Sacramento County, California

Sacramento County, California
County
County of Sacramento

Seal

Location in the state of California

California's location in the US
Country  United States
State  California
Region Sacramento Valley
Metro area Greater Sacramento
Incorporated February 18, 1850[1]
County seat Sacramento
Largest city Sacramento (population and area)
Government
  Type Council–manager
  Body Board of Supervisors
  Board of Supervisors
  County Executive Officer Brad Hudson
Area
  Total 994 sq mi (2,570 km2)
  Land 965 sq mi (2,500 km2)
  Water 29 sq mi (80 km2)
Population (April 1, 2010)[2]
  Total 1,418,788
  Estimate (2014)[2] 1,482,026
  Density 1,400/sq mi (550/km2)
Time zone Pacific Standard Time (UTC8)
  Summer (DST) Pacific Daylight Time (UTC7)
FIPS code 06-067
Website www.saccounty.net
Sacramento

Sacramento County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,418,788.[3] Its county seat is Sacramento,[4] the state capital.

Sacramento County is included in the Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county covers about 994 square miles (2,570 km2) in the northern portion of the Central Valley, on into Gold Country. Sacramento County extends from the low delta lands between the Sacramento River and San Joaquin River north to about ten miles (16 km) beyond the State Capitol and east into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The southernmost portion of Sacramento County has direct access to San Francisco Bay.

History

Sacramento County was one of the original counties of California, which were created in 1850 at the time of statehood.

The county was named after the Sacramento River, which forms its western border. The river was named by Spanish cavalry officer Gabriel Moraga for the Santisimo Sacramento (Most Holy Sacrament), referring to the Catholic Eucharist.

Alexander Hamilton Willard, a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, is buried in the old Franklin Cemetery.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 994 square miles (2,570 km2), of which 965 square miles (2,500 km2) is land and 29 square miles (75 km2) (3.0%) is water.[5] Most of the county is at an elevation close to sea level, with some areas below sea level. The highest point in the county is Carpenter Hill at 828 feet (252 m), in the southeast part of Folsom. Major watercourses in the county include the American River, Sacramento River and Dry Creek, a tributary of the Sacramento River.

National protected area

Government and politics

Government

The Government of Sacramento County is defined and authorized under the California Constitution, California law, and the Charter of the County of Sacramento.[6] Much of the Government of California is in practice the responsibility of county governments such as the Government of Sacramento County, while municipalities such as the city of Sacramento and Folsom provide additional, often non-essential services.

It is composed of the elected five-member Board of Supervisors, several other elected offices including the Sheriff, District Attorney, and Assessor, and numerous county departments and entities under the supervision of the County Executive Officer. In addition, several entities of the government of California have jurisdiction conterminous with Sacramento County, such as the Sacramento County Superior Court.

Under its foundational Charter, the five-member elected Sacramento County Board of Supervisors (BOS) is the county legislature. The board operates in a legislative, executive, and quasi-judicial capacity. The current members are:

The Sacramento County Code is the codified law of Sacramento County in the form of local ordinances passed by the Board of Supervisors.

