Lassen County, California
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox U.S. county
Lassen County (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell) is a county located in the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 32,730,<ref name="2020 Census (City)">Template:Cite web</ref> and was estimated to be 28,340 in 2024,<ref name="QF"/> Its county seat and the largest city is Susanville,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Lassen County comprises the Susanville, California micropolitan statistical area. A former farming, mining, and lumber area, its economy now depends on employment at one federal and two state prisons; the former in Herlong and the latter two in Susanville. In 2007, half the adults in Susanville worked in one of the facilities.<ref name="taylor"/>
History
[edit]Lassen County was formed on April 1, 1864,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> from parts of Plumas and Shasta counties following the two-day conflict known as the Sagebrush War, also called the Roop County War,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> that started on Sunday morning, February 15, 1863. Due to uncertainties over the California border, the area that is now Lassen County was part of the unofficial Nataqua Territory and Roop County, Nevada, during the late 1850s and early 1860s.
The county was named by California after Peter Lassen,<ref name="LCH">Lassen County History, Lassen County, California Genweb Project, 2006, accessed January 14, 2014</ref> along with Lassen Peak, which is in adjoining Shasta County.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Lassen was one of General John C. Fremont's guides, and a famous trapper, frontiersman, and Indian fighter. He was murdered under mysterious circumstances near the Black Rock Desert in 1859, and his murder was never solved.
By the 1880s small towns began to spring up all over Lassen County. Bieber developed at the north end of the county, in rich farmland. Gold was discovered at Hayden Hill, and the small town developed to support the miners. Hayden Hill no longer exists: when the mining stopped, the townspeople left for other communities. Madeline was formed at the north end of another rich farming valley, and along the railroad tracks heading north to Alturas, California. This community still has about 50 people living in and around the town. In the 1890s many immigrant family groups arrived in the county, primarily coming from Lincolnshire and Herefordshire, England as well as the towns of Belgrade, Novi Sad, Niš and Kragujevac in Serbia.<ref name="ReferenceA">Serbian Studies, Volumes 4–5 - North American Society for Serbian Studies, 1986</ref><ref>Henderson, George; Olasiji, Thompson Dele (1995). Migrants, Immigrants, and Slaves: Racial and Ethnic Groups in America. Lanham, Maryland: University Press of America. ISBN 0-8191-9738-6.</ref> Several "Yankee" settlers arrived from Waldo County, Maine and Lincoln County, Maine as well.<ref>Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Clovis, Calif.: Word Dancer Press. p. 355</ref>
During World War I, the area was heavily in favor of American entry into the war, and a disproportionate amount of volunteers from Lassen County signed up to take part in the war effort. A pro-German newspaper editor from San Francisco noted that "the inhabitants of Lassen County" were "sympathetic to Britain, hostile to Germany, and indifferent to France."<ref>The Projection of Britain British Overseas Publicity and Propaganda 1919-1939 by Philip M. Taylor, Taylor Philip M. Taylor · 1981</ref><ref>Serb World. 5–6. Neven Publishing Corporation. 1988. p. 40.</ref><ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref>California at War The State and the People During World War I By Diane M. T. North · 2018</ref>
A narrow gauge railroad, the Nevada-California-Oregon Railway, ran through Lassen County from 1880 to 1927. The NCOR was the longest small gauge of the century. It was intended to connect Reno, Nevada, to the Columbia River, but only Template:Convert of track were laid, from Reno to Lakeview, Oregon.
In 1913, the Fernley & Lassen Railroad was built and it was used to export timber from the large forests of Lassen County. As this railroad was completed, the Red River Lumber Company set up shop,<ref name ="LCH" /> building the town of Westwood, California, to support its massive logging operation. Two other lumber mills followed the Red River Lumber Co. They built their mills in the county seat of Susanville. The Lassen Lumber and Box Company and the Fruit Growers Company both operated mills in Susanville for several decades.
In 2003, Anderson-based Sierra Pacific Industries announced plans to relocate or lay off 150 workers as they closed the last lumber mill in Susanville due to the lack of large timber for the mill.<ref name ="LAT">"Town's Last Mill to Be Shut Down", Los Angeles Times, December 18, 2003</ref> Sierra Pacific chose to close the mill permanently rather than spend the several million dollars required to convert the mill from large to small timber.
Since the late 20th century, three prisons have been opened in and near Susanville: California Correctional Center (minimum security, 1963) and High Desert State Prison (California) (maximum security, 1995), both in the city; and the nearby Federal Correctional Institution, Herlong (opened 2007). In 2007, half the adults in Susanville worked in one of the three prisons.<ref name="taylor"/> In "job-starved rural America, ... residents see them [prisons] as the last and only chance for employment after work at the lumber mill or the dairy dries up."<ref name="taylor">Taylor, Robert. "'Prison Town' a view from outside," Contra Costa Times, 28 July 2007; hosted at Mercury News.</ref>
Education
[edit]Lassen County is served by Lassen Community College, Lassen High School District, Mt. Lassen Charter School, Thompson Peak Charter School, Diamond Mountain Charter High, Diamond View Middle School, Herlong High School, Meadow View Elementary, McKinley Elementary, Long Valley Charter School, Fort Sage Charter School, and Westwood Junior Senior High School.
