Placer County, California

County in California, United States

County in California, United States

Placer County, California

County

Images from top, left to right: The Auburn Courthouse, a panorama of a forested area, Lake Tahoe in Tahoe Vista

Flag

Seal

Interactive map of Placer County

Location in the state of California

Coordinates: 39°04′N 120°44′W﻿ / ﻿39.06°N 120.73°W﻿ / 39.06; -120.73
Country| United States
State| California
Regions| Sacramento Valley, Sierra Nevada
Metro area| Greater Sacramento
Incorporated| April 25, 1851[1]
Named after| Placer mining, a reference to the area being a center of the California Gold Rush
County seat| Auburn
Largest city| Roseville
Government

• Type| Council–CEO
• Body|

Board of Supervisors[2]

* Bonnie Gore
* Shanti Landon
* Anthony M. DeMattei
* Suzanne Jones
* Cindy Gustafson

• Chair| Bonnie Gore
• Vice Chair| Shanti Landon
• County Executive Officer| Daniel J. Chatigny
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

[3]

| 9,044 ft (2,757 m)
Population

(2020)

• Total

| 404,739
• Density| 270/sq mi (100/km2)
Time zone| UTC−8 (Pacific Time Zone)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−7 (Pacific Daylight Time)
Area codes| 530, 916, 279
FIPS code| 06-061
GNIS feature ID| 277295
Congressional district| 3rd
Website| www.placer.ca.gov
Gold specimen from the Eagle's Nest Mine, a source of specimen gold in Placer County

Placer County (/ˈplæsər/ PLASS-ər; Placer, Spanish for "sand deposit"), officially the County of Placer, is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 404,739.[4] The county seat is Auburn.[5]

Placer County is included in the Greater Sacramento metropolitan area. It is in both the Sacramento Valley and Sierra Nevada regions, in what is known as the Gold Country. The county stretches roughly 65 miles (105 km) from Sacramento's suburbs at Roseville to the Nevada border and the shore of Lake Tahoe.

## Etymology

[edit]

The discovery of gold in 1848 brought tens of thousands of miners from around the world during the California gold rush. In addition, many more thousands came to provide goods and services to the miners. On April 25, 1851, the fast-growing county was formed from parts of Sutter and Yuba Counties with Auburn as the county seat. Placer County took its name from the Spanish word for sand or gravel deposits containing gold.[6] Miners washed away the gravel, leaving the heavier gold, in a process known as "placer mining".

## History

[edit]

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 it later became a shipping and supply center for the surrounding gold camps. The cornerstone of Placer's courthouse, which is clearly visible from Interstate 80 through Auburn, was laid on July 4, 1894. The building was renovated during the late 1980s and continues to serve the public with courtrooms, a 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 established 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, in Placer County.

## Geography

[edit]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an 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.[7] Watercourses in Placer County include the American River and Bunch Creek. 40.96% of Lake Tahoe's surface area is in Placer County, more than in any of the four other counties in which it lies.[8]

The county is typically divided into three regions; "South Placer" in the Central Valley and the Sierra Nevada foothills south of Auburn, "Gold Country" which consists of the Sierra Foothills around Auburn, Colfax, and Foresthill, and the Sierra Nevada which consists of all areas east of Foresthill and northeast of Colfax (including the Lake Tahoe region). Roughly 3/4ths of the population lives in South Placer, Roseville being the primary job and retail center of the county. Auburn and Lincoln are the main secondary commercial centers.

### Adjacent counties

[edit]

* Nevada County \- north
* Washoe County, Nevada \- northeast
* Carson City, Nevada \- east
* Douglas County, Nevada \- southeast
* El Dorado County \- south
* Sacramento County \- southwest
* Sutter County \- west
* Yuba County \- northwest

### National protected areas

[edit]

* Eldorado National Forest in part
* Tahoe National Forest in part

## Demographics

[edit]

Historical population Census| Pop.| Note| %±

|
|
|

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%
2020| 404,739| | 16.2%
2024 (est.)| 433,822| [9]| 7.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]
1790–1960[11] 1900–1990[12]
1990–2000[13] 2010[14] 2020[15]

### 2020 census

[edit]

Placer County, California – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race. Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980[16] | Pop 1990[17] | Pop 2000[18] | Pop 2010[14] | Pop 2020[15] | % 1980  | % 1990  | % 2000  | % 2010  | % 2020

