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Sutter County, California

Coordinates: 39°02′N 121°41′W / 39.04°N 121.69°W / 39.04; -121.69
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sutter County
County
Sutter Buttes in the Sacramento Valley
Yuba City
Sutter Wildlife Refuge
Tudor
Live Oak
Official seal of Sutter County
Seal
Map
Interactive map of Sutter County
Location in the state of California
Location in the state of California
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
RegionSacramento Valley
Metro areaYuba City metropolitan area
IncorporatedFebruary 18, 1850[1]
Named afterJohn Augustus Sutter
County seatYuba City
Largest cityYuba City
Government
 • TypeCouncil–CAO
 • BodyBoard of Supervisors
 • ChairDan Flores
 • Vice ChairMike Ziegenmeyer
 • Board of Supervisors[2]
Supervisors
  • Jeff Boone
  • Dan Flores
  • Mike Ziegenmeyer
  • Karm Bains
  • Jeff Stephens
 • County AdministratorSteve Smith
Area
 • Total
608 sq mi (1,570 km2)
 • Land602 sq mi (1,560 km2)
 • Water6.1 sq mi (16 km2)
Highest elevation
2,120 ft (650 m)
Population
 (April 1, 2020)[3]
 • Total
99,633
 • Density166/sq mi (63.9/km2)
GDP
[4]
 • Total$4.840 billion (2022)
Time zoneUTC-8 (Pacific Time Zone)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (Pacific Daylight Time)
Congressional district1st
Websitewww.co.sutter.ca.us

Sutter County is 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.[5] 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.

History

[edit]

The Maidu were the people living in the area of Sutter County when European settlers arrived.[6]

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.[7]

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.[8]

Geography

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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.[9] 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

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National protected areas

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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

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Major highways

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Public transportation

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Yuba Sutter Transit operates local bus service, as well as commuter runs to Downtown Sacramento. The Amtrak Thruway 3 bus also provides daily connections to/from Sacramento.

Airports

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Sutter County Airport is a general aviation airport located just south of Yuba City. The closest major airport is in Sacramento.

Politics

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Voter registration statistics

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Population and registered voters
Total population[10] 94,192
  Registered voters[11][note 1] 41,760 44.3%
    Democratic[11] 13,557 32.5%
    Republican[11] 18,571 44.5%
    Democratic–Republican spread[11] -5,014 -12.0%
    American Independent[11] 1,328 3.2%
    Green[11] 117 0.3%
    Libertarian[11] 224 0.5%
    Peace and Freedom[11] 124 0.3%
    Americans Elect[11] 1 0.0%
    Other[11] 550 1.3%
    No party preference[11] 7,288 17.5%

Cities by population and voter registration

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Cities by population and voter registration
City Population[10] Registered voters[11]
[note 1] 		Democratic[11] Republican[11] D–R spread[11] Other[11] No party preference[11]
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

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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[12]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
1892 745 47.27% 735 46.64% 96 6.09%
1896 796 51.89% 713 46.48% 25 1.63%
1900 819 54.93% 642 43.06% 30 2.01%
1904 872 60.81% 488 34.03% 74 5.16%
1908 896 54.94% 652 39.98% 83 5.09%
1912 5 0.24% 1,063 51.65% 990 48.10%
1916 1,211 42.00% 1,543 53.52% 129 4.47%
1920 1,862 70.32% 636 24.02% 150 5.66%
1924 1,617 49.92% 367 11.33% 1,255 38.75%
1928 2,239 53.98% 1,875 45.20% 34 0.82%
1932 1,392 25.74% 3,807 70.41% 208 3.85%
1936 1,613 28.11% 4,019 70.04% 106 1.85%
1940 3,089 42.06% 4,195 57.11% 61 0.83%
1944 3,111 49.99% 3,083 49.54% 29 0.47%
1948 3,913 52.47% 3,362 45.08% 183 2.45%
1952 7,053 67.31% 3,382 32.27% 44 0.42%
1956 6,327 62.79% 3,673 36.45% 77 0.76%
1960 7,520 62.91% 4,379 36.63% 55 0.46%
1964 7,241 51.56% 6,787 48.33% 16 0.11%
1968 8,665 59.57% 4,624 31.79% 1,256 8.64%
1972 10,224 62.45% 5,409 33.04% 739 4.51%
1976 8,745 54.21% 6,966 43.18% 420 2.60%
1980 11,778 63.47% 5,103 27.50% 1,676 9.03%
1984 14,477 71.23% 5,535 27.24% 311 1.53%
1988 14,100 67.47% 6,557 31.38% 241 1.15%
1992 12,956 50.10% 7,883 30.48% 5,021 19.42%
1996 14,264 57.64% 8,504 34.37% 1,977 7.99%
2000 17,350 65.31% 8,416 31.68% 798 3.00%
2004 20,254 67.19% 9,602 31.85% 289 0.96%
2008 18,911 57.27% 13,412 40.62% 698 2.11%
2012 18,122 58.30% 12,192 39.22% 769 2.47%
2016 18,176 53.74% 13,076 38.66% 2,572 7.60%
2020 24,375 57.16% 17,367 40.73% 902 2.12%
2024 25,372 64.50% 13,016 33.09% 951 2.42%

