Nevada County (/nɪˈvædə/ niv-AD-ə) is a county located in the U.S. state of California, in the Sierra Nevada. As of the 2020 census, its population was 102,241.[8] The county seat is Nevada City.[9] Nevada County comprises the Truckee-Grass Valley micropolitan statistical area, which is also included in the Sacramento-Roseville combined statistical area, part of the Mother Lode Country.
Nevada County | |
---|---|
County of Nevada | |
Images, from top down, left to right: Downtown Nevada City, Donner Lake, a scene in Rough and Ready, the Bridgeport Covered Bridge | |
| |
Motto: "We're Better Together"[1] | |
Country | United States |
State | California |
Region | Sierra Nevada |
Metropolitan area | Greater Sacramento |
Incorporated | April 25, 1851[2] |
Named for | Nevada City, which is named after the Spanish word for "snow-covered" |
County seat | Nevada City |
Largest town | Truckee |
Government | |
• Type | Council–CEO |
• Chair[3] | Susan Hoek |
• Vice Chair[4] | Ed Scofield |
• Board of Supervisors[5] | Supervisors
|
• County executive officer | Alison Lehman |
Area | |
• Total | 974 sq mi (2,520 km2) |
• Land | 958 sq mi (2,480 km2) |
• Water | 16 sq mi (40 km2) |
Highest elevation | 9,152 ft (2,790 m) |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 102,241 |
• Density | 100/sq mi (41/km2) |
GDP | |
• Total | $5.393 billion (2022) |
Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific Time Zone) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (Pacific Daylight Time) |
Area code | 530 |
FIPS code | 06-057 |
GNIS feature ID | 1682927 |
Website | www |
Created in 1851, from portions of Yuba County, Nevada County was named after the mining town of Nevada City, a name derived from the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The word nevada is Spanish for "snowy" or "snow-covered".[10] Charles Marsh was one of the first settlers in what became Nevada City, and is perhaps the one who named the town. He went on to build extensive water flumes/ditches/canals in the area, and was influential in the building of the first transcontinental railroad and the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad.[11]
Nevada City was the first to use the word "Nevada" in its name. In 1851, the newly formed Nevada County used the same name as the county seat. The bordering state of Nevada used the same name in 1864. The region came to life in the Gold Rush of 1849. Many historical sites remain to mark the birth of this important region in California's formative years. Among them are the Nevada Theatre in Nevada City, the oldest theater built in California in 1865. It operates to this day and once hosted Mark Twain, among other historical figures. The Old 5 Mile House stagecoach stop, built in 1890, also operates to this day as a provider of hospitality spanning three centuries. This historical site still features "The stagecoach safe" that is on display outside the present-day restaurant and is the source of many legends of stagecoach robbers and notorious highwaymen in the California gold rush era. The gold industry in Nevada County thrived into the post-WWII days.
The county had many firsts and historic technological moments. The first long-distance telephone in the world, built in 1877 by the Ridge Telephone Company, connected French Corral with French Lake, 58 miles (93 km) away.[12] It was operated by the Milton Mining Company from a building on this site that had been erected about 1853. The Pelton wheel, designed to power gold mines, still drives hydroelectric generators today. Nevada City and Grass Valley were among the first California towns with electric lights. The Olympics, NASA, and virtually every television station around the country uses video/broadcasting equipment designed and manufactured by Grass Valley Group, founded in Grass Valley.
The Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad, built in 1876, was the only railroad in the West that was never robbed, though its primary freight was gold. (Builder-owner John Flint Kidder's reputation made it clear that he would personally hunt down and kill anyone who tried.) The rail line closed in 1942 and was torn up for scrap.
In Grass Valley, the historic Holbrooke Hotel opened in 1851 and housed Mark Twain, Bret Harte, and four U.S. Presidents (Ulysses S. Grant, Grover Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison, and James A. Garfield).
The community of Rough and Ready seceded from the Union for a time and became the Great Republic of Rough and Ready.
Nevada County is home to the Empire Mine State Historic Park, which is the site of one of the oldest, deepest, and richest gold mines in California. The park is in Grass Valley at 10791 East Empire Street. In operation for more than 100 years, the mine extracted 5.8 million ounces of gold before it closed in 1956.
In 1988, the 49er Fire was accidentally started near Highway 49 by a homeless local man who was suffering from undiagnosed schizophrenia. The fire went on to burn well over 100 homes and more than 33,000 acres in Nevada County.[13]
The 2001 Nevada County shootings occurred on January 10, 2001, in which Scott Harlan Thorpe murdered three people in a shooting spree. Two of the victims were murdered in Nevada City and a third victim was killed in Grass Valley. Thorpe was arrested and declared not guilty by reason of insanity. He currently resides in Napa State Hospital.