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

White alone (NH)  | 105,478  | 152,601  | 207,236  | 265,294  | 272,471  | 89.96%  | 88.31%  | 83.43%  | 76.14%  | 67.32%
Black or African American alone (NH)  | 386  | 987  | 1,896  | 4,427  | 6,440  | 0.33%  | 0.57%  | 0.76%  | 1.27%  | 1.59%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)  | 1,131  | 1,608  | 1,687  | 2,080  | 2,010  | 0.96%  | 0.93%  | 0.68%  | 0.60%  | 0.50%
Asian alone (NH)  | 1,721  | 3,635  | 7,148  | 19,963  | 34,776  | 1.47%  | 2.10%  | 2.88%  | 5.73%  | 8.59%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)  | x [19] | x [20] | 324  | 697  | 967  | 0.13%  | 0.20%  | 0.13%  | 0.20%  | 0.24%
Other race alone (NH)  | 320  | 94  | 336  | 603  | 2,091  | 1.08%  | 0.05%  | 0.14%  | 0.17%  | 0.52%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)  | x [21] | x [22] | 5,753  | 10,658  | 25,356  | x  | x  | 2.32%  | 3.06%  | 6.26%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)  | 8,211  | 13,871  | 24,019  | 44,710  | 60,628  | 7.00%  | 8.03%  | 9.67%  | 12.83%  | 14.98%
Total | 117,247 | 172,796 | 248,399 | 348,432 | 404,739  | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00%

### 2011

[edit]

Population, race, and income

Total population[23] | 343,554
White[23] | 290,923  | 84.7%
Black or African American[23] | 4,587  | 1.3%
American Indian or Alaska Native[23] | 2,654  | 0.8%
Asian[23] | 20,515  | 6.0%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander[23] | 750  | 0.2%
Some other race[23] | 11,478  | 3.3%
Two or more races[23] | 12,647  | 3.7%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)[24] | 43,268  | 12.6%
Per capita income[25] | $35,583
Median household income[26] | $74,645
Median family income[27] | $90,446

#### Places by population, race, and income

[edit]

Places by population and race

Place  | Type[28] | Population[23] | White[23] | Other[23]
[note 1] | Asian[23] | Black or African
American[23] | Native American[23]
[note 2] | Hispanic or Latino
(of any race)[24]
Alta | CDP | 549 | 97.6% | 2.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.4% | 9.8%
Auburn | City | 13,476 | 90.4% | 6.7% | 1.2% | 1.0% | 0.7% | 6.6%
Carnelian Bay | CDP | 289 | 100.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0%
Colfax | City | 1,999 | 92.1% | 5.0% | 2.7% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 4.1%
Dollar Point | CDP | 1,091 | 98.4% | 1.6% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 8.9%
Dutch Flat | CDP | 114 | 100.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 3.5%
Foresthill | CDP | 1,823 | 84.5% | 7.2% | 2.1% | 0.0% | 6.1% | 0.6%
Granite Bay | CDP | 22,201 | 88.0% | 5.3% | 5.2% | 0.4% | 1.2% | 5.3%
Kings Beach | CDP | 3,136 | 95.7% | 2.8% | 0.0% | 0.3% | 1.2% | 61.3%
Kingvale ‡ | CDP | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0%
Lincoln | City | 40,177 | 79.0% | 11.6% | 6.2% | 2.2% | 1.0% | 18.7%
Loomis | Town | 6,511 | 92.2% | 3.1% | 3.7% | 0.8% | 0.2% | 3.1%
Meadow Vista | CDP | 3,095 | 92.5% | 2.9% | 1.5% | 0.0% | 3.0% | 2.7%
Newcastle | CDP | 1,166 | 87.7% | 7.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 4.9% | 10.5%
North Auburn | CDP | 13,184 | 83.0% | 10.2% | 4.9% | 1.1% | 0.8% | 16.2%
Penryn | CDP | 665 | 99.1% | 0.0% | 0.9% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0%
Rocklin | City | 55,713 | 83.1% | 6.0% | 8.2% | 1.7% | 1.1% | 10.5%
Roseville | City | 116,613 | 81.4% | 7.7% | 8.4% | 1.7% | 0.8% | 15.1%
Sheridan | CDP | 1,444 | 85.9% | 6.8% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 7.3% | 13.8%
Sunnyside-Tahoe City | CDP | 1,667 | 95.4% | 2.8% | 0.0% | 1.7% | 0.0% | 15.6%
Tahoe Vista | CDP | 1,376 | 86.4% | 9.4% | 4.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 42.5%
Tahoma ‡ | CDP | 361 | 100.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 10.2%
‡ Data for Placer County area of this CDP
Places by population and income

