Placer County, California

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Placer County, California
County
County of Placer
Auburn California courthouse.jpg Colfax, CA.JPG
May Snow in Squaw - Flickr - Joe Parks.jpg
Images, from top down, left to right: The Auburn Courthouse, a view of Colfax, May snow in Squaw Valley
Flag of Placer County, California
Flag		 Official seal of Placer County, California
Seal
Location in the state of California
Location in the state of California
The location of California in the United States
The location of California in the United States
Coordinates: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Country  United States
State  California
Regions Sacramento Valley, Sierra Nevada
CSA Greater Sacramento
Incorporated April 25, 1851[1]
Named for Placer mining
County seat Auburn
Largest city Roseville
Area
 • Total 1,502 sq mi (3,890 km2)
 • Land 1,407 sq mi (3,640 km2)
 • Water 95 sq mi (250 km2)
Highest elevation[2] 9,044 ft (2,757 m)
Population (April 1, 2010)[3]
 • Total 348,432
 • Estimate (2014)[3] 371,694
 • Density 230/sq mi (90/km2)
Time zone Pacific Time Zone (UTC-8)
 • Summer (DST) Pacific Daylight Time (UTC-7)
Area codes 530, 916
FIPS code 06-061
GNIS feature ID 277295
Website www.placer.ca.gov
Gold specimen from the Eagle's Nest Mine, a famous source of specimen gold in Placer County

Placer County (/ˈplæsər/ PLAS-ər), officially the County of Placer, is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 348,432.[3] The county seat is Auburn.[4]

Placer County is included in the Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is located in both the Sacramento Valley and Sierra Nevada regions, in what is known as the Gold Country. It stretches from the suburbs of Sacramento to Lake Tahoe and the Nevada border.

Etymology

The discovery of gold in 1848 brought tens of thousands of miners from around the world, in addition to many more thousands intending to provide goods and services to the miners. Only three years after the discovery of gold, the fast-growing county was formed from portions of Sutter and Yuba counties on April 25, 1851 with Auburn as the county seat. Placer County took its name from the Spanish word for sand or gravel deposits containing gold. Miners washed away the gravel, leaving the heavier gold, in a process known as "placer mining".

History

Gold mining was a major industry through the 1880s, but gradually the new residents turned to farming the fertile foothill soil, harvesting timber and working for the Southern Pacific Railroad. Auburn was settled when Claude Chana discovered gold in Auburn Ravine in May 1848 and later became a shipping and supply center for the surrounding gold camps. The cornerstone of Placer's beautiful and historic courthouse, which is clearly visible from Interstate 80 through Auburn, was laid on July 4, 1894. The building itself was renovated during the late 1980s and continues to serve the public today with courtrooms, a historic sheriff's office and the Placer County Museum. Roseville, once a small agricultural center, became a major railroad center and grew to the county's most populous city after Southern Pacific Railroad moved its railroad switching yards there in 1908.

Loomis and Newcastle began as mining towns, but soon became centers of a booming fruit-growing industry, supporting many local packing houses. Penryn was founded by a Welsh miner, Griffith Griffith, who turned from mining to establish a large granite quarry. Rocklin began as a railroad town and became home to a number of granite quarries. Lincoln and Sheridan continue to support ranching and farming. Lincoln also is the home of one of the county's oldest businesses, the Gladding, McBean terra cotta clay manufacturing plant established in 1875.

The 1960 Winter Olympics were hosted in Squaw Valley, which is located in Placer County.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,502 square miles (3,890 km2), of which 1,407 square miles (3,640 km2) is land and 95 square miles (250 km2) (6.4%) is water.[5] Watercourses in Placer County include the American River and Bunch Creek. Lake Tahoe has 40.96% of its surface area in Placer County, more than in any of the four other counties in which it lies.[6]

National protected areas

Demographics

2011

Places by population, race, and income

2010

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1860 13,270 —
1870 11,357 −14.4%
1880 14,232 25.3%
1890 15,101 6.1%
1900 15,786 4.5%
1910 18,237 15.5%
1920 18,584 1.9%
1930 24,468 31.7%
1940 28,108 14.9%
1950 41,649 48.2%
1960 56,998 36.9%
1970 77,306 35.6%
1980 117,247 51.7%
1990 172,796 47.4%
2000 248,399 43.8%
2010 348,432 40.3%
Est. 2014 371,694 6.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[15]
1790–1960[16] 1900–1990[17]
1990–2000[18] 2010–2014[3]

The 2010 United States Census reported that Placer County had a population of 348,432. The racial makeup of Placer County was 290,977 (83.5%) White, 4,751 (1.4%) African American, 3,011 (0.9%) Native American, 20,435 (5.9%) Asian, 778 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 13,375 (3.8%) from other races, and 15,105 (4.3%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 44,710 persons (12.8%).[19]

2000

As of the census[20] of 2000, there were 248,399 people, 93,382 households, and 67,701 families residing in the county. The population density was 177 people per square mile (68/km²). There were 107,302 housing units at an average density of 76 per square mile (30/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 88.6% White, 0.8% Black or African American, 0.9% Native American, 3.0% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 3.4% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. 9.7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 15.5% were of German, 12.3% English, 10.6% Irish, 7.1% Italian and 7.0% American ancestry according to Census 2000. 89.7% spoke only English at home; 6.0% spoke Spanish.

There were 93,382 households out of which 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.4% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.5% were non-families. 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the county the population was spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 29.00% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.9 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $57,535, and the median income for a family was $65,858 (these figures had risen to $68,463 and $80,987 respectively as of a 2007 estimate[21]). Males had a median income of $50,410 versus $33,763 for females. The per capita income for the county was $27,963. About 3.9% of families and 5.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over. Unemployment in the county is just under 7% which is considerably lower than the state's average.