Politics

Voter registration statistics

Cities by population and voter registration

Overview

Sacramento County vote
by party in presidential elections
Year GOP DEM Others
2012 39.2% 202,514 58.1% 300,503 2.7% 13,792
2008 39.5% 213,583 58.5% 316,506 2.4% 12,770
2004 49.3% 235,539 49.5% 236,657 1.2% 5,670
2000 45.3% 195,619 49.3% 212,792 5.4% 23,139
1996 40.8% 166,049 49.8% 203,019 9.4% 38,346
1992 35.4% 160,366 43.6% 197,540 21.1% 95,606
1988 51.0% 201,832 47.7% 188,557 1.3% 5,301
1984 55.6% 204,922 43.1% 159,128 1.3% 4,791
1980 47.7% 153,721 40.4% 130,031 11.9% 38,368
1976 44.6% 123,110 52.3% 144,203 3.1% 8,563
1972 49.0% 141,218 47.6% 137,287 3.4% 9,716
1968 41.7% 97,177 50.9% 118,769 7.4% 17,300
1964 34.2% 77,871 65.7% 149,668 0.2% 332
1960 43.3% 84,252 56.3% 109,695 0.4% 809
1956 45.1% 67,686 54.7% 82,134 0.2% 260
1952 49.0% 67,207 50.4% 69,066 0.6% 837
1948 37.8% 35,074 58.4% 54,197 3.9% 3,571
1944 33.2% 24,611 66.3% 49,204 0.5% 403
1940 30.8% 23,201 68.1% 51,351 1.2% 864
1936 20.1% 12,119 78.5% 47,265 1.3% 800
1932 27.7% 14,553 69.3% 36,370 2.9% 1,542
1928 50.8% 20,762 48.2% 19,684 1.0% 403
1924 41.1% 13,400 7.0% 2,285 51.9% 16,932
1920 64.9% 15,634 29.7% 7,150 5.5% 1,316
Sacramento County vote
by party in gubernatorial elections
Year GOP DEM
2010 38.5% 162,369 56.7% 239,599
2006 60.5% 218,889 34.2% 123,685
2003 52.3% 195,435 26.5% 98,877
2002 46.6% 147,456 40.8% 129,143
1998 39.7% 142,970 57.4% 206,870
1994 54.8% 196,229 40.9% 146,423
1990 50.3% 167,982 44.7% 149,215
1986 68.1% 207,086 30.1% 91,660
1982 52.4% 171,176 44.7% 146,167
1978 34.7% 88,445 54.9% 139,821
1974 45.9% 104,595 51.6% 117,711
1970 46.0% 105,523 52.5% 120,365
1966 50.9% 109,801 49.1% 105,861
1962 37.7% 71,788 60.7% 115,462

Sacramento County is politically competitive in presidential elections, though marginally Democratic. Candidates from the Democratic Party have carried the county in the past six presidential elections, but have won a majority of the county's votes only twice during that time (in 2008 and 2012). The city of Sacramento is strongly Democratic, while rural areas are strongly Republican; suburban areas are more divided. This pattern is also present in congressional and state legislative elections. The last Republican presidential candidate to win a majority in the county was George H.W. Bush in 1988. Conversely, in gubernatorial elections the county often favors Republican candidates, doing so in 2002, 2003 and 2006 before supporting Democrat Jerry Brown in 2010.

In the House of Representatives, all of California's 7th congressional district and portions of its 3rd, 6th, and 9th districts are in the county.[9]

In the State Assembly, all of the 7th and 8th districts and parts of the 6th, 9th, and 11th districts are in the county.

In the State Senate, parts of the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 6th, and 8th districts are in the county.

According to the California Secretary of State, as of October 22, 2012, Sacramento County has 698,899 registered voters, out of 944,243 eligible (74%). Of those, 306,960 (44%) are registered Democrats, 225,688 (32%) are registered Republicans, and 134,677 (19%) have declined to state a political party.[10]

Transportation

Pocket-Greenhaven

Major highways

Public transportation

Sacramento Regional Transit (RT) provides bus and light rail service in Sacramento and nearby communities like Rancho Cordova, Citrus Heights, and Rosemont. Sacramento hosts 37.4 miles (60.2 km) of light rail. The cities of Elk Grove, Folsom and Galt also operate their own bus lines. In addition, the transit agencies of the adjacent counties have routes operating into downtown Sacramento, or connecting with the light rail system.

Greyhound and Amtrak both serve Sacramento. The port of Sacramento ships 870,000 short tons (790,000 metric tons) of cargo annually.

Airports

Sacramento International Airport is a major, full-service airport with passenger flights. It is owned by the County of Sacramento. The County also owns Sacramento Mather Airport in Rancho Cordova and Sacramento Executive Airport, both of which are general aviation airports. There are also privately owned public use airports located in Elk Grove and Rio Linda.