In the United States House of Representatives, Sutter County is in California's 3rd congressional district, represented by Republican Kevin Kiley.[13]

In the California State Legislature, the county is in the 4th senatorial district, represented by Republican Marie Alvarado-Gil,[14] 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

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

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18503,444—
18603,390−1.6%
18705,03048.4%
18805,1592.6%
18905,4696.0%
19005,8867.6%
19106,3287.5%
192010,11559.8%
193014,61844.5%
194018,68027.8%
195026,23940.5%
196033,38027.2%
197041,93525.6%
198052,24624.6%
199064,41523.3%
200078,93022.5%
201094,73720.0%
202099,6335.2%
2024 (est.)98,545[16]−1.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[17]
1790–1960[18] 1900–1990[19]
1990–2000[20] 2010[21] 2020[22]

2020 census

[edit]

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 99,633. The median age was 36.9 years. 25.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 99.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.8 males age 18 and over.[23][24]

The racial makeup of the county was 47.0% White, 2.0% Black or African American, 1.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 18.3% Asian, 0.3% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 18.0% from some other race, and 12.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 31.7% of the population.[24]

84.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 15.1% lived in rural areas.[25]

There were 33,062 households in the county, of which 38.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 24.4% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[23]

There were 34,499 housing units, of which 4.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 60.3% were owner-occupied and 39.7% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 3.2%.[23]

Racial and ethnic composition

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Sutter 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[26] Pop 1990[27] Pop 2000[28] Pop 2010[21] Pop 2020[22] % 1980 % 1990 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 40,969 46,140 47,532 47,782 41,366 78.42% 71.63% 60.22% 50.44% 41.52%
Black or African American alone (NH) 552 987 1,418 1,713 1,774 1.06% 1.53% 1.80% 1.81% 1.78%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 587 826 940 925 862 1.12% 1.28% 1.19% 0.98% 0.87%
Asian alone (NH) 3,597 5,748 8,771 13,442 18,014 6.88% 8.92% 11.11% 14.19% 18.08%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) x [29] x [30] 142 256 279 x x 0.18% 0.27% 0.28%
Other race alone (NH) 443 122 190 190 611 0.85% 0.19% 0.24% 0.20% 0.61%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) x [31] x [32] 2,408 3,178 5,159 x x 3.05% 3.35% 5.18%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 6,098 10,592 17,529 27,251 31,568 11.67% 16.44% 22.21% 28.76% 31.68%
Total 52,246 64,415 78,930 94,737 99,633 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

2010 census

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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%).[33]

2000 census

[edit]

As of the 2000 census[34], 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

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

Communities

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Cities

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Census-designated places

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Unincorporated communities

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Proposed town

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Population ranking

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The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Sutter County.[35]

† county seat

Rank City/Town/etc. Municipal type Population (2020 census)
1 † Yuba City City 70,117
2 Live Oak City 9,106
3 Sutter CDP 2,997
4 Rio Oso CDP 372
5 Robbins CDP 347
6 Meridian CDP 304
7 Trowbridge CDP 229
8 East Nicolaus CDP 223
9 Nicolaus CDP 176

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b 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.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Chronology". California State Association of Counties. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
  2. ^ "Sutter County Board of Supervisors | Sutter County, CA".
  3. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  4. ^ "Gross Domestic Product: All Industries in Sutter County, CA". Federal Reserve Economic Data. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
  5. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  6. ^ Capace, Nancy (1999). Encyclopedia of California. North American Book Dist LLC. Page 448. ISBN 9780403093182.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ Berkeley Gazette, 1905. July 28
  9. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  10. ^ a b c U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B02001. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q California Secretary of State. February 10, 2013 - Report of Registration Archived July 27, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
  12. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  13. ^ "California's 3rd Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
  14. ^ "Communities of Interest — County". California Citizens Redistricting Commission. Archived from the original on October 23, 2015. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2024". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
  17. ^ "Census of Population and Housing from 1790-2000". US Census Bureau. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  18. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
  19. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
  20. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
  21. ^ a b "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.
  22. ^ a b "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.
  23. ^ a b c "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2025.
  24. ^ a b "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2025.
  25. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved December 21, 2025.
  26. ^ "California: 1980, General Social and Economic Characteristics, Part 1 - Table 59: Persons by Race, Hispanic Origin, and Sex" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
  27. ^ "California: 1990, Part 1 - Table 5: Race and Hispanic Origin" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  28. ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Sutter County, California". United States Census Bureau.
  29. ^ included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
  30. ^ included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
  31. ^ not an option in the 1980 Census
  32. ^ not an option in the 1990 Census
  33. ^ "2010 Census P.L. 94-171 Summary File Data". United States Census Bureau.
  34. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
  35. ^ "2020 U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
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39°02′N 121°41′W / 39.04°N 121.69°W / 39.04; -121.69

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