06%
200365,0001.88%
200263,8001.43%
200162,900-3.61%
200065,2541.48%
199964,3002.72%
199862,600
199050,686
198037,820
197026,561
19606,572

U.S. Department of Commerce – U.S. Census Bureau
Quick Facts for Milpitas, California. See whole file for more data.
Population Estimates, July 1, 2022, (V2022): 77,738.
Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2017-2021: $994,200
Foreign born persons, percent, 2017-2021: 52.3%
Mean travel time to work (minutes), workers age 16 years+, 2017-2021: 27.5 minutes
Median household income (in 2021 dollars), 2017-2021: $149,312
Language other than English spoken at home, percent of persons age 5 years+, 2017-2021: 66.3%
Households with a broadband Internet subscription, percent, 2017-2021: 96.8%

Milpitas Household Income Statistics from World Population Review
Milpitas is a city located in Santa Clara County California. With a 2023 population of 76,535, it is the 113th largest city in California and the 477th largest city in the United States. Milpitas is currently declining at a rate of -1.61% annually and its population has decreased by -4.76% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 80,363 in 2020. Spanning over 14 miles, Milpitas has a population density of 5,606 people per square mile.

The average household income in Milpitas is $154,559 with a poverty rate of 7.98%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to – per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Milpitas is 35.4 years, 34.3 years for males, and 36.9 years for females.

Milpitas Demographics
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Milpitas was:

  • Asian: 68.13%
  • White: 14.46%
  • Other race: 6.94%
  • Two or more races: 6.29%
  • Black or African American: 3.54%
  • Native American: 0.5%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.15%

Compare Cities Overview: 2023
Milpitas, CA vs Palo Alto, CA

2023 Compare Cities Overview: Milpitas, CA vs Palo Alto, CA
– Milpitas population is 79,593. Palo Alto population is 68,624.
– Medium income in Milpitas is $99,072. Palo Alto is $126,771.
– Median Age in Milpitas is 37.2 and in Palo Alto 41.3.
– Average Home Price in Milpitas is $1,242,900, and in Palo Alto $3,107,600.
– UnemploymentRate in Milpitas is 5.3%, and in Palo Alto 3.5%. Both lower than US Rate of 6.0%.
– The average commute for residents of Milpitas is 27.12 minutes and in Palo Alto, 24.23 minutes.
If you are looking for a balanced community, Milpitas is great!

Joint Venture’s Silicon Valley Index
A nationally recognized publication that has been telling the Silicon Valley story since 1995. Released every January, the indicators measure the strength of our economy and the health of our community-highlighting challenges and providing an analytical foundation for leadership and decision making.

Milpitas Annual Comprehensive Financial Reports
The fiscal year of the City of Milpitas ends on June 30. After completion of an extensive external audit process, the annual comprehensive financial report (ACFR) is published.

Silicon Valley Indicators: Live Update
Find the Silicon Valley Population up to the minute numbers. When I last looked, we had a little under 3 million people.
One birth every 19 minutes
One death every 33 minutes
Gain one international immigrant every 65 minutes
Lose one domestic migrant every 12 hours
Net gain of one person every 4 hours (or 6 people per day)

See also Population Growth of Milpitas From 2022-2023
Also growth in Santa Clara County and all its cities.

Population Growth of Milpitas From 2022-2023

Milpitas has been growing at an unprecedented rate compared to other Santa Clara County Cites. We’ve been growing faster than all but one other nearby cities. The population estimate for Milpitas in 2023 is 81,067 people. Milpitas is the 117th largest city in California. It is a little smaller than Mountain View, and a little larger than Palo Alto. More people moved into Milpitas in the last year. We gained 0.25% of our previous population, 205 people.

This report provides revised population estimates as of January 1, 2022, and provisional population estimates as of January 1, 2023, for the state, counties, and cities and includes a calculation of annual percent change. These population estimates incorporate 2020 Census counts.