Place  | Type[28] | Population[29] | Per capita income[25] | Median household income[26] | Median family income[27]
Alta | CDP | 549 | $27,408 | $56,250 | $68,214
Auburn | City | 13,476 | $34,471 | $62,600 | $84,679
Carnelian Bay | CDP | 289 | $29,998 | $47,900 | $55,000
Colfax | City | 1,999 | $27,379 | $58,750 | $70,455
Dollar Point | CDP | 1,091 | $36,547 | $70,673 | $74,659
Dutch Flat | CDP | 114 | $34,586 | $50,288 | $73,056
Foresthill | CDP | 1,823 | $29,272 | $41,410 | $79,276
Granite Bay | CDP | 22,201 | $58,548 | $126,937 | $135,578
Kings Beach | CDP | 3,136 | $23,607 | $40,060 | $55,268
Kingvale ‡ | CDP | 0 | [30] | [30] | [30]
Lincoln | City | 40,177 | $33,260 | $75,071 | $83,373
Loomis | Town | 6,511 | $35,922 | $86,990 | $94,966
Meadow Vista | CDP | 3,095 | $35,557 | $69,709 | $88,806
Newcastle | CDP | 1,166 | $24,996 | $31,736 | $49,348
North Auburn | CDP | 13,184 | $25,674 | $44,107 | $51,752
Penryn | CDP | 665 | $46,799 | $87,604 | $98,415
Rocklin | City | 55,713 | $34,658 | $79,675 | $92,295
Roseville | City | 116,613 | $34,047 | $75,245 | $92,433
Sheridan | CDP | 1,444 | $24,253 | $67,813 | $81,339
Sunnyside-Tahoe City | CDP | 1,667 | $32,055 | $62,470 | $85,776
Tahoe Vista | CDP | 1,376 | $32,092 | $69,145 | $77,933
Tahoma ‡ | CDP | 361 | $45,543 | $77,926 | $77,756
‡ Data for Placer County area of this CDP

### 2010 Census

[edit]

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. There were 4,710 Hispanics or Latinos of any race (12.8%).[31]

Population reported at 2010 United States census

The County

Total
Population

White

African
American

Native
American

Asian

Pacific
Islander

other
races

two or
more races

Hispanic
or Latino
(of any race)

Placer County | 348,432 | 290,977 | 4,751 | 3,011 | 20,435 | 778 | 13,375 | 15,105 | 44,710

Incorporated
cities and towns

Total
Population

White

African
American

Native
American

Asian

Pacific
Islander

other
races

two or
more races

Hispanic
or Latino
(of any race)

Auburn | 13,330 | 11,863 | 100 | 129 | 240 | 9 | 405 | 584 | 1,331
Colfax | 1,963 | 1,759 | 4 | 26 | 29 | 2 | 54 | 89 | 178
Lincoln | 42,819 | 34,087 | 629 | 399 | 2,663 | 115 | 3,125 | 1,801 | 7,597
Loomis | 6,430 | 5,733 | 33 | 74 | 169 | 12 | 149 | 260 | 568
Rocklin | 56,974 | 47,047 | 858 | 410 | 4,105 | 150 | 1,538 | 2,866 | 6,555
Roseville | 118,788 | 94,199 | 2,329 | 885 | 10,026 | 346 | 5,087 | 5,916 | 17,359

Census-designated
places

Total
Population

White

African
American

Native
American

Asian

Pacific
Islander

other
races

two or
more races

Hispanic
or Latino
(of any race)

Alta | 610 | 592 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 23
Carnelian Bay | 524 | 493 | 1 | 4 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 13
Dollar Point | 1,215 | 1,145 | 4 | 6 | 19 | 0 | 24 | 17 | 83
Dutch Flat | 160 | 155 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4
Foresthill | 1,483 | 1,371 | 8 | 29 | 6 | 2 | 17 | 50 | 97
Granite Bay | 20,402 | 17,960 | 148 | 138 | 1,152 | 28 | 222 | 754 | 1,260
Kings Beach | 3,796 | 3,216 | 15 | 20 | 14 | 2 | 409 | 120 | 2,115
Kingvale‡ | 143 | 135 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6
Meadow Vista | 3,217 | 3,017 | 1 | 21 | 35 | 6 | 34 | 103 | 171
Newcastle | 1,224 | 1,113 | 7 | 19 | 17 | 0 | 35 | 33 | 104
North Auburn | 13,022 | 11,081 | 115 | 172 | 298 | 13 | 893 | 450 | 2,108
Penryn | 831 | 718 | 3 | 22 | 32 | 3 | 27 | 26 | 79
Sheridan | 1,238 | 1,026 | 7 | 20 | 13 | 3 | 113 | 56 | 253
Sunnyside-Tahoe City | 1,557 | 1,480 | 3 | 4 | 15 | 1 | 32 | 22 | 84
Tahoe Vista | 1,433 | 1,279 | 3 | 8 | 21 | 2 | 82 | 38 | 352
Tahoma‡ | 411 | 393 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 16

Other
unincorporated areas

Total
Population

White

African
American

Native
American

Asian

Pacific
Islander

other
races

two or
more races

Hispanic
or Latino
(of any race)