Since the enactment of the statute in which the California State Legislature defined the common boundary between Nevada and Sierra Counties in 1874, no survey was conducted to determine where the straight line segment of the common boundary between the two counties ran. In particular, the statute, at the time codified as Section 3921 of the California Political Code, at the time stated:
...thence south on said state line (state of Nevada) to the northeast corner of Nevada County, a point east of the source of the South Fork of the Middle Yuba River; thence west to the source of, and down the South Fork of the Middle Yuba River to a point ten miles above the mouth of the latter.
Since the line had never been surveyed and the legislature never defined where the "point east of the source of the South Fork of the Middle Yuba River" was, the location of the straight air line between the state line and this point was unknown. As such, both counties claimed that the point east of the source, which itself was also unknown, was located in different places. This created a situation where a strip of land averaging 1.22 miles in width and around 31.29 square miles were under dispute, with Sierra County claiming that Nevada County was encroaching on their jurisdiction when attempting to levy property taxes. The trial court, that of Plumas County, sided with Sierra County, declaring that the disputed area had always belonged to Sierra County since the legislature defined the boundary in dispute by referencing Public Land Survey System lines. It also determined that the source of South Fork of the Middle Yuba River was that of several springs in the Sierra Nevada, contrary to the artificial English Lake, which ceased to exist after the failure of its dam in 1883, which is where the source of said waterway was in the eyes of Nevada County. The California Supreme Court affirmed the trial courts decision on December 28, 1908.[14]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 974 square miles (2,520 km2), of 16 square miles (41 km2) (1.6%) are covered by water.[15] The county is drained by Middle and South Yuba Rivers.[16]
The western part of the county is defined by the course of several rivers and the irregular boundaries of adjoining counties. When the county was created, the founders wanted to include access to the transcontinental railroad, so a rectangular section was added that includes the railroad town of Truckee.
Nevada County is one of four counties in the United States to border a state with which it shares the same name (the other three counties are Texas County, Oklahoma; Delaware County, Pennsylvania; and Ohio County, West Virginia).
The county has substantial areas of forest, grassland, savanna, riparian area, and other ecosystems. Forests include both coniferous- and oak-dominated woodland types. Also, numerous understory forbs and wildflowers occur, including the yellow mariposa lily (Calochortus luteus).[17]
Climate data for Grass Valley, California, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1966–present | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 77 (25) |
81 (27) |
82 (28) |
88 (31) |
99 (37) |
102 (39) |
108 (42) |
108 (42) |
108 (42) |
97 (36) |
87 (31) |
80 (27) |
108 (42) |
Mean maximum °F (°C) | 67.0 (19.4) |
69.1 (20.6) |
72.6 (22.6) |
79.0 (26.1) |
85.8 (29.9) |
93.9 (34.4) |
97.8 (36.6) |
96.9 (36.1) |
93.9 (34.4) |
85.9 (29.9) |
75.3 (24.1) |
66.3 (19.1) |
99.8 (37.7) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 53.6 (12.0) |
54.9 (12.7) |
57.9 (14.4) |
62.7 (17.1) |
70.8 (21.6) |
80.2 (26.8) |
88.0 (31.1) |
87.4 (30.8) |
82.3 (27.9) |
72.1 (22.3) |
59.8 (15.4) |
52.6 (11.4) |
68.5 (20.3) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 43.4 (6.3) |
44.5 (6.9) |
47.5 (8.6) |
51.3 (10.7) |
58.8 (14.9) |
66.4 (19.1) |
73.1 (22.8) |
72.1 (22.3) |
67.2 (19.6) |
58.2 (14.6) |
48.4 (9.1) |
42.6 (5.9) |
