Catalina is a census-designated place in Pima County, Arizona, United States. The population was 7,025 at the 2000 census. Catalina continues to experience increasing population growth, while attempting to maintain its rural character. Catalina remains an unincorporated community, with no plans for annexation into any nearby towns.
Geography
Catalina is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of, all of it land.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,025 people, 2,567 households, and 1,899 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 506.6 people per square mile. There were 2,755 housing units at an average density of 198.7/sq mi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 85.21% White, 0.54% Black or African American, 1.44% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 9.71% from other races, and 2.55% from two or more races. 23.67% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 2,567 households, out of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.2% were married couplesliving together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.0% were non-families. 20.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.05. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 27.5% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.2 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $37,482, and the median income for a family was $41,114. Males had a median income of $26,490 versus $22,667 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $16,588. About 7.9% of families and 9.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.4% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.
History
Much of Catalina's history and the land it now sits on is connected with the Golder Ranch. According to historian David Leighton of the Arizona Daily Star newspaper, Lloyd Golder III and family moved to Tucson from Illinois in 1956 and by the following year had purchased the Rancho Vistoso, which at the time was a 4,800 acre ranch. In 1959, Golder bought the nearby 18,000-acre, Rail N. Ranch from Roberta Nicholas whose ranch house is now the administration building for the Miraval Resort. The land included parts of what is now Catalina State Park to the south and part of the land where Biosphere 2 now sits, to the north. From 1961-64 he built the Golder Dam about 4 miles north of the Pinal County line but in a legal action that lasted several decades it was declared unsafe and the lakeside community that would have been called Lago del Oro, was never built. The Saddlebrooke subdivision now occupies that land and only the Lago Del Oro Parkway still exists as a reminder of the failed community. He later developed the Twin Lakes subdivision and the Rail N. Ranch subdivision on his land as well as naming many of the streets on his land. Around 1976, Chief H.D "Bob" and Della Murray, started Golder Ranch Fire District and retired in 1993. The land for the fire district headquarters, was donated by Lloyd Golder and his brother in lawJim McLaughlin. The new fire department was named after Golder Ranch. Golder's wife Vicki Cox Golder has served on Golder Ranch Fire District Board for many years. Lloyd Golder III died in 2013. The ranch commonly known as Golder Ranch is legally still called the Rail N. Ranch and is still an active open-range ranch.