All others not CDPs (combined)  | 57,003 | 51,248 | 478 | 616 | 1,554 | 83 | 1,125 | 1,899 | 4,360
‡ Note: these numbers reflect only the portion of these CDPs in Placer County

### 2000

[edit]

As of the census[32] of 2000, there were 248,399 people, 93,382 households, and 67,701 families residing in the county. The population density was 177 inhabitants per square mile (68/km2). There were 107,302 housing units at an average density of 76 per square mile (29/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[33]). 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, government, and policing

[edit]

### Government

[edit]

County government is by a five-person four-year term elected board of supervisors from five single member districts with a board-appointed county manager and his/her department administrators.

### Law enforcement

[edit]

The Placer County Sheriff's Office provides court protection, jail administration, and coroner services for all of Placer County. It provides patrol, detective, and other police services for the unincorporated areas of the county plus by contract to the city of Colfax and the town of Loomis.

### Politics

[edit]

#### Voter registration

[edit]

Population and registered voters  Total population[15] | 404,739

|

Registered voters[34][note 3] | 291,479  | 72.02%
Democratic[34] | 91,719  | 31.47%
Republican[34] | 119,117  | 40.87%
Democratic-Republican spread[34] | -27,398 | -9.40%
American Independent[34] | 14,217  | 4.88%
Green[34] | 1,151  | 0.39%
Libertarian[34] | 5,203  | 1.79%
Peace and Freedom[34] | 895  | 0.31%
Unknown[34] | 1,141  | 0.39%
Other[34] | 2,051  | 0.7%
No party preference[34] | 55,985  | 19.21%

#### Cities by population and voter registration

[edit]

Cities by population and voter registration  City  | Population[15] | Registered voters[34]
[note 3] | Democratic[34] | Republican[34] | D-R spread[34] | Third parties, Unknown, Other[34] | No party preference[34]

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Auburn | 13,776 | 10,072 | 3,488 | 3,724 | -2.34% | 932 | 1,928
Colfax | 1,995 | 1,178 | 302 | 481 | -15.20% | 142 | 253
Lincoln | 49,757 | 39,135 | 12,368 | 16,676 | -11.01% | 3,235 | 6,856
Loomis | 6,836 | 5,070 | 1,121 | 2,566 | -28.50% | 478 | 905
Rocklin | 71,601 | 47,936 | 15,142 | 19,173 | -8.41% | 4,018 | 9,603
Roseville | 147,773 | 103,882 | 35,396 | 39,078 | -3.54% | 8,382 | 21,026  |
Unincorporated Areas | 113,001 | 84,206 | 23,902 | 37,419 | -16.05% | 7,471 | 15,414

### Overview

[edit]

In its early history Placer County was solidly Republican: it voted Republican in every election between 1860 and 1912, when Bull Moose nominee Theodore Roosevelt was California's official Republican nominee.[35] Between 1916 and 1976, however, the county voted Republican only in three landslide elections of 1920, 1952 and 1972 – in all of which its GOP margins were much smaller than for the state or nation. Since the "Reagan Revolution" Placer County has become and remained 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.

United States presidential election results for Placer County, California[36] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies)