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

Demographics

2011

Places by population, race, and income

2010

Historical population
Census Pop.
18509,087
186024,142165.7%
187026,83011.1%
188034,39028.2%
189040,33917.3%
190045,91513.8%
191067,80647.7%
192091,02934.2%
1930141,99956.0%
1940170,33320.0%
1950277,14062.7%
1960502,77881.4%
1970631,49825.6%
1980783,38124.1%
19901,041,21932.9%
20001,223,49917.5%
20101,418,78816.0%
Est. 20131,462,1313.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[20]
1790-1960[21] 1900-1990[22]
1990-2000[23] 2010-2013[3]

The 2010 United States Census reported that Sacramento County had a population of 1,418,788. The racial makeup of Sacramento County was 815,151 (57.5%) White, 200,228 (15.4%) African American, 14,308 (1.0%) Native American, 203,211 (14.3%) Asian, 13,858 (1.0%) Pacific Islander, 131,691 (9.3%) from other races, and 93,511 (6.6%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 306,196 persons (21.6%).[24]

2000

As of the census[25] of 2000, there were 1,223,499 people, 453,602 households, and 297,562 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,267 people per square mile (489/km²). There were 474,814 housing units at an average density of 492/sq mi (190/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 64.0% White, 10.6% Black or African American, 1.09% Native American, 13.5% Asian, 0.6% Pacific Islander, 7.5% from other races, and 5.8% from two or more races. 19.3% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 10.2% were of German, 7.0% English, 6.7% Irish and 5.1% American ancestry according to Census 2000. 75.7% spoke only English at home; 10.0% spoke Spanish, 1.5% Hmong, 1.4% Chinese or Mandarin, 1.3% Vietnamese, 1.2% Tagalog and 1.2% Russian.

There were 453,602 households out of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.4% were married couples living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.24.

In the county the population was spread out with 27.6% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.5 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $43,816, and the median income for a family was $50,717. Males had a median income of $39,482 versus $31,569 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,142. About 10.3% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.2% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Elk Grove
Folsom Lake

Cities

Census-designated places

Unincorporated community

Higher Education

Public Schools

Community Colleges

Private Schools

See also

Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 Percentage of registered voters with respect to total population. Percentages of party members with respect to registered voters follow.
  2. Only larceny-theft cases involving property over $400 in value are reported as property crimes.
  3. Other = Some other race + Two or more races
  4. Native American = Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander + American Indian or Alaska Native

References

  1. "Chronology". California State Association of Counties. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Sacramento County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
  3. 3.0 3.1 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
  4. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  5. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  6. California Government Code § 23004
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 7.9 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 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 8.8 8.9 8.10 8.11 8.12 8.13 8.14 8.15 8.16 California Secretary of State. February 10, 2013 - Report of Registration. Retrieved 2013-10-31.
  9. "California's 7th Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
  10. CA Secretary of State – Report of Registration – October 22, 2012
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 11.7 11.8 11.9 Office of the Attorney General, Department of Justice, State of California. Table 11: Crimes 2009. Retrieved 2013-11-14.
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. Crime in the United States, 2012, Table 8 (California). Retrieved 2013-11-14.
  13. 13.0 13.1 U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B03003. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
  14. 14.0 14.1 U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19301. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
  15. 15.0 15.1 U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19013. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
  16. 16.0 16.1 U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19113. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
  17. 17.0 17.1 U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
  18. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B01003. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
  19. 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 Data unavailable
  20. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
  21. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
  22. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
  23. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
  24. "2010 Census P.L. 94-171 Summary File Data". United States Census Bureau.
  25. "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-05-14.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sacramento County, California.
Wikisource has the text of an 1879 American Cyclopædia article about Sacramento County, California.

Coordinates: 38°27′N 121°21′W / 38.45°N 121.35°W