56.1 (13.4) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 33.1 (0.6) |
34.2 (1.2) |
37.0 (2.8) |
40.0 (4.4) |
46.8 (8.2) |
52.6 (11.4) |
58.2 (14.6) |
56.8 (13.8) |
52.1 (11.2) |
44.2 (6.8) |
37.1 (2.8) |
32.6 (0.3) |
43.7 (6.5) |
Mean minimum °F (°C) | 24.4 (−4.2) |
26.0 (−3.3) |
28.1 (−2.2) |
30.4 (−0.9) |
36.9 (2.7) |
43.3 (6.3) |
50.8 (10.4) |
50.3 (10.2) |
43.7 (6.5) |
34.9 (1.6) |
28.0 (−2.2) |
23.7 (−4.6) |
21.7 (−5.7) |
Record low °F (°C) | 10 (−12) |
9 (−13) |
19 (−7) |
20 (−7) |
22 (−6) |
28 (−2) |
35 (2) |
41 (5) |
25 (−4) |
25 (−4) |
19 (−7) |
3 (−16) |
3 (−16) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 9.30 (236) |
8.98 (228) |
8.16 (207) |
4.43 (113) |
2.48 (63) |
0.74 (19) |
0.00 (0.00) |
0.11 (2.8) |
0.44 (11) |
2.56 (65) |
5.52 (140) |
10.48 (266) |
53.20 (1,351) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.7 (1.8) |
3.0 (7.6) |
3.0 (7.6) |
0.5 (1.3) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
1.2 (3.0) |
8.6 (21.81) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 12.8 | 11.7 | 12.2 | 8.5 | 5.9 | 2.7 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 4.4 | 8.4 | 12.3 | 81.5 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0.3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 3.0 |
Source 1: NOAA[18] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: National Weather Service[19] |
Climate data for Soda Springs, California, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1913–1959 | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 61 (16) |
65 (18) |
64 (18) |
72 (22) |
79 (26) |
88 (31) |
91 (33) |
88 (31) |
92 (33) |
78 (26) |
72 (22) |
67 (19) |
92 (33) |
Mean maximum °F (°C) | 52.9 (11.6) |
54.0 (12.2) |
57.7 (14.3) |
63.7 (17.6) |
71.2 (21.8) |
79.3 (26.3) |
84.5 (29.2) |
83.0 (28.3) |
80.3 (26.8) |
73.0 (22.8) |
64.5 (18.1) |
58.0 (14.4) |
85.9 (29.9) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 36.9 (2.7) |
39.2 (4.0) |
42.9 (6.1) |
49.5 (9.7) |
55.9 (13.3) |
64.4 (18.0) |
73.8 (23.2) |
73.4 (23.0) |
68.3 (20.2) |
57.9 (14.4) |
47.5 (8.6) |
40.7 (4.8) |
54.2 (12.3) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 24.9 (−3.9) |
26.5 (−3.1) |
30.0 (−1.1) |
36.7 (2.6) |
43.1 (6.2) |
51.1 (10.6) |
59.0 (15.0) |
57.7 (14.3) |
53.4 (11.9) |
44.8 (7.1) |
35.0 (1.7) |
28.1 (−2.2) |
40.9 (4.9) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 12.6 (−10.8) |
13.6 (−10.2) |
17.1 (−8.3) |
23.9 (−4.5) |
30.3 (−0.9) |
37.8 (3.2) |
44.2 (6.8) |
42.0 (5.6) |
37.9 (3.3) |
31.0 (−0.6) |
22.0 (−5.6) |
15.3 (−9.3) |
27.3 (−2.6) |
Mean minimum °F (°C) | −6.7 (−21.5) |
−7.3 (−21.8) |
−1.7 (−18.7) |
9.3 (−12.6) |
19.4 (−7.0) |
28.4 (−2.0) |
36.8 (2.7) |
34.9 (1.6) |
27.8 (−2.3) |
19.7 (−6.8) |
6.1 (−14.4) |
−4.3 (−20.2) |
−11.9 (−24.4) |
Record low °F (°C) | −24 (−31) |
−28 (−33) |
−20 (−29) |
−10 (−23) |
2 (−17) |
21 (−6) |
23 (−5) |
24 (−4) |
20 (−7) |
6 (−14) |
−6 (−21) |
−17 (−27) |
−28 (−33) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 13.16 (334) |
12.26 (311) |
12.14 (308) |
6.99 (178) |
4.74 (120) |
1.57 (40) |
0.43 (11) |
0.45 (11) |
0.99 (25) |
3.89 (99) |
7.57 (192) |
14.35 (364) |
78.54 (1,993) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 73.0 (185) |
84.2 (214) |
105.7 (268) |
41.2 (105) |
15.6 (40) |
1.8 (4.6) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.5 (3.8) |
9.9 (25) |
42.8 (109) |
69.3 (176) |
445.0 (1,130) |
Average extreme snow depth inches (cm) | 74 (190) |
90 (230) |
108 (270) |
90 (230) |
46 (120) |
15 (38) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
1 (2.5) |
6 (15) |
17 (43) |
49 (120) |
118 (300) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 12.2 | 11.6 | 15.9 | 11.2 | 10.8 | 5.5 | 1.8 | 2.8 | 3.8 | 5.9 | 9.3 | 14.1 | 104.9 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 10.0 | 10.6 | 13.5 | 7.7 | 3.6 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 1.8 | 6.7 | 11.5 | 66.7 |
Source: NOAA[20] |