Geography
[edit]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (3.79%) is water.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is the 8th largest county in California by total area.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Part of Lassen Volcanic National Park extends onto a western corner of the county.
Adjacent counties
[edit]- Modoc County, California – north
- Washoe County, Nevada – east
- Sierra County, California – southeast
- Plumas County, California – south
- Shasta County, California – west
National protected areas
[edit]- Lassen National Forest (part)
- Lassen Volcanic National Park (part)
- Modoc National Forest (part)
- Plumas National Forest (part)
- Toiyabe National Forest (part)
Demographics
[edit]As of the third quarter of 2024, the median home value in Lassen County was $264,340.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
As of the 2023 American Community Survey, there are 9,060 estimated households in Lassen County with an average of 2.64 persons per household. The county has a median household income of $64,395. Approximately 17.1% of the county's population lives at or below the poverty line. Lassen County has an estimated 39.5% employment rate, with 13.2% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 79.1% holding a high school diploma.<ref name="QF">Template:Cite web</ref>
The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (81.9%), Spanish (15.0%), Indo-European (0.8%), Asian and Pacific Islander (2.1%), and Other (0.3%).
The median age in the county was 37.8 years.
Lassen County, California – racial and ethnic composition
Template:Nobold
| Race / ethnicity (NH = non-Hispanic) | Pop. 1980<ref name=1980CensusScope>Template:Cite web</ref> | Pop. 1990<ref name="Census 1990">Template:Cite web</ref> | Pop. 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>Template:Cite web</ref> | Pop. 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> | Template:Partial<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 18,700 (86.33%) |
21,920 (79.43%) |
23,893 (70.63%) |
23,270 (66.69%) |
19,534 (59.68%) |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 751 (3.47%) |
1,699 (6.16%) |
2,976 (8.80%) |
2,790 (8.00%) |
2,244 (6.86%) |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 634 (2.93%) |
790 (2.86%) |
959 (2.83%) |
999 (2.86%) |
939 (2.87%) |
| Asian alone (NH) | 121 (0.56%) |
293 (1.06%) |
244 (0.72%) |
337 (0.97%) |
472 (1.44%) |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | — | — | 134 (0.40%) |
163 (0.47%) |
283 (0.86%) |
| Other race alone (NH) | 38 (0.18%) |
13 (0.05%) |
267 (0.79%) |
363 (1.04%) |
142 (0.43%) |
| Mixed race or multiracial (NH) | — | — | 674 (1.99%) |
856 (2.45%) |
1,585 (4.84%) |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1,417 (6.54%) |
2,883 (10.45%) |
4,681 (13.84%) |
6,117 (17.53%) |
7,531 (23.01%) |
| Total | 21,661 (100.00%) |
27,598 (100.00%) |
33,828 (100.00%) |
34,895 (100.00%) |
32,730 (100.00%) |
2023 estimate
[edit]As of the 2023 estimate, there were 28,861 people and 9,060 households residing in the county. There were 12,238 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 81.5% White (63.5% NH White), 6.8% African American, 4.4% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.9% Pacific Islander, _% from some other races and 4.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 21.8% of the population.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2020 census
[edit]As of the 2020 census, there were 32,730 people, 9,888 households, and 6,383 families residing in the county.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The population density was Template:Convert. There were 12,216 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 64.36% White, 6.96% African American, 3.32% Native American, 1.51% Asian, 0.87% Pacific Islander, 15.06% from some other races and 7.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 23.01% of the population.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2010 census
[edit]As of the 2010 census, there were 34,895 people, 10,058 households, and _ families residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 12,216 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 73.17% White, 8.12% African American, 3.54% Native American, 1.02% Asian, 0.47% Pacific Islander, 10.21% from some other races and 3.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 17.53% of the population.
2000 census
[edit]As of the 2000 census, there were 33,828 people, 9,625 households, and 6,776 families residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 12,000 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 80.81% White, 8.84% African American, 3.26% Native American, 0.74% Asian, 0.43% Pacific Islander, 3.23% from some other races and 2.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 13.84% of the population.
In terms of ancestry, 13.8% were of German, 12.1% Irish, 10.5% English, 8.7% American and 5.0% Italian ancestry. 88.2% spoke English and 10.3% Spanish as their first language.
There were 9,625 households, out of which 35.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.8% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% were non-families. Of all households, 24.5% were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.8% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 36.9% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 9.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 168.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 192.2 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $36,310, and the median income for a family was $43,398. Males had a median income of $37,333 versus $26,561 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,749. About 11.1% of families and 14.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.1% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.
