Sutter County, California

Sutter County is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 99,633.^[3] The county seat is Yuba City.^[4] Sutter County is included in the Yuba City, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Sacramento-Roseville, CA Combined Statistical Area. The county is located along the Sacramento River in the Sacramento Valley.

Sutter County, California
County
County of Sutter
Images, from top down, left to right: Sutter Buttes terrain, Live Oak Blvd near Pennington Road in the City of Live Oak, downtown of Yuba City
Seal
Interactive map of Sutter County
Location in the state of California
Country	United States
State	California
Region	Sacramento Valley
Metro area	Sacramento metropolitan area
Incorporated	February 18, 1850^[1]
Named for	John Augustus Sutter
County seat	Yuba City
Largest city	Yuba City
Government
• Type	Council–CAO
• Body	Board of Supervisors
• Chair	Mike Ziegenmeyer
• Vice Chair	Karm Bains
• Board of Supervisors^[2]	Supervisors Nicholas Micheli Dan Flores Mike Ziegenmeyer Karm Bains Mat Conant
• County Administrator	Steve Smith
Area
• Total	608 sq mi (1,570 km^2)
• Land	602 sq mi (1,560 km^2)
• Water	6.1 sq mi (16 km^2)
Highest elevation	2,120 ft (650 m)
Population  (April 1, 2020)^[3]
• Total	99,633
• Density	160/sq mi (63/km^2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific Time Zone)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (Pacific Daylight Time)
Congressional district	1st
Website	www.co.sutter.ca.us

History

The Maidu were the people living in the area of Sutter County when European settlers arrived.^[5]

Sutter County was one of the original counties of California, created in 1850 at the time of statehood. Parts of the county were given to Placer County in 1852.

Sutter County is named after John Augustus Sutter, a German native born to Swiss parents. He was one of the first Europeans to recognize the Sacramento Valley for its potential in agriculture. His Hock Farm, established in 1841 on the Feather River just south of present-day Yuba City, was the site of the first major farm in the Central Valley, and used extensive slave labor from Natives in order to function.^[6]

Sutter obtained the Rancho New Helvetia Mexican land grant, and called his first settlement New Helvetia (which included the present day city of Sacramento). In 1850, Sutter retired to Hock Farm when the gold rush led to him losing his holdings in Sacramento.

Sutter County is the birthplace (Yuba City, 1858) of John Joseph Montgomery, who was the first American to successfully pilot a heavier-than-air craft, 20 years before the Wright Brothers, and who held the first patent for an "aeroplane."

In the 1890s, Sutter County was one of the two prohibition counties in California; the other was Riverside County. Both outlawed saloons and sale or consumption of alcohol in public.^[7]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 608 square miles (1,570 km²), of which 602 square miles (1,560 km²) is land and 6.1 square miles (16 km²), comprising 1.0%, is water.^[8] It is the fourth-smallest county in California by total area. Some 88 percent of the county is prime farmland and grazing land.

Sutter County is home to the Sutter Buttes, known as the "World's Smallest Mountain Range." This volcanic formation provides relief to the otherwise seemingly flat Sacramento Valley.

Bordered by the Sacramento River on the west and the Feather River on the east, Sutter County has 240 miles (390 km) of levees. The Sutter Bypass, which diverts flood waters from the Sacramento River, cuts through the heart of Sutter County.

Adjacent counties

• Butte County - north
• Yuba County - east
• Placer County - southeast
• Sacramento County - south
• Yolo County - southwest
• Colusa County - west

National protected areas

• Butte Sink National Wildlife Refuge (part)
• Sutter National Wildlife Refuge

Sutter County also has the State Feather River Wildlife Area, consisting of the Nelson Slough, O'Connor Lakes, Abbott Lake, Shanghai Bend, and Morse Road Units in Sutter County. Also, a 1,795-acre (7.26 km²) State Park in the Sutter Buttes. In addition, there are the state public trust lands of the Feather, Bear and Sacramento rivers as well as smaller streams including Butte Creek and Butte Slough.

Transportation

Major highways

•   State Route 20
•   State Route 70
•   State Route 99
•   State Route 113

Public transportation

Yuba Sutter Transit operates local bus service, as well as commuter runs to Downtown Sacramento.

Airports

Sutter County Airport is a general aviation airport located just south of Yuba City.