Climate data for Truckee, California (Truckee Ranger Station), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1904–2009 | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 64 (18) |
68 (20) |
73 (23) |
83 (28) |
92 (33) |
94 (34) |
100 (38) |
101 (38) |
95 (35) |
87 (31) |
82 (28) |
66 (19) |
101 (38) |
Mean maximum °F (°C) | 52.9 (11.6) |
55.0 (12.8) |
60.6 (15.9) |
68.9 (20.5) |
78.8 (26.0) |
86.8 (30.4) |
91.9 (33.3) |
91.1 (32.8) |
86.2 (30.1) |
77.7 (25.4) |
65.9 (18.8) |
55.0 (12.8) |
94.1 (34.5) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 41.8 (5.4) |
44.5 (6.9) |
49.6 (9.8) |
54.8 (12.7) |
64.3 (17.9) |
74.8 (23.8) |
83.8 (28.8) |
83.8 (28.8) |
76.2 (24.6) |
64.6 (18.1) |
50.9 (10.5) |
40.5 (4.7) |
60.8 (16.0) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 28.9 (−1.7) |
31.1 (−0.5) |
35.4 (1.9) |
40.0 (4.4) |
47.8 (8.8) |
55.3 (12.9) |
62.6 (17.0) |
62.1 (16.7) |
55.2 (12.9) |
46.0 (7.8) |
36.0 (2.2) |
27.8 (−2.3) |
44.0 (6.7) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 16.1 (−8.8) |
17.6 (−8.0) |
21.2 (−6.0) |
25.2 (−3.8) |
31.4 (−0.3) |
35.8 (2.1) |
41.4 (5.2) |
40.3 (4.6) |
34.1 (1.2) |
27.5 (−2.5) |
21.2 (−6.0) |
15.0 (−9.4) |
27.2 (−2.6) |
Mean minimum °F (°C) | −4.1 (−20.1) |
−1.7 (−18.7) |
4.5 (−15.3) |
14.7 (−9.6) |
22.2 (−5.4) |
27.2 (−2.7) |
31.9 (−0.1) |
31.2 (−0.4) |
25.9 (−3.4) |
18.9 (−7.3) |
7.2 (−13.8) |
−0.9 (−18.3) |
−8.9 (−22.7) |
Record low °F (°C) | −28 (−33) |
−23 (−31) |
−18 (−28) |
1 (−17) |
6 (−14) |
18 (−8) |
15 (−9) |
20 (−7) |
16 (−9) |
4 (−16) |
−14 (−26) |
−22 (−30) |
−28 (−33) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 5.68 (144) |
5.09 (129) |
4.46 (113) |
2.13 (54) |
1.49 (38) |
0.57 (14) |
0.26 (6.6) |
0.53 (13) |
0.63 (16) |
1.77 (45) |
2.81 (71) |
5.15 (131) |
30.57 (774.6) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 43.6 (111) |
47.9 (122) |
32.2 (82) |
18.5 (47) |
4.1 (10) |
0.9 (2.3) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.5 (1.3) |
2.8 (7.1) |
11.9 (30) |
44.2 (112) |
206.6 (524.7) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 11.9 | 11.0 | 10.0 | 9.4 | 7.3 | 3.2 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 2.8 | 4.9 | 7.7 | 11.6 | 83.7 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 8.7 | 8.1 | 6.8 | 5.4 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 3.7 | 7.8 | 43.8 |
Source 1: NOAA[21] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: WRCC (mean maxima and minima 1904–2009)[22] |
Climate data for Bowman Dam, California (5400 feet) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 75 (24) |
78 (26) |
83 (28) |
88 (31) |
93 (34) |
100 (38) |
102 (39) |
99 (37) |
98 (37) |
90 (32) |
82 (28) |
72 (22) |
102 (39) |
Mean maximum °F (°C) | 60 (16) |
62 (17) |
65 (18) |
72 (22) |
79 (26) |
86 (30) |
91 (33) |
91 (33) |
88 (31) |
80 (27) |
69 (21) |
59 (15) |
92 (33) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 46.6 (8.1) |
47.6 (8.7) |
49.9 (9.9) |
56.1 (13.4) |
64.0 (17.8) |
73.5 (23.1) |
81.6 (27.6) |
81.9 (27.7) |
76.3 (24.6) |
65.5 (18.6) |
53.1 (11.7) |
45.8 (7.7) |
61.8 (16.6) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 37.0 (2.8) |
37.1 (2.8) |
39.1 (3.9) |
43.9 (6.6) |
51.3 (10.7) |
60.0 (15.6) |
67.3 (19.6) |
67.5 (19.7) |
62.6 (17.0) |
53.2 (11.8) |
42.8 (6.0) |
36.7 (2.6) |
49.9 (9.9) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 27.3 (−2.6) |
26.5 (−3.1) |
28.2 (−2.1) |
31.7 (−0.2) |
38.3 (3.5) |
46.4 (8.0) |
53.0 (11.7) |
53.1 (11.7) |
48.9 (9.4) |
41.0 (5.0) |
32.6 (0.3) |
27.6 (−2.4) |
37.9 (3.3) |
Mean minimum °F (°C) | 14 (−10) |
15 (−9) |
18 (−8) |
21 (−6) |
28 (−2) |
34 (1) |
44 (7) |
44 (7) |
38 (3) |
30 (−1) |
22 (−6) |
16 (−9) |
9 (−13) |
Record low °F (°C) | −3 (−19) |
−2 (−19) |
4 (−16) |
7 (−14) |
12 (−11) |
25 (−4) |
32 (0) |
30 (−1) |
21 (−6) |
18 (−8) |
11 (−12) |
0 (−18) |
−3 (−19) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 11.91 (303) |
10.94 (278) |
9.60 (244) |
4.85 (123) |
3.30 (84) |
1.20 (30) |
0.19 (4.8) |
0.37 (9.4) |
1.00 (25) |
