Half of Poplar-Cotton Center’s homes were built after 1976
More historic than 23% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Most of Poplar-Cotton Center was built recently: 7% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1976.
About Poplar-Cotton Center’s history
How historic is Poplar-Cotton Center?
More historic than 23% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
What drives Poplar-Cotton Center’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Poplar-Cotton Center is more historic than 23% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
Few California towns list much on the Register (a typical California town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Poplar-Cotton Center’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (31% of California towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
Lost post offices and old corners
Another post office, Poplar, opened and closed inside today’s town.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Poplar-Cotton Center’s history
How does Poplar-Cotton Center rank for history?
Poplar-Cotton Center is more historic than 23% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Poplar-Cotton Center?
7% of Poplar-Cotton Center’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.5 points), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1976.
Memory lane
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
Where this page comes from
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.