|
|
|

No. | % | No. | % | No. | %
2024 | 123,941  | 52.76% | 103,958  | 44.25%  | 7,034  | 2.99%
2020 | 122,488  | 52.10% | 106,869  | 45.46%  | 5,727  | 2.44%
2016 | 95,138  | 51.14% | 73,509  | 39.52%  | 17,377  | 9.34%
2012 | 99,921  | 58.19% | 66,818  | 38.91%  | 4,972  | 2.90%
2008 | 94,647  | 54.45% | 75,112  | 43.21%  | 4,053  | 2.33%
2004 | 95,969  | 62.61% | 55,573  | 36.26%  | 1,736  | 1.13%
2000 | 69,835  | 59.28% | 42,449  | 36.04%  | 5,515  | 4.68%
1996 | 49,808  | 52.75% | 34,981  | 37.05%  | 9,638  | 10.21%
1992 | 38,298  | 41.92% | 30,783  | 33.69%  | 22,285  | 24.39%
1988 | 42,096  | 59.59% | 27,516  | 38.95%  | 1,030  | 1.46%
1984 | 38,035  | 62.94% | 21,294  | 35.24%  | 1,098  | 1.82%
1980 | 28,179  | 54.78% | 17,311  | 33.65%  | 5,950  | 11.57%
1976 | 18,154  | 45.03%  | 21,026  | 52.16% | 1,131  | 2.81%
1972 | 18,597  | 50.34% | 16,911  | 45.77%  | 1,437  | 3.89%
1968 | 12,427  | 42.64%  | 14,050  | 48.21% | 2,667  | 9.15%
1964 | 9,389  | 33.92%  | 18,256  | 65.96% | 31  | 0.11%
1960 | 10,439  | 43.75%  | 13,304  | 55.75% | 120  | 0.50%
1956 | 9,059  | 45.89%  | 10,611  | 53.76% | 69  | 0.35%
1952 | 9,841  | 50.59% | 9,444  | 48.55%  | 168  | 0.86%
1948 | 5,570  | 36.87%  | 8,837  | 58.49% | 702  | 4.65%
1944 | 4,196  | 36.78%  | 7,149  | 62.66% | 64  | 0.56%
1940 | 3,887  | 31.26%  | 8,402  | 67.56% | 147  | 1.18%
1936 | 2,321  | 22.34%  | 7,959  | 76.62% | 108  | 1.04%
1932 | 2,242  | 25.82%  | 6,200  | 71.40% | 241  | 2.78%
1928 | 3,669  | 49.25%  | 3,685  | 49.46% | 96  | 1.29%
1924 | 2,192  | 36.63%  | 390  | 6.52%  | 3,402  | 56.85%
1920 | 2,894  | 59.44% | 1,559  | 32.02%  | 416  | 8.54%
1916 | 1,954  | 33.74%  | 3,375  | 58.28% | 462  | 7.98%
1912 | 15  | 0.34%  | 1,823  | 41.84%  | 2,519  | 57.82%
1908 | 1,865  | 51.45% | 1,491  | 41.13%  | 269  | 7.42%
1904 | 2,050  | 62.61% | 1,023  | 31.25%  | 201  | 6.14%
1900 | 2,009  | 54.64% | 1,592  | 43.30%  | 76  | 2.07%
1896 | 1,890  | 51.41% | 1,721  | 46.82%  | 65  | 1.77%
1892 | 1,743  | 49.27% | 1,524  | 43.08%  | 271  | 7.66%
1888 | 1,761  | 52.35% | 1,547  | 45.99%  | 56  | 1.66%
1884 | 1,749  | 52.89% | 1,483  | 44.84%  | 75  | 2.27%
1880 | 1,643  | 52.71% | 1,416  | 45.43%  | 58  | 1.86%

In the United States House of Representatives, Placer County is within California's 3rd congressional district, represented by Kevin Kiley (R–Rocklin).

In the California State Senate, Placer County is split between the 1st, 4th, and 6th districts,[37] represented by Megan Dahle, Marie Alvarado-Gil, and Roger Niello, respectively.

In the California State Assembly, the county is split between the 1st, 3rd, and 5th districts,[38] represented by Heather Hadwick, James Gallagher, and Joe Patterson respectively.

### Crime

[edit]

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

Population[23] | 343,554
Violent crime[39] | 816 | 2.38
Homicide[39] | 6 | 0.02
Forcible rape[39] | 61 | 0.18
Robbery[39] | 156 | 0.45
Aggravated assault[39] | 593 | 1.73
Property crime[39] | 4,274 | 12.44
Burglary[39] | 1,606 | 4.67
Larceny-theft[39][note 4] | 5,513 | 16.05
Motor vehicle theft[39] | 711 | 2.07
Arson[39] | 42 | 0.12

### Cities by population and crime rates

[edit]

Cities by population and crime rates

City  | Population[40] | Violent crimes[40] | Violent crime rate
per 1,000 persons  | Property crimes[40] | Property crime rate
per 1,000 persons
Auburn | 13,787 | 44 | 3.19 | 249 | 18.06
Lincoln | 44,378 | 14 | 0.32 | 506 | 11.40
Rocklin | 58,865 | 49 | 0.83 | 917 | 15.58
Roseville | 122,896 | 293 | 2.38 | 3,288 | 26.75

## Economy

[edit]

### Top employers

[edit]

According to the county's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[41] 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

[edit]

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

[edit]

See also: Transportation in the Sacramento metropolitan area

### Major highways

[edit]

* Interstate 80
* State Route 28
* State Route 49
* State Route 65
* State Route 89
* State Route 174
* State Route 193
* State Route 267

### Public transportation

[edit]

* Placer County Transit provides basic bus service primarily along the I-80 corridor between Alta and the Watt Ave. Sacramento Regional Transit light rail station. PCT also runs commuter service to Downtown Sacramento.
* Roseville has its own local fixed route transit service and a commuter service to Sacramento. Lincoln previously operated transit and Auburn operates a dial-a-ride service.
* Gold Country Stage (Nevada County) provides a connection between Auburn and Grass Valley.
* Tahoe Truckee Area Regional Transit, operated by Placer County and the City of Truckee, operates in Truckee (Nevada County), Tahoe City and along the North Shore of Lake Tahoe to Incline Village, Nevada.
* Greyhound and Amtrak provide long-distance intercity service.