4.04 (103) |
7.89 (200) |
10.47 (266) |
65.76 (1,670.2) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 40.9 (104) |
41.7 (106) |
42.2 (107) |
17.1 (43) |
3.0 (7.6) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.5 (3.8) |
16.1 (41) |
36.0 (91) |
198.5 (503.4) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 12.8 | 11.7 | 12.2 | 8.5 | 5.9 | 2.7 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 4.4 | 8.4 | 12.3 | 81.5 |
Source: NOAA[23] |
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1860 | 16,446 | — | |
1870 | 19,134 | 16.3% | |
1880 | 20,823 | 8.8% | |
1890 | 17,369 | −16.6% | |
1900 | 17,789 | 2.4% | |
1910 | 14,955 | −15.9% | |
1920 | 10,850 | −27.4% | |
1930 | 10,596 | −2.3% | |
1940 | 19,283 | 82.0% | |
1950 | 19,888 | 3.1% | |
1960 | 20,911 | 5.1% | |
1970 | 26,346 | 26.0% | |
1980 | 51,645 | 96.0% | |
1990 | 78,510 | 52.0% | |
2000 | 92,033 | 17.2% | |
2010 | 98,764 | 7.3% | |
2020 | 102,241 | 3.5% | |
2023 (est.) | 102,037 | [24] | −0.2% |
U.S. Decennial Census[25] 1790–1960[26] 1900–1990[27] 1990–2000[28] 2010[29] 2020[30] |
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[31] | Pop 2010[29] | Pop 2020[30] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
White alone (NH) | 83,098 | 85,477 | 82,810 | 90.29% | 86.55% | 80.99% |
Black or African American alone (NH) | 234 | 341 | 416 | 0.25% | 0.35% | 0.41% |
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 663 | 793 | 695 | 0.72% | 0.80% | 0.68% |
Asian alone (NH) | 702 | 1,124 | 1,371 | 0.76% | 1.14% | 1.34% |
Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 70 | 96 | 119 | 0.08% | 0.10% | 0.12% |
Other race alone (NH) | 175 | 122 | 617 | 0.19% | 0.12% | 0.60% |
Mixed race or Multi-racial (NH) | 1,890 | 2,372 | 5,797 | 2.05% | 2.40% | 5.67% |
Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5,201 | 8,439 | 10,416 | 5.65% | 8.54% | 10.19% |
Total | 92,033 | 98,764 | 102,241 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Population, race, and income | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total population[32] | 98,392 | ||||
White[32] | 90,896 | 92.4% | |||
Black or African American[32] | 522 | 0.5% | |||
American Indian or Alaska Native[32] | 1,184 | 1.2% | |||
Asian[32] | 1,370 | 1.4% | |||
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander[32] | 188 | 0.2% | |||
Some other race[32] | 1,785 | 1.8% | |||
Two or more races[32] | 2,447 | 2.5% | |||
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)[33] | 8,185 | 8.3% | |||
Per capita income[34] | $31,607 | ||||
Median household income[35] | $58,077 | ||||
Median family income[36] | $69,807 |
Places by population and race | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Place | Type[37] | Population[32] | White[32] | Other[32] [note 1] |
Asian[32] | Black or African American[32] |
Native American[32] [note 2] |
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)[33] |
Alta Sierra | CDP | 6,888 | 93.6% | 3.7% | 1.5% | 0.0% | 1.2% | 8.2% |
Floriston | CDP | 35 | 100.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Graniteville | CDP | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Grass Valley | City | 12,793 | 87.4% | 4.3% | 2.0% | 0.9% | 5.4% | 14.7% |
Kingvale ‡ | CDP | 158 | 100.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Lake of the Pines | CDP | 3,684 | 92.3% | 5.0% | 1.8% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 6.4% |
Lake Wildwood | CDP | 5,666 | 94.8% | 3.3% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 1.6% | 8.7% |
Nevada City | City | 3,081 | 88.4% | 3.2% | 6.0% | 0.8% | 1.5% | 10.5% |
North San Juan | CDP | 158 | 60.8% | 39.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Penn Valley | CDP | 1,328 | 99.1% | 0.9% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1.7% |
Rough and Ready | CDP | 891 | 98.0% | 1.0% | 1.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Soda Springs | CDP | 126 | 100.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Truckee | Town | 16,009 | 91.0% | 6.0% | 1.9% | 0.4% | 0.7% | 18.0% |