Politics

Voter registration statistics

Population and registered voters
Total population^[9]	94,192
Registered voters^[10]^[note 1]	41,760	44.3%
Democratic^[10]	13,557	32.5%
Republican^[10]	18,571	44.5%
Democratic–Republican spread^[10]	-5,014	-12.0%
American Independent^[10]	1,328	3.2%
Green^[10]	117	0.3%
Libertarian^[10]	224	0.5%
Peace and Freedom^[10]	124	0.3%
Americans Elect^[10]	1	0.0%
Other^[10]	550	1.3%
No party preference^[10]	7,288	17.5%

Cities by population and voter registration

Cities by population and voter registration
City	Population^[9]	Registered voters^[10] ^[note 1]	Democratic^[10]	Republican^[10]	D–R spread^[10]	Other^[10]	No party preference^[10]
Live Oak	8,244	35.9%	44.5%	29.9%	+14.6%	8.9%	19.6%
Yuba City	64,224	42.6%	34.2%	41.3%	-7.1%	9.2%	18.7%

Overview

Sutter is a strongly Republican county in presidential and congressional elections. The last Democrat to win the county was Franklin Roosevelt in 1940. It was the only county in the whole state to give a majority to George H. W. Bush in 1992.

United States presidential election results for Sutter County, California^[11]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	24,375	57.16%	17,367	40.73%	902	2.12%
2016	18,176	53.74%	13,076	38.66%	2,572	7.60%
2012	18,122	58.30%	12,192	39.22%	769	2.47%
2008	18,911	57.27%	13,412	40.62%	698	2.11%
2004	20,254	67.19%	9,602	31.85%	289	0.96%
2000	17,350	65.31%	8,416	31.68%	798	3.00%
1996	14,264	57.64%	8,504	34.37%	1,977	7.99%
1992	12,956	50.10%	7,883	30.48%	5,021	19.42%
1988	14,100	67.47%	6,557	31.38%	241	1.15%
1984	14,477	71.23%	5,535	27.24%	311	1.53%
1980	11,778	63.47%	5,103	27.50%	1,676	9.03%
1976	8,745	54.21%	6,966	43.18%	420	2.60%
1972	10,224	62.45%	5,409	33.04%	739	4.51%
1968	8,665	59.57%	4,624	31.79%	1,256	8.64%
1964	7,241	51.56%	6,787	48.33%	16	0.11%
1960	7,520	62.91%	4,379	36.63%	55	0.46%
1956	6,327	62.79%	3,673	36.45%	77	0.76%
1952	7,053	67.31%	3,382	32.27%	44	0.42%
1948	3,913	52.47%	3,362	45.08%	183	2.45%
1944	3,111	49.99%	3,083	49.54%	29	0.47%
1940	3,089	42.06%	4,195	57.11%	61	0.83%
1936	1,613	28.11%	4,019	70.04%	106	1.85%
1932	1,392	25.74%	3,807	70.41%	208	3.85%
1928	2,239	53.98%	1,875	45.20%	34	0.82%
1924	1,617	49.92%	367	11.33%	1,255	38.75%
1920	1,862	70.32%	636	24.02%	150	5.66%
1916	1,211	42.00%	1,543	53.52%	129	4.47%
1912	5	0.24%	1,063	51.65%	990	48.10%
1908	896	54.94%	652	39.98%	83	5.09%
1904	872	60.81%	488	34.03%	74	5.16%
1900	819	54.93%	642	43.06%	30	2.01%
1896	796	51.89%	713	46.48%	25	1.63%
1892	745	47.27%	735	46.64%	96	6.09%

In the United States House of Representatives, Sutter County is in California's 3rd congressional district, represented by Republican Kevin Kiley.^[12]

In the California State Legislature, the county is in the 4th Senate District, represented by Democrat Marie Alvarado-Gil,^[13] and the 3rd Assembly District, represented by Republican James Gallagher.