Politics

Voter registration

Cities by population and voter registration

Overview

Placer County vote
by party in presidential elections
Year GOP DEM Others
2012[23] 58.3% 99,921 39.0% 66,818 2.7% 4,583
2008 54.5% 94,647 43.2% 75,112 2.3% 4,053
2004 62.6% 95,969 36.3% 55,573 1.1% 1,836
2000 59.3% 69,835 36.0% 42,449 4.8% 5,515
1996 52.8% 49,808 37.1% 34,981 10.2% 9,638
1992 41.9% 38,298 33.7% 30,783 24.4% 22,285
1988 59.6% 42,096 39.0% 27,516 1.5% 1,030
1984 62.9% 38,035 35.2% 21,294 1.8% 1,098
1980 54.8% 28,179 33.7% 17,311 11.6% 5,950
1976 45.0% 18,154 52.2% 21,026 2.8% 1,131
1972 50.3% 18,597 45.8% 16,911 3.9% 1,437
1968 42.6% 12,427 48.2% 14,050 9.2% 2,667
1964 33.9% 9,389 66.0% 18,256 0.1% 31
1960 43.8% 10,439 55.8% 13,304 0.5% 120
1956 45.9% 9,059 53.8% 10,611 0.4% 69
1952 50.6% 9,841 48.6% 9,444 0.9% 168
1948 36.9% 5,570 58.5% 8,837 4.6% 702
1944 36.8% 4,196 62.7% 7,149 0.6% 64
1940 31.3% 3,887 67.6% 8,402 1.2% 147
1936 22.3% 2,321 76.6% 7,959 1.0% 108
1932 25.8% 2,242 71.4% 6,200 2.8% 241
1928 49.3% 3,669 49.5% 3,685 1.3% 96
1924 36.6% 2,192 6.5% 390 56.9% 3,402
1920 59.4% 2,894 32.0% 1,559 8.5% 416

Placer County is a stronghold of the Republican Party; it consistently elects Republican public officials and has voted for presidential candidates from the party in every election since 1980.

In the United States House of Representatives, Placer County is split between California's 1st and 4th congressional districts,[24] represented by Doug LaMalfa (R–Richvale) and Tom McClintock (R–Elk Grove), respectively.[25]

In the California State Senate, Placer County is split between the 1st and 4th districts,[26] represented by Ted Gaines and Jim Nielsen, respectively.

In the California State Assembly, the county is split between the 1st, 5th, and 6th districts,[27] represented by Brian Dahle, Frank Bigelow, and Beth Gaines, respectively.

In 2004, current and former Placer County social workers reported that the county had an "unwritten policy" of homeless dumping, encouraging employees to send homeless individuals to neighboring jurisdictions—namely facilities in Sacramento County. The story was initially reported in the Sacramento News & Review and corroborated in an independent story in the Sacramento Bee.[28][29] Based on this and other instances of homeless dumping in Sacramento, California State Assembly Member Dave Jones introduced Assembly Bill 2745, prohibiting hospitals from sending a homeless person to a facility in another county without that facility's consent.[30] The bill became law in 2006 when it was signed by Governor Schwarzenegger and included in Section 1262.4 of the California Health and Safety Code.[31][32]

Crime

The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense.

Cities by population and crime rates

Economy

Top employers

According to the County's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[35] the top employers in the county are:

# Employer # of Employees
1 Kaiser Permanente 3,064
2 Hewlett-Packard 2,500
3 Placer County 2,400
4 Union Pacific Railroad 2,000
5 Sutter Health 1,983
6 Northstar at Tahoe 1,500
7 Thunder Valley Casino Resort 1,412
8 City of Roseville 1,282
9 PRIDE Industries 1,135
10 Raley's Supermarkets 1,006

mPOWER Placer

mPOWER Placer is Placer County’s Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program. It provides financing to commercial, industrial, agricultural and multifamily property owners to install energy efficiency, water conservation and renewable energy retrofits. The program, administered by the Placer County Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office, was approved by the Board of Supervisors on February 9, 2010 and launched on March 22, 2010 and is open to eligible Placer County property owners.

Transportation

Major highways

Public transportation

Airports

There are three general aviation airports in Placer County:

The closest commercial airport is Sacramento International Airport in Sacramento.

Communities

Cities

Towns

Unincorporated communities

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Ghost town

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Other = Some other race + Two or more races
  2. ↑ Native American = Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander + American Indian or Alaska Native
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Percentage of registered voters with respect to total population. Percentages of party members with respect to registered voters follow.
  4. ↑ Only larceny-theft cases involving property over $400 in value are reported as property crimes.

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lake Tahoe census tract blocks, 2000 Census, United States Census Bureau
  7. ↑ 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13 7.14 7.15 7.16 U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B02001. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B03003. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19301. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19013. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19113. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
  13. ↑ U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B01003. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Data unavailable
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ 22.00 22.01 22.02 22.03 22.04 22.05 22.06 22.07 22.08 22.09 22.10 22.11 22.12 22.13 22.14 22.15 22.16 California Secretary of State. February 10, 2013 - Report of Registration. Retrieved 2013-10-31.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 33.3 33.4 33.5 33.6 33.7 33.8 33.9 Office of the Attorney General, Department of Justice, State of California. Table 11: Crimes – 2009. Retrieved 2013-11-14.
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. Crime in the United States, 2012, Table 8 (California). Retrieved 2013-11-14.
  35. ↑ County of Placer CAFR

External links

 Yuba County Nevada County
Sutter County Washoe County, Nevada and Carson City, Nevada
  Placer County, California  
Sacramento County El Dorado County Douglas County, Nevada
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