Washington | CDP | 19 | 100.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
‡ Data for Nevada County area of this CDP |
Places by population and income | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Place | Type[37] | Population[38] | Per capita income[34] | Median household income[35] | Median family income[36] |
Alta Sierra | CDP | 6,888 | $36,287 | $69,539 | $74,926 |
Floriston | CDP | 35 | $38,829 | $97,639 | $97,639 |
Graniteville | CDP | 0 | [39] | [39] | [39] |
Grass Valley | City | 12,793 | $24,302 | $35,843 | $41,058 |
Kingvale ‡ | CDP | 158 | $86,545 | $250,001 | $59,722 |
Lake of the Pines | CDP | 3,684 | $38,503 | $76,816 | $96,984 |
Lake Wildwood | CDP | 5,666 | $35,617 | $76,056 | $80,705 |
Nevada City | City | 3,081 | $29,833 | $55,192 | $68,032 |
North San Juan | CDP | 158 | $20,051 | $47,692 | $24,167 |
Penn Valley | CDP | 1,328 | $20,344 | $39,583 | $51,989 |
Rough and Ready | CDP | 891 | $23,579 | $39,037 | $46,875 |
Soda Springs | CDP | 126 | $25,465 | $40,969 | [39] |
Truckee | Town | 16,009 | $32,526 | $68,173 | $76,031 |
Washington | CDP | 19 | [39] | [39] | [39] |
‡ Data for Nevada County area of this CDP |
The 2010 United States Census reported that Nevada County had a population of 98,764. The racial makeup of Nevada County was 90,233 (91.4%) White, 389 (0.4%) African American, 1,044 (1.1%) Native American, 1,187 (1.2%) Asian, 110 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 2,678 (2.7%) from other races, and 3,123 (3.2%) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 8,439 persons (8.5%).[40]
Population reported at 2010 United States Census | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The County |
Total Population |
two or more races |
|||||||
Nevada County | 98,764 | 90,233 | 389 | 1,044 | 1,187 | 110 | 2,678 | 3,123 | 8,439 |
Total Population |
two or more races |
||||||||
Grass Valley | 12,860 | 11,493 | 46 | 208 | 188 | 9 | 419 | 497 | 1,341 |
Nevada City | 3,068 | 2,837 | 26 | 28 | 46 | 0 | 40 | 91 | 205 |
Truckee | 16,180 | 13,992 | 60 | 95 | 241 | 15 | 1,431 | 346 | 3,016 |
Total Population |
two or more races |
||||||||
Alta Sierra | 6,911 | 6,436 | 18 | 55 | 73 | 9 | 122 | 198 | 488 |
Floriston | 73 | 67 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Graniteville | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kingvale‡ | 141 | 133 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
Lake of the Pines | 3,917 | 3,669 | 5 | 20 | 65 | 7 | 24 | 127 | 246 |
Lake Wildwood | 4,991 | 4,726 | 17 | 46 | 56 | 10 | 32 | 104 | 272 |
North San Juan | 269 | 224 | 1 | 12 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 9 |
Penn Valley | 1,621 | 1,434 | 9 | 34 | 23 | 0 | 31 | 90 | 143 |
Rough and Ready | 963 | 886 | 3 | 6 | 16 | 6 | 11 | 35 | 56 |
Soda Springs | 81 | 79 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
Washington | 185 | 166 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 11 |
Other unincorporated areas |
Total Population |
two or more races |
|||||||
All others not CDPs (combined) | 47,493 | 44,080 | 202 | 529 | 468 | 53 | 562 | 1,599 | 2,639 |
‡ Note: these numbers reflect only the portion of this CDP in Nevada County |
As of the census[41] of 2000, 92,033 people, 36,894 households, and 25,936 families resided in the county. The population density was 96/sq mi (37/km2). The 44,282 housing units had an average density of 46 per square mile (18/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 93.4% White, 0.3% African American, 0.9% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 2.0% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. About 5.7% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race. Regarding ancestry,16.4% were German, 16.3% English, 11.1% Irish, 6.8% Italian, and 6.6% American, according to Census 2000; 94.0% spoke English and 4.2% Spanish as their first language.