### Airports

[edit]

There are three general aviation airports in Placer County:

* Lincoln Regional Airport
* Auburn Airport
* Truckee-Tahoe Airport

The closest commercial airport is Sacramento International Airport in Sacramento.

## Communities

[edit]

### Cities

[edit]

* Auburn (county seat)
* Colfax
* Lincoln
* Rocklin
* Roseville

### Towns

[edit]

* Loomis

### Census-designated places

[edit]

* Alta
* Carnelian Bay
* Cedar Flat
* Dollar Point
* Dutch Flat
* Foresthill
* Granite Bay
* Kings Beach
* Kingvale
* Meadow Vista
* Newcastle
* North Auburn
* Penryn
* Sheridan
* Sunnyside-Tahoe City
* Tahoe Vista
* Tahoma

### Unincorporated communities

[edit]

* Applegate
* Baxter
* Blue Canyon
* Bowman
* Emigrant Gap
* Iowa Hill
* Northstar
* Ophir
* Olympic Valley
* Weimar

* ### Population ranking

[edit]

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Placer County.[42]

† county seat

Rank  | City/Town/etc.  | Municipal type  | Population (2020 Census)

|
|
|

1  | Roseville | City  | 147,773
2  | Rocklin | City  | 71,601
3  | Lincoln | City  | 49,757
4  | Granite Bay | CDP  | 21,247
5  | † Auburn | City  | 13,776
6  | North Auburn | CDP  | 13,452
7  | Loomis | Town  | 6,836
8  | Kings Beach | CDP  | 3,563
9  | Meadow Vista | CDP  | 3,263
10  | Colfax | City  | 1,995
11  | Foresthill | CDP  | 1,692
12  | Sunnyside-Tahoe City | CDP  | 1,555
13  | Tahoe Vista | CDP  | 1,392
14  | Sheridan | CDP  | 1,385
15  | Newcastle | CDP  | 1,321
16  | Dollar Point | CDP  | 1,261
17  | Penryn | CDP  | 1,150
18  | Tahoma (partially in El Dorado County)  | CDP  | 1,034
19  | Alta | CDP  | 615
20  | Carnelian Bay | CDP  | 518
21  | Dutch Flat | CDP  | 183
22  | Kingvale (mostly in Nevada County)  | CDP  | 128
23  | Auburn Rancheria[43] | AIAN | 2

## Education

[edit]

School districts include:

Unified K-12:[44]

* Center Joint Unified School District
* Rocklin Unified School District
* Tahoe-Truckee Unified School District
* Western Placer Unified School District

Secondary school districts:[44]

* East Nicolaus Joint Union High School District
* Placer Union High School District
* Roseville Joint Union High School District

Additionally, Twin Rivers Unified School District includes a section of the county for grades 9–12 only.[44]

Elementary school districts:[44]

* Ackerman Elementary School District
* Alta-Dutch Flat Union Elementary School District
* Auburn Union Elementary School District
* Colfax Elementary School District
* Dry Creek Joint Elementary School District
* Elverta Joint Elementary School District
* Eureka Union Elementary School District
* Foresthill Union Elementary School District
* Loomis Union Elementary School District
* Newcastle Elementary School District
* Placer Hills Union Elementary School District
* Pleasant Grove Joint Union Elementary School District
* Roseville City Elementary School District

## See also

[edit]

* List of school districts in Placer County, California
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Placer County, California

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Other = Some other race + Two or more races
2. ^ Native American = Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander + American Indian or Alaska Native
3. ^ a b 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

[edit]