The Housing Unit Method (HUM) is used to estimate total and occupied housing units, household size, household population, and group quarters population. American Community Survey (ACS) data were used to distribute 2010 census housing units into our standard housing types (single detached units, single attached units, two to four units, five plus or apartment units, and mobile homes). Housing units are estimated by adding new construction and annexations and subtracting demolitions, and adjusting for units lost or gained by conversions. Annual housing unit change data are supplied by local jurisdictions and the U.S. Census Bureau. Occupied housing units are estimated by applying a derived civilian vacancy rate to the estimated civilian housing units. Vacancy rates are based on 2010 Census benchmark data, adjusted to incorporate the directional changes described by the latest available ACS data. Exact data on foreclosures or other housing market indicators are not reliably available to adjust vacancy rates and are not used.

From E-1 Population Estimates for Cities, Counties, and the State–January 1, 2022 and 2023, Department of Finance. Check each January and May for updates.

For more information, contact the California State Census Data Center Network
Phone: (916) 323-4086
Released on May 1, 2023

Census Data for Milpitas
If you’ve come to this page to see if your family or business would thrive in Milpitas, you are in the right place to find census data for Milpitas.

In a nutshell, the population for Milpitas is 81,067, a increase of 205 people, or a 0.25% increase overall.

Sunnyhills Neighborhood History

Please join Executive Producers Donnie Eiland and David Mosqueda for a special virtual viewing of…

54: The Story Of The First Planned Integrated Community In The Country

History of the Sunnyhills Neighborhood Association
Sunnyhills was the first planned racially-integrated community in the United States in 1956, arranged by a Union co-op of the United Auto Workers. Today, Sunnyhills still has one of the highest levels of integration of any neighborhood. More detailed version.

Sunnyhills Neighborhood Association June 2022 Breakfast Meeting


K’Meyer related the story of how the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), a Quaker social action organization, and the United Auto Workers union cooperated in the early 1950s to build Sunnyhills, an intentionally integrated community, to provide housing for the Black and white workers at the Milpitas Ford factory—one of the first interracial housing developments in the nation. Copies of her book are available from the Neighborhood Association and The Milpitas Historical Society.

The Untold Stories of Sunnyhills, Where History Was Made
By Rhoda Shapiro
February 14, 2019
Story how Milpitas resident Donnie Eiland came up with the idea to film a history of Sunnyhills, the neighborhood he grew up in. Back in January, 2019, Eiland flew Ben Gross’ son, Benjamin Gross, Jr., out from Minnesota to take part in the documentary. During his stay, Benjamin spoke at a couple of community events to share fascinating stories about his father, who passed away in 2012, and what it was like to grow up in Sunnyhills.

Sunnyhills…and The Soviet Union?

After the Kitchen Debate, Ben Gross (senior) had been in constant contact with Walter Reuther (President of the UAW), and asked that Reuther extend an invitation to Khrushchev to visit Sunnyhills. Gross wanted the Soviet leader to see an integrated community with his own eyes.

Khrushchev accepted and, once in Milpitas, made a special stop.

The Grosses threw a barbecue in the backyard to welcome the Premier. Khrushchev, his son, and five other officials came out to their Sunnyhills home. A visit to five different homes in the neighborhood was also set up, so that Khrushchev could witness the integrated neighborhood in action.

The event was not disclosed to the media. In fact, Russian security officials confiscated Benjamin’s camera, which is why no photos of the Premier’s visit exist.

I <3 Ol’ School Milpitas!
For those who grew up in, went to school in, spent time in, or love somebody from Milpitas. Please keep ALL posts about memories of people and events from Milpitas.

History of Milpitas: the 1900s
On January 26, 1954, Milpitas residents incorporated as a city that included the recently built Ford Auto Assembly plant.

Sunnyhills United Methodist Church History 1957-1982
Sunnyhills United Methodist Church was officially dedicated in January of 1959. Sunnyhills has been blessed with excellent and varied styles of leadership.

Ethnic History & Culture

“This [country] will in a few years become a…colony; instead of [their] learning our language, we must learn theirs, or live as in a foreign country.”
– Advice to German immigrants from Benjamin Franklin, publisher of die Philadelphische Zeitung, the first German newspaper in America, 1751.

Immigrants speaking other languages have been arriving in Santa Clara County for about 2 centuries contributing to our diverse ethnic history. Eventually they learn English, and begin to call themselves hyphenated-Americans, and become part of this wonderful melting pot. But is being a hyphenated-American a good thing? Does it imply not being 100% American?