On November 4, 2008, Sutter County voted 70.7% for Proposition 8 which amended the California Constitution to ban same-sex marriages.^{[citation needed]}

Crime

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^[9]	94,192
Violent crime^[14]	316	3.35
Homicide^[14]	1	0.01
Forcible rape^[14]	24	0.25
Robbery^[14]	54	0.57
Aggravated assault^[14]	237	2.52
Property crime^[14]	1,038	11.02
Burglary^[14]	446	4.74
Larceny-theft^[14]^[note 2]	1,474	15.65
Motor vehicle theft^[14]	201	2.13
Arson^[14]	11	0.12

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1850	3,444		—
1860	3,390		−1.6%
1870	5,030		48.4%
1880	5,159		2.6%
1890	5,469		6.0%
1900	5,886		7.6%
1910	6,328		7.5%
1920	10,115		59.8%
1930	14,618		44.5%
1940	18,680		27.8%
1950	26,239		40.5%
1960	33,380		27.2%
1970	41,935		25.6%
1980	52,246		24.6%
1990	64,415		23.3%
2000	78,930		22.5%
2010	94,737		20.0%
2020	99,633		5.2%
U.S. Decennial Census^[15] 1790-1960^[16] 1900-1990^[17] 1990-2000^[18] 2010^[19] 2020^[20]

2020 census

Sutter County, California - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)

Race / Ethnicity	Pop 2000^[21]	Pop 2010^[19]	Pop 2020^[20]	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	47,532	47,782	41,366	60.22%	50.44%	41.52%
Black or African American alone (NH)	1,418	1,713	1,774	1.8%	1.81%	1.78%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	940	925	862	1.19%	0.98%	0.87%
Asian alone (NH)	8,771	13,442	18,014	11.11%	14.19%	18.08%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	142	256	279	0.18%	0.27%	0.28%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	190	190	611	0.24%	0.20%	0.61%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)	2,408	3,178	5,159	3.05%	3.35%	5.18%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	17,529	28,251	31,568	22.21%	28.76%	31.68%
Total	78,930	94,737	99,633	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

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 can be of any race.

2011

Population, race, and income
Total population^[9]	94,192
White^[9]	61,951	65.8%
Black or African American^[9]	1,800	1.9%
American Indian or Alaska Native^[9]	1,428	1.5%
Asian^[9]	13,029	13.8%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander^[9]	290	0.3%
Some other race^[9]	10,267	10.9%
Two or more races^[9]	5,427	5.8%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)^[22]	26,642	28.3%
Per capita income^[23]	$22,464
Median household income^[24]	$50,010
Median family income^[25]	$54,737

Places by population, race, and income

Places by population and race
Place	Type^[26]	Population^[9]	White^[9]	Other^[9] ^[note 3]	Asian^[9]	Black or African American^[9]	Native American^[9] ^[note 4]	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)^[22]
East Nicolaus	CDP	301	36.9%	46.5%	16.6%	0.0%	0.0%	46.5%
Live Oak	City	8,244	58.4%	30.7%	8.3%	0.4%	2.2%	50.3%
Meridian	CDP	485	97.3%	2.7%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	17.5%
Nicolaus	CDP	183	81.4%	4.4%	13.1%	1.1%	0.0%	0.0%
Rio Oso	CDP	349	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	15.2%
Robbins	CDP	285	82.1%	16.5%	0.0%	0.0%	1.4%	54.0%
Sutter	CDP	2,892	88.1%	9.2%	0.2%	0.6%	1.8%	9.0%
Trowbridge	CDP	112	95.5%	4.5%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Yuba City	City	64,224	62.2%	16.2%	17.3%	2.4%	1.9%	28.5%

Places by population and income
Place	Type^[26]	Population^[27]	Per capita income^[23]	Median household income^[24]	Median family income^[25]
East Nicolaus	CDP	301	$18,776	$32,813	$40,833
Live Oak	City	8,244	$16,052	$41,773	$40,919
Meridian	CDP	485	$30,530	$53,125	$77,500
Nicolaus	CDP	183	$35,223	$75,000	$100,000
Rio Oso	CDP	349	$32,149	$85,750	$90,357
Robbins	CDP	285	$22,532	$55,625	$55,268
Sutter	CDP	2,892	$28,772	$62,708	$76,667
Trowbridge	CDP	112	$33,904	$60,833	$62,083
Yuba City	City	64,224	$21,566	$48,830	$53,818

2010

The 2010 United States Census reported that Sutter County had a population of 94,737. The racial makeup of Sutter County was 57,749 (61.0%) White, 1,919 (2.0%) African American, 1,365 (1.4%) Native American, 13,663 (14.4%) Asian, 281 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 14,463 (15.3%) from other races, and 5,297 (5.6%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 27,251 persons (28.8%).^[28]