1. ^ "Placer County". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
2. ^ "Board of Supervisors | Placer County, CA".
3. ^ "Mount Baldy-West Ridge". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
4. ^ "Placer County, California". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
5. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
6. ^ AbbiAgency (February 13, 2024). "A History-Lover's Guide to Placer County". Visit Placer. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
7. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved October 3, 2015.
8. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
9. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2024". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
10. ^ "Census of Population and Housing from 1790-2000". US Census Bureau. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
11. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved October 3, 2015.
12. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 3, 2015.
13. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved October 3, 2015.
14. ^ a b "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Placer County, California". United States Census Bureau.
15. ^ a b c d "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Placer County, California". United States Census Bureau.
16. ^ "California: 1980, General Social and Economic Characteristics, Part 1 - Table 59: Persons by Race, Hispanic Origin, and Sex" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
17. ^ "California: 1990, Part 1 - Table 5: Race and Hispanic Origin" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
18. ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Placer County, California". United States Census Bureau.
19. ^ included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
20. ^ included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
21. ^ not an option in the 1980 Census
22. ^ not an option in the 1990 Census
23. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B02001. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
24. ^ a b U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B03003. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
25. ^ a b U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19301. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
26. ^ a b U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19013. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
27. ^ a b U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19113. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
28. ^ a b U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
29. ^ U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B01003. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
30. ^ a b c Data unavailable
31. ^ "2010 Census P.L. 94-171 Summary File Data". United States Census Bureau.
32. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
33. ^ "Placer County, California - Fact Sheet - American FactFinder". Factfinder.census.gov. Archived from the original on February 11, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2010.
34. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q California Secretary of State. October 21, 2024 - Report of Registration. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
35. ^ Menendez, Albert J.; The Geography of Presidential Elections in the United States, 1868-2004, pp. 153–156 ISBN 0786422173
36. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org.
37. ^ "2021 Citizens Redistricting Commission Senate Districts" (PDF). California Citizens Redistricting Commission.
38. ^ "Final Maps". California Citizens Redistricting Commission.
39. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Office of the Attorney General, Department of Justice, State of California. Table 11: Crimes - 2009 Archived December 2, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 14, 2013.
40. ^ a b c United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. Crime in the United States, 2012, Table 8 (California). Retrieved November 14, 2013.
41. ^ County of Placer CAFR
42. ^ "Explore Census Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
43. ^ Staff, Website Services & Coordination. "2010 Census Interactive Population Map (Text Version) - U.S. Census Bureau". www.census.gov.
44. ^ a b c d "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Placer County, CA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved August 28, 2024. \- Text list

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Placer County, California.

* Official Placer County website
* Placer County Visitors Bureau
* Placer County Library
* Placer Nature Center
* Placer County Museums
* Placer Sentinel Newspaper
* Special Election called for 4th Assembly District, November 1, 2011
* Placer County Network of Care

Places adjacent to Placer County, California

| Yuba County | Nevada County |

|
|

|  |
Sutter County |

Placer County, California

| Washoe County, Nevada and Carson City, Nevada
|  |
Sacramento County | El Dorado County | Douglas County, Nevada

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Placer County, California, United States

County seat: Auburn

Cities and towns|

* Auburn
* Colfax
* Lincoln
* Loomis
* Rocklin
* Roseville

Placer County map

CDPs|

* Alta
* Carnelian Bay
* Cedar Flat
* Dollar Point
* Dutch Flat
* Foresthill
* Granite Bay
* Kings Beach
* Kingvale‡
* Meadow Vista
* Newcastle
* North Auburn
* Penryn
* Sheridan
* Sunnyside–Tahoe City
* Tahoe Vista
* Tahoma‡

Unincorporated
communities|

* Alpine Meadows
* Applegate
* Baxter
* Big Bend
* Blue Canyon
* Bowman
* Brockway
* Casa Loma
* Chambers Lodge
* Cisco
* Cisco Grove
* Clipper Gap
* Donner
* Emigrant Gap
* Gold Hill
* Hidden Valley
* Homewood
* Idlewild
* Iowa Hill
* Kilaga Springs
* Lake Forest
* Michigan Bluff
* Olympic Valley
* Ophir
* Rainbow
* Soda Springs
* Sunnyside
* Tahoe City
* Todd Valley
* Weimar
* Yankee Jims

Ghost
towns|

* Bath
* Deadwood
* East Auburn
* Gold Run
* Last Chance
* Secret Ravine
* Secret Town
* Towle
* Virginiatown
* Westville

Footnotes|

‡This CDP also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

* California portal
* United States portal

* v
* t
* e

Greater Sacramento

Counties|

* El Dorado
* Nevada
* Placer
* Sacramento
* Sutter
* Yolo
* Yuba

Major city|

* Sacramento

Cities
and
towns|

| 100k–200k|

* Elk Grove
* Roseville

|

25k–100k|

* Antelope
* Arden-Arcade
* Carmichael
* Citrus Heights
* Davis
* El Dorado Hills
* Fair Oaks
* Florin
* Folsom
* Foothill Farms
* Galt
* Lincoln
* North Highlands
* Orangevale
* Rancho Cordova
* Rocklin
* West Sacramento
* Woodland
* Yuba City

10k–25k|

* Auburn
* Cameron Park
* Diamond Springs
* Gardnerville Ranchos (NV)
* Granite Bay
* Grass Valley
* La Riviera
* Lemon Hill
* Linda
* Marysville
* North Auburn
* Olivehurst
* Parkway
* Placerville
* Rio Linda
* Rosemont
* South Lake Tahoe
* Truckee
* Vineyard

Sub-regions|

* Gold Country
* Lake Tahoe
* Sacramento Valley
* Sierra Nevada
* Yuba–Sutter area