Our Ethnic Heritage

Knowledge of Immigrant Nationalities of Santa Clara County
Unless we all start from the premise that we are innocently ignorant of the background and conditions of the rich cultures in our midst, and are challenged to rise to new levels of human understanding and humane relations, we suffer the possibility of engaging in insensitive or even discriminatory behaviors.

Silicon Valley Cultures Project
A fifteen year ethnographic study of the cultures living and working in the hi-tech communities of Silicon Valley.

Black Heritage

Manumission paper for Plim JacksonBlack History Community Resources
KQED has long list of resources in the Bay Area to assist you in studying Black History.

A History of Black Americans in California
Although Afro-American people were comparatively few in number before World War II, they were settled throughout the state and made significant contributions to its development and growth. National Park Service.

Two Years a Slave in the Santa Clara Valley: Sampson Gleaves and Plim Jackson
The manumission papers of Sampson Gleaves and Plim Jackson, preserved today at History San Jose, are rare in California, and provide clear evidence of African-American slavery in the Gold Rush state.

Chinese

Chinese in San Jose and the Santa Clara ValleyAngel Island: Immigrant Journeys of Chinese-Americans
Between 1910 and 1940, there were as many as 175,000 Chinese immigrants detained and processed at Angel Island, San Francisco Bay, California. Unlike Ellis Island in New York’s harbor, Angel Island is a visible reminder of a shameful period in U.S. immigration history.

Asian-Nation
Your one-stop information source on the historical, political, demographic, and cultural issues that make up today’s diverse Asian American community. You can almost think of Asian-Nation as an online version of “Asian Americans 101.”

Pacific Link: The KQED Asian Education Initiative
A complete study of the role of Asian immigrants in the history of California. From KQED.

Chinese Historical & Cultural Project
Based in Santa Clara County, California, it was founded in 1987 as a non-profit organization to promote and preserve Chinese American and Chinese history and culture through community outreach activities.

A History of Chinese Americans in California
Amid the increased numbers of Chinese immigrants in recent years, it should be remembered that not all Chinese Americans are recent arrivals.

Filipino

Context for Filipino Immigration
In Santa Clara County, 60% of randomly surveyed Filipinos cited economic problems as the main reason they left the Philippines. Fifty three percent also reported a desire to reunite with family. Similarly, 65% of public benefits recipients cited family reunification as the main reason they left their home country. The Filipino community is scattered in the suburbs of San Jose, Milpitas, Santa Clara, and Sunnyvale. While most speak English, many do not consider it their first nor most frequently used language.

Germans & Swiss

Die Deutschen in Kalifornien: Germans in Urban California, 1850-1860
A scholarly thesis by Carole Cosgrove Terry. The society that the European and American newcomers created in urban California was a combination of individual, ethnically-centered but unstructured cultural communities where the German-Californians were an influential and important segment of the citizenry.

Johann August Sutter
General Sutter, as he was generally known, was forced to flee his creditors in Switzerland at the age of 30. Ten years later, in California, he was the “ruler of the Saccramento Valley, founder of New Helvetia, a small sovereign.” After the discovery of gold on his land, he lost everything.

The Fatherland 1915The WWI Home Front: War Hysteria & the Persecution of German-Americans
Anglo-Saxons had their own definition of what was “American”, and anything that did not conform was an undesirable deviation, perhaps even dangerous. And they were having trouble understanding why German-Americans would not willingly give up their German culture.

Hispanic

Early History of Santa Clara County
Although Mexico broke with the Spanish crown in 1821, it was not until May 10, 1825, that San Jose acknowledged Mexican rule. On May 13, 1846, the United States declared war on Mexico. Captain Thomas Fallon, leading 19 men, entered San Jose on July 14, 1846, and raised the United States flag over the town hall.

A History of Mexican Americans in California
The roots of the Chicano experience stretched back some three centuries to 1519 when Spaniards and their Indian allies carried out the conquest of the Aztec Empire in central Mexico and established what they called “New Spain.” National Park Service.