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)
Sutter County	94,737	57,749	1,919	1,365	13,663	281	14,463	5,297	27,251
Incorporated cities	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Live Oak	8,392	4,491	138	130	978	17	2,173	465	4,093
Yuba City	64,925	37,382	1,591	909	11,190	228	9,772	3,853	18,413
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)
East Nicolaus	225	159	0	1	19	0	41	5	49
Meridian	358	268	2	7	0	0	58	23	85
Nicolaus	211	186	1	0	5	0	10	9	13
Rio Oso	356	274	5	7	26	1	32	11	53
Robbins	323	208	0	9	5	0	94	7	181
Sutter	2,904	2,503	16	54	30	1	160	140	410
Trowbridge	226	167	3	5	25	0	15	11	38
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)	16,817	12,111	163	243	1,385	34	2,108	773	3,916

2000

As of the census^[29] of 2000, there were 78,930 people, 27,033 households, and 19,950 families residing in the county. The population density was 131 inhabitants per square mile (51/km²). There were 28,319 housing units at an average density of 47 per square mile (18/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 67.5% White, 1.9% Black or African American, 1.6% Native American, 11.3% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 13.0% from other races, and 4.6% from two or more races. 22.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 10.3% were of German, 9.0% American, 7.1% English and 6.1% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000. 70.3% spoke English, 17.9% Spanish and 9.3% Punjabi as their first language.

There were 27,033 households, out of which 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.0% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.2% were non-families. 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.35.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 29.0% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.3 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $38,375, and the median income for a family was $44,330. Males had a median income of $35,723 versus $25,778 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,428. About 12.1% of families and 15.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.3% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.

Media

Sutter County is in the Sacramento television market, and thus receives Sacramento media.

MySYtv.com provides television coverage of local events in the area.

Communities

Cities

• Yuba City (county seat)
• Live Oak

Census-designated places

• East Nicolaus
• Meridian
• Nicolaus
• Rio Oso
• Robbins
• Sutter
• Trowbridge

Unincorporated communities

• Encinal
• Pleasant Grove
• South Yuba City
• Tierra Buena
• Tudor
• Wilson

Proposed town

• Sutter Pointe

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Sutter County.^[30]

† county seat

Rank	City/Town/etc.	Municipal type	Population (2010 Census)
1	† Yuba City	City	64,925
2	Live Oak	City	8,392
3	Sutter	CDP	2,904
4	Meridian	CDP	358
5	Rio Oso	CDP	356
6	Robbins	CDP	323
7	Trowbridge	CDP	226
8	East Nicolaus	CDP	225
9	Nicolaus	CDP	211

See also

•  California portal

• Hiking trails in Sutter County
• List of school districts in Sutter County, California
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Sutter County, California
• Sutter County Library

Notes

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. "Sutter County Board of Supervisors | Sutter County, CA".
3. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
4. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
5. Capace, Nancy (1999). Encyclopedia of California. North American Book Dist LLC. Page 448. ISBN 9780403093182.
6. Hurtado, Albert (Spring 1990). "California Indians and the Workaday West: Labor, Assimilation, and Survival". California History. 69 (1): 5. doi:10.2307/25177303. JSTOR 25177303.
7. Berkeley Gazette, 1905. July 28
8. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
9. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B02001. U.S. Census website. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
10. California Secretary of State. February 10, 2013 - Report of Registration July 27, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2013-10-31.
11. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
12. "California's 3rd Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
13. . California Citizens Redistricting Commission. Archived from the original on October 23, 2015. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
14. Office of the Attorney General, Department of Justice, State of California. Table 11: Crimes – 2009 December 2, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2013-11-14.
15. "Census of Population and Housing from 1790-2000". US Census Bureau. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
16. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
17. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
18. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
19. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Sutter County, California". United States Census Bureau.
20. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Sutter County, California". United States Census Bureau.
21. "P004HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE [73] - Sutter County, California". United States Census Bureau.
22. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B03003. U.S. Census website. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
23. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19301. U.S. Census website. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
24. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19013. U.S. Census website. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
25. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19113. U.S. Census website. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
26. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. U.S. Census website. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
27. U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B01003. U.S. Census website. Retrieved 2013-10-21.
28. "2010 Census P.L. 94-171 Summary File Data". United States Census Bureau.
29. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
30. CNMP, US Census Bureau. "This site has been redesigned and relocated. - U.S. Census Bureau". www.census.gov.

External links

 

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39°02′N 121°41′W / 39.04°N 121.69°W / 39.04; -121.69