Of the 36,894 households, 28.7% had children under 18 living with them, 57.6% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were not families. About 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.47, and the average family size was 2.88.
In the county, the age distribution was 23.1% under 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 29.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 94.7 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $45,864, and for a family was $52,697. Males had a median income of $40,742 versus $27,173 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,007. About 5.5% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.5% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.
Population and registered voters | ||
---|---|---|
Total population[32] | 98,392 | |
Registered voters[42][note 3] | 61,557 | 62.6% |
Democratic[42] | 20,298 | 33.0% |
Republican[42] | 23,315 | 37.9% |
Democratic–Republican spread[42] | -3,017 | -4.9% |
American Independent[42] | 2,208 | 3.6% |
Green[42] | 1,421 | 2.3% |
Libertarian[42] | 585 | 1.0% |
Peace and Freedom[42] | 140 | 0.2% |
Americans Elect[42] | 1 | 0.0% |
Other[42] | 140 | 0.2% |
No party preference[42] | 13,449 | 21.8% |
Cities by population and voter registration | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
City | Population[32] | Registered voters[42] [note 3] |
Democratic[42] | Republican[42] | D–R spread[42] | Other[42] | No party preference[42] |
Grass Valley | 12,793 | 50.4% | 36.9% | 33.4% | +3.5% | 10.7% | 22.7% |
Nevada City | 3,081 | 67.2% | 44.5% | 22.1% | +22.4% | 13.3% | 23.7% |
Truckee | 16,009 | 52.8% | 39.4% | 24.4% | +15.0% | 11.4% | 28.8% |
Unincorporated Nevada County | 66,509 | 67.0% | 30.6% | 41.8% | -11.2% | 5.8% | 20.3% |
According to the California Secretary of State, as of February 10, 2019, Nevada County has 78,736 registered voters. Of those, 24,677 (36%) are registered Democrats, 22,252 (32.3%) are registered Republicans, 9,426 (13.76%) are registered to another party, and 7,845 (11.5%) have declined to state a political party.[43] In both 2000 and 2004, George W. Bush won a majority of the votes in the county. In 2008, Barack Obama carried the county with a 51.5%–46.2% margin. 2008 marked the first time Nevada County went for a Democrat since Lyndon Johnson in 1964. In 2012, Obama lost by a narrow margin to Mitt Romney, turning the county red once again, only for Hillary Clinton to win it back in 2016 over Donald Trump. Joe Biden won the county in 2020 with the largest share of votes for a presidential candidate in recent elections, continuing its Democratic shift.
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 26,779 | 41.07% | 36,359 | 55.76% | 2,064 | 3.17% |
2016 | 23,365 | 42.53% | 26,053 | 47.43% | 5,517 | 10.04% |
2012 | 24,986 | 48.35% | 24,663 | 47.73% | 2,027 | 3.92% |
2008 | 25,663 | 46.12% | 28,617 | 51.43% | 1,367 | 2.46% |
2004 | 28,790 | 53.39% | 24,220 | 44.92% | 910 | 1.69% |
2000 | 25,998 | 54.76% | 17,670 | 37.22% | 3,811 | 8.03% |
1996 | 21,784 | 50.40% | 15,369 | 35.56% | 6,066 | 14.04% |
1992 | 17,343 | 39.24% | 15,433 | 34.92% | 11,425 | 25.85% |
1988 | 21,383 | 57.76% | 14,980 | 40.46% | 660 | 1.78% |
1984 | 19,809 | 62.36% | 11,198 | 35.25% | 761 | 2.40% |
1980 | 15,207 | 57.91% | 7,605 | 28.96% | 3,449 | 13.13% |
1976 | 8,170 | 48.40% | 7,926 | 46.95% | 785 | 4.65% |
1972 | 8,004 | 54.68% | 5,693 | 38.89% | 941 | 6.43% |
1968 | 6,061 | 51.39% | 4,607 | 39.06% | 1,126 | 9.55% |
1964 | 4,899 | 43.29% | 6,397 | 56.52% | 22 | 0.19% |
1960 | 5,419 | 53.44% | 4,633 | 45.69% | 89 | 0.88% |
1956 | 5,475 | 59.69% | 3,667 | 39.98% | 31 | 0.34% |