* v
* t
* e

Sacramento Valley

Counties|

* Butte
* Colusa
* Glenn
* Placer
* Sacramento
* Shasta
* Sutter
* Tehama
* Yolo
* Yuba

Major cities|

* Sacramento

Cities and towns
100k-250k|

* Elk Grove
* Roseville
* Chico

Cities and towns
25k-99k|

* Antelope
* Arden-Arcade
* Carmichael
* Citrus Heights
* Davis
* Fair Oaks
* Florin
* Folsom
* Foothill Farms
* Lincoln
* North Highlands
* Orangevale
* Paradise
* Rancho Cordova
* Redding
* Rocklin
* West Sacramento
* Woodland
* Yuba City

Cities and towns
10k-25k|

* Auburn
* Galt
* Granite Bay
* La Riviera
* Linda
* Magalia
* Marysville
* North Auburn
* Olivehurst
* Oroville
* Parkway
* Red Bluff
* Rio Linda
* Rosemont
* Shasta Lake
* Vineyard

Sub-regions|

* Sacramento Metropolitan Area
* Yuba–Sutter area

* v
* t
* e

State of California

Sacramento (capital)

Topics|

* Culture
* food
* music
* languages
* California sound
* sports
* California Dream
* Crime
* Demographics
* Earthquakes
* Economy
* agriculture
* Education
* Education, history of
* Environment
* Geography
* climate
* ecology
* flora
* fauna
* Government
* Capitol
* districts
* governor
* legislature
* Supreme Court
* Healthcare
* Abortion
* History
* Law
* LGBT rights
* National Historic Landmarks
* National Natural Landmarks
* NRHP listings
* Politics
* congressional delegations
* elections
* People
* Protected areas
* state parks
* state historic landmarks
* Symbols
* Transportation
* Water
* Index of articles

Regions|

* Antelope Valley
* Big Sur
* California Coast Ranges
* Cascade Range
* Central California
* Central Coast
* Central Valley
* Channel Islands
* Coachella Valley
* Coastal California
* Conejo Valley
* Cucamonga Valley
* Death Valley
* East Bay (SF Bay Area)
* East County (SD)
* Eastern California
* Emerald Triangle
* Gold Country
* Great Basin
* Greater San Bernardino
* Inland Empire
* Klamath Basin
* Lake Tahoe
* Greater Los Angeles
* Los Angeles Basin
* Lost Coast
* Mojave Desert
* Mountain Empire
* North Bay (SF)
* North Coast
* North County (SD)
* Northern California
* Orange Coast
* Owens Valley
* Oxnard Plain
* Peninsular Ranges
* Pomona Valley
* Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta
* Sacramento Valley
* Saddleback Valley
* Salinas Valley
* San Fernando Valley
* San Francisco Bay Area
* San Francisco Peninsula
* San Gabriel Valley
* San Joaquin Valley
* Santa Clara Valley
* Santa Clara River Valley
* Santa Clarita Valley
* Santa Ynez Valley
* Shasta Cascade
* Sierra Nevada
* Silicon Valley
* South Bay (LA)
* South Bay (SD)
* South Bay (SF)
* South Coast
* Southern Border Region
* Southern California
* Transverse Ranges
* Tri-Valley
* Victor Valley
* Wine Country

Metro regions|

* Fresno–Madera
* Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
* Sacramento–Roseville
* Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario
* San Diego–Tijuana
* San Jose–San Francisco–Oakland

Counties|

* Alameda
* Alpine
* Amador
* Butte
* Calaveras
* Colusa
* Contra Costa
* Del Norte
* El Dorado
* Fresno
* Glenn
* Humboldt
* Imperial
* Inyo
* Kern
* Kings
* Lake
* Lassen
* Los Angeles
* Madera
* Marin
* Mariposa
* Mendocino
* Merced
* Modoc
* Mono
* Monterey
* Napa
* Nevada
* Orange
* Placer
* Plumas
* Riverside
* Sacramento
* San Benito
* San Bernardino
* San Diego
* San Francisco
* San Joaquin
* San Luis Obispo
* San Mateo
* Santa Barbara
* Santa Clara
* Santa Cruz
* Shasta
* Sierra
* Siskiyou
* Solano
* Sonoma
* Stanislaus
* Sutter
* Tehama
* Trinity
* Tulare
* Tuolumne
* Ventura
* Yolo
* Yuba

Most populous
cities|

* Los Angeles
* San Diego
* San Jose
* San Francisco
* Fresno
* Sacramento
* Long Beach
* Oakland
* Bakersfield
* Anaheim

California portal

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* United States
* Israel

Geographic|

* MusicBrainz area

Other|

* NARA
* Yale LUX

*[Pop.]: Population
*[%±]: Percent change
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template