Irish

Martin Murphy houseCalifornia and Bay Area Irish History: The Murphy Family
Martin and his family, Irish immigrants whose search for religious and educational freedom led them to California, were the first English speaking family to settle in Santa Clara Valley in 1849. From his home, Martin introduced the area’s first orchards and modern farm equipment and helped to establish the state’s first schools. In Milpitas we have a park named “Murphy.” The Shaughessy-Murphy Milk Shed still exists at the sewage pump facility near Coyote Creek.

The Irish in California
It is fashionable today, in some circles, to ignore, or at least minimize, the contributions of anyone from Europe. My intent is to point out, in a small way, how important the Irish were to the development of this state.

Japanese

History of Japantown, San Jose
Japanese, new to the country, eventually chose to build their wooden buildings next to Chinatown. Because the Chinese had already settled there, the environment was more familiar to them.

A History of Japanese Americans in California
How the National Park Service selects sites to show the history and contributions of Japanese in our state. A site both to find history and directions to historical sites.

Japanese American Museum of San Jose
Step into the past and help us honor our community’s stories of sacrifice, hardship and resilience. We invite you to come and engage with the firsthand experiences of Japanese Americans who experienced the racial tension and hysteria of WWII.

Japantown, San Jose
San Jose’s Japantown (Nihonmachi) developed from where the immigrant Japanese first settled in Santa Clara Valley. More than a century following its humble beginnings, it remains one of the last three historical Japantowns in the United States.

Native Americans

 

Indigenous People (Indians) of Silicon Valley
History of the Ohlone Indians who inhabited the south San Francisco Bay region of California.

Indigenous People (Ohlone Indians) of Silicon Valley

History of the Ohlone Indians, the indigenous people who inhabited the south San Francisco Bay region of California.

Bloody Island Massacre
To this day, the US Army, State of California, or County of Lake, have made no attempt to apologize for nearly annihilating the innocent Pomo people of Bodanapotti.

California Powwow Calendar
Check here for powwows of indigenous people being held in California.

California Cultures: Native Americans
At the time of Spanish colonization in the late 1700s, California was home to more than 300,000 indigenous people in more than 200 tribes. Their centuries-old way of life was brought to an end relatively quickly: native Californians soon established regular trading relationships with the Spanish, increasing coastal groups’ power and prestige, giving them greater leverage in dealings with inland groups.

California Indian Heritage Center
After a long search for an appropriate site, the California Indian Heritage Center Task Force and California State Parks secured a new location along the Sacramento River in West Sacramento.

California Indian Pre-Contact Tribal Territories
Nicely labeled map graphic showing where each California Indian tribe lived in early California. Perfect for illustrating a 4th grade report.

Chitactac-Adams Heritage County Park
The park features the beautiful Uvas Creek and a wealth of cultural artifacts including bedrock mortars and petroglyphs left by the Ohlone Indians. Visit the park.

Coyote Hills Knap-in and the Gathering of Ohlone Peoples
At the Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont, California. Photos.

Federally Recognized California Tribes
The BIA only give the tribe’s legal name — often that of its little rancheria — so I added the tribe or tribes included for each. I’ve grouped the rancherias by tribe, and arranged the groups roughly from north to south.

First Californians
What happened to the first Californians? Before 1769, over 300,000 Native Californians lived in the state. This population was made up of over 100 tribes that practiced diverse cultural and linguistic traditions. In 1870, 22 years after the discovery of gold in California, less than 30,000 were left.

A History of American Indians in California
Unlike the present population of California, the Indians lived well within the capacity of their environment. They developed religious systems and social norms, and they traded with their neighbors for goods or services not available in their own communities. National Park Service.

The Indigenous Holocaust in Big Sur – Life and Death at the Carmel Mission
One has to wonder – if traditional life in the pre-contact Indian villages on the Monterey Peninsula was so great, and the game so plentiful, and their spiritual life so satisfying, what in the world possessed these contented Indians to voluntarily, sometimes it seems, even eagerly, enter a Catholic mission in the first place?


In the Land of My Ancestors – Kanyon “Coyote Woman” Sayers-Roods and POST
The film is about the life and work of the mother of Kanyon “Coyote Woman” Sayers-RoodsAnne Marie Sayers, and her work stewarding Indian Canyon, the only Federally recognized Indigenous land in the Bay Area, located just south of Hollister. Kanyon will share more about her story, the film, and other issues related to Indigenous communities of the Bay Area.