1952 | 6,819 | 64.04% | 3,735 | 35.08% | 94 | 0.88% |
1948 | 3,917 | 47.05% | 3,914 | 47.01% | 495 | 5.95% |
1944 | 2,648 | 44.42% | 3,266 | 54.79% | 47 | 0.79% |
1940 | 2,863 | 32.69% | 5,782 | 66.01% | 114 | 1.30% |
1936 | 1,913 | 26.83% | 5,128 | 71.91% | 90 | 1.26% |
1932 | 1,842 | 32.92% | 3,544 | 63.33% | 210 | 3.75% |
1928 | 2,173 | 52.00% | 1,959 | 46.88% | 47 | 1.12% |
1924 | 1,513 | 42.23% | 307 | 8.57% | 1,763 | 49.20% |
1920 | 2,055 | 64.97% | 747 | 23.62% | 361 | 11.41% |
1916 | 1,586 | 35.22% | 2,548 | 56.58% | 369 | 8.19% |
1912 | 23 | 0.57% | 1,851 | 46.11% | 2,140 | 53.31% |
1908 | 1,825 | 50.86% | 1,368 | 38.13% | 395 | 11.01% |
1904 | 2,249 | 58.72% | 1,167 | 30.47% | 414 | 10.81% |
1900 | 2,449 | 55.91% | 1,758 | 40.14% | 173 | 3.95% |
1896 | 1,985 | 44.76% | 2,360 | 53.21% | 90 | 2.03% |
1892 | 1,757 | 42.84% | 1,634 | 39.84% | 710 | 17.31% |
1888 | 2,167 | 51.69% | 1,923 | 45.87% | 102 | 2.43% |
1884 | 2,368 | 56.13% | 1,791 | 42.45% | 60 | 1.42% |
1880 | 2,241 | 52.21% | 2,029 | 47.27% | 22 | 0.51% |
Nevada County is located in California's 3rd congressional district represented by Kevin Kiley (R–Rocklin)
In the state legislature, Nevada County is in the 1st Assembly District, represented by Republican Heather Hadwick and in the State Senate, the county is in the 1st Senate District, represented by Republican Megan Dahle.
On November 4, 2008, Nevada County voted for Proposition 8, which amended the California Constitution to ban same-sex marriages by three votes, the narrowest margin of any county in the state.[45]
The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense.
Population and crime rates (2009) | ||
---|---|---|
Population[32] | 98,392 | |
Violent crime[46] | 289 | 2.94 |
Homicide[46] | 1 | 0.01 |
Forcible rape[46] | 36 | 0.37 |
Robbery[46] | 17 | 0.17 |
Aggravated assault[46] | 235 | 2.39 |
Property crime[46] | 838 | 8.52 |
Burglary[46] | 366 | 3.72 |
Larceny-theft[46][47] | 993 | 10.09 |
Motor vehicle theft[46] | 100 | 1.02 |
Arson[46] | 11 | 0.11 |
Cities by population and crime rates | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
City | Population[48] | Violent crimes[48] | Violent crime rate per 1,000 persons |
Property crimes[48] | Property crime rate per 1,000 persons | |||
Grass Valley | 12,959 | 65 | 5.02 | 639 | 49.31 | |||
Nevada City | 3,092 | 12 | 3.88 | 172 | 55.63 | |||
Truckee | 16,304 | 22 | 1.35 | 232 | 14.23 |
Gold Country Lift is the paratransit bus company providing door to door service for seniors and persons with disabilities in Grass Valley, Nevada City, and Penn Valley.
Nevada County Air Park is a general-aviation airport located just east of Grass Valley.
Truckee Tahoe Airport is a general-aviation airport in Truckee, partially in Nevada County and partially in Placer County.
Alta Sierra Airport is a private-aviation airport located south of Grass Valley.
The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Nevada County.[49]
† county seat
Rank | City/Town/etc. | Municipal type | Population (2010 Census) |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Truckee | Town | 16,180 |
2 | Grass Valley | City | 12,860 |
3 | Alta Sierra | CDP | 6,911 |
4 | Lake Wildwood | CDP | 4,991 |
5 | Lake of the Pines | CDP | 3,917 |
6 | † Nevada City | City | 3,068 |
7 | Penn Valley | CDP | 1,621 |
8 | Rough and Ready | CDP | 963 |
9 | North San Juan | CDP | 269 |
10 | Washington | CDP | 185 |
11 | Kingvale (partially in Placer County) | CDP | 143 |
12 | Soda Springs | CDP | 81 |
13 | Floriston | CDP | 73 |
14 | Graniteville | CDP | 11 |
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39°18′N 120°46′W / 39.30°N 120.77°W