Indian Canyon
The free, non commercial, Indian Created and Managed information site on Costanoan/Ohlone and California indigenous people.


Indigenous History in the Bay Area, Part 1: Overview – Mark Hylkema and POST
Before the Spanish arrived here and before California became a part of the United States, the Bay Area was one of the most densely populated and linguistically diverse areas in North America. This session provides a broad overview of historic Indigenous communities in our area based on what we know of archaeological studies and oral histories. Participants will learn a basic framework for understanding the complex and varied native communities of the Peninsula and the South Bay.
Session 2 and Session 3.

Indigenous Populations in the Bay Area
It is critical to recognize the Bay Area’s Indigenous populations, past and present. Despite the atrocities of colonization and genocide, Native communities persist today and are active in efforts to preserve and revive the culture. According to the U.S. Census, the Indigenous population in the Bay Area is 18,500 strong and is projected to grow over the next few decades.

Ishi Collection
Ishi, born probably about 1860, spent most of his life in hiding with his family, avoiding the assaults of white settlers moving into Yahi territory. Finally, on 29 August 1911, Ishi walked into the nearby town of Oroville, CA. Apparently, all the members of his family, along with the rest of the Yahi, had perished

Linda Yamane’s Apprenticeship Blog
Ohlone feathered baskets involve a labor-intensive three-rod coiling technique. In addition to the delicate work of incorporating fine mallard duck feathers throughout the outer basket wall, the baskets are adorned with quail topknot feathers and abalone shell dangles.

Living on Ohlone Land
The agreement with Planting Justice is a first step in a far more ambitious effort to repatriate East Bay land to Ohlone people. The Sogorea Te Land Trust intends to acquire dozens or even hundreds of parcels in a patchwork throughout the East Bay, partly using funds generated by the “Shummi Land Tax” — a voluntary way for non-indigenous Bay Area residents to acknowledge the theft of Ohlone land and work toward its healing.

Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area
Over ten thousand years ago, before the waters of the Pacific Ocean passed through the gap now spanned by the Golden Gate Bridge and filled the interior valley-basins, the ancestors of the present-day Muwekma Ohlone along with the neighboring tribal groups had established their homes within this changing landscape.

Ohlone Costanoan Esselen Nation
Presently Ohlone Costanoan Esselen Nation represents over 600 enrolled tribal members of both Esselen and Carmeleno descent from at least 19 villages from a contiguous region surrounding Monterey Bay.

The Ohlone People
Ancestors of the Ohlone people wandered into this land of great abundance several thousand years ago.

An Overview of Ohlone Culture
In the 16th century, (prior to the arrival of the Spaniards), over 10,000 Indians lived in the central California coastal areas between Big Sur and the Golden Gate of San Francisco Bay. This group of Indians consisted of approximately forty different tribelets ranging in size from 100-250 members, and was scattered throughout the various ecological regions of the greater Bay Area.

Early California: pre-1769–1840s: Native California
Beginning in the 1840s, leaders and politicians used the phrase, “Manifest Destiny” to justify American expansionism and make it seem preordained. Instead of waiting for the organic, though inevitable expansion of the U.S. population to the West, the federal government took actions to both accelerate and control westward expansion. The goal of “settling” the country from ocean to ocean had a profound impact on the Native Americans, who had no place in this vision of the nation’s destiny.

Shapes and Uses of California Indian Basketry
A basket was worked, and formed of grasses, twigs and fibers into a piece of artistic design–sometimes only to be admired for its artistry, but usually created to serve a further purpose. Baskets were made to serve all the container needs of the early California peoples who had no pottery.

Short Overview of California Indian History
Few contemporary Americans know of the widespread armed revolts precipitated by Mission Indians against colonial authorities. By Professor Edward D. Castillo

Song for the Ohlone
by Martha Robrahn: We have walked these hills and valleys long before your time, When the waters ran clear, the forests stood tall, The earth gave us all we could ever need, And we lived our lives in dignity.

Those Who Came Before
Long before the Stanfords built their farm, the Muwekma-Ohlone called this land their own. Now the University is striving to preserve 5,000 years of history.

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