Places by population, race, and income in 2011
[edit]| Places by population and race | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place | Type<ref name="US-CB">U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.</ref> | Population<ref name="US-CB-B02001">U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B02001. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 26, 2013.</ref> | White<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/> | Other<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/> <ref name="other" group=note>Other = Some other race + Two or more races</ref> |
Asian<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/> | Black or African American<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/> |
Native American<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/> <ref name="na" group=note>Native American = Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander + American Indian or Alaska Native</ref> |
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)<ref name="US-CB-B03003">U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B03003. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 26, 2013.</ref> |
| Bieber | CDP | 280 | 82.5% | 16.1% | 1.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 16.1% |
| Clear Creek | CDP | 138 | 96.4% | 3.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 15.2% |
| Doyle | CDP | 367 | 96.5% | 3.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.8% |
| Herlong | CDP | 1,260 | 32.0% | 38.5% | 1.0% | 24.4% | 4.1% | 47.0% |
| Janesville | CDP | 1,302 | 92.8% | 1.2% | 6.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2.5% |
| Johnstonville | CDP | 656 | 97.0% | 0.9% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2.1% | 5.6% |
| Litchfield | CDP | 95 | 100.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Milford | CDP | 99 | 100.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Nubieber | CDP | 38 | 92.1% | 7.9% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 7.9% |
| Patton Village | CDP | 624 | 58.0% | 9.6% | 0.0% | 19.2% | 13.1% | 8.0% |
| Spaulding | CDP | 137 | 94.9% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 5.1% | 0.0% |
| Susanville | City | 17,728 | 65.0% | 17.3% | 1.5% | 10.7% | 5.5% | 19.9% |
| Westwood | CDP | 1,473 | 92.7% | 2.9% | 0.6% | 0.1% | 3.7% | 2.6% |
| Places by population and income | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place | Type<ref name="US-CB"/> | Population<ref name="US-CB-B01003">U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B01003. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.</ref> | Per capita income<ref name="US-CB-B19301">U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19301. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.</ref> | Median household income<ref name="US-CB-B19013">U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19013. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.</ref> | Median family income<ref name="US-CB-B19113">U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19113. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.</ref> |
| Bieber | CDP | 280 | $25,141 | $61,250 | $54,844 |
| Clear Creek | CDP | 138 | $29,639 | $44,167 | $60,313 |
| Doyle | CDP | 367 | $23,339 | $27,917 | $32,885 |
| Herlong | CDP | 1,260 | $5,943 | $43,958 | $45,893 |
| Janesville | CDP | 1,302 | $25,821 | $71,090 | $70,481 |
| Johnstonville | CDP | 656 | $31,534 | $60,682 | $67,813 |
| Litchfield | CDP | 95 | $37,227 | $41,528 | $45,556 |
| Milford | CDP | 99 | $38,215 | $61,472 | <ref name="ND">Data unavailable</ref> |
| Nubieber | CDP | 38 | $9,524 | $31,250 | $31,563 |
| Patton Village | CDP | 624 | $27,081 | $46,447 | $62,656 |
| Spaulding | CDP | 137 | $30,669 | $35,714 | $51,806 |
| Susanville | City | 17,728 | $16,580 | $49,160 | $68,780 |
| Westwood | CDP | 1,473 | $23,055 | $38,512 | $51,215 |
Politics
[edit]Voter registration
[edit]| Population and registered voters | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total population<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/> | 35,001 | |
| Registered voters<ref name="CA-SS">California Secretary of State. February 10, 2013 - Report of Registration Template:Webarchive. Retrieved October 31, 2013.</ref><ref name="PCT-RV" group=note>Percentage of registered voters with respect to total population. Percentages of party members with respect to registered voters follow.</ref> | 13,932 | 39.8% |
| Democratic<ref name="CA-SS"/> | 3,401 | 24.4% |
| Republican<ref name="CA-SS"/> | 6,687 | 48.0% |
| Democratic–Republican spread<ref name="CA-SS"/> | -3,286 | -23.6% |
| Independent<ref name="CA-SS"/> | 726 | 5.2% |
| Green<ref name="CA-SS"/> | 43 | 0.3% |
| Libertarian<ref name="CA-SS"/> | 95 | 0.7% |
| Peace and Freedom<ref name="CA-SS"/> | 37 | 0.3% |
| Americans Elect<ref name="CA-SS"/> | 1 | 0.0% |
| Other<ref name="CA-SS"/> | 67 | 0.5% |
| No party preference<ref name="CA-SS"/> | 2,875 | 20.6% |
Cities by population and voter registration
[edit]| Cities by population and voter registration | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City | Population<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/> | Registered voters<ref name="CA-SS"/> <ref name="PCT-RV" group=note/> |
Democratic<ref name="CA-SS"/> | Republican<ref name="CA-SS"/> | D–R spread<ref name="CA-SS"/> | Other<ref name="CA-SS"/> | No party preference<ref name="CA-SS"/> |
| Susanville | 17,728 | 25.2% | 26.7% | 44.1% | -17.4% | 12.5% | 22.0% |
Overview
[edit]From 1932 through 1976, Lassen was powerfully Democratic, voting for the Democratic presidential nominee in every election save 1972, when it voted for Nixon over McGovern by just 6.8%. From 1980 on, however, it has been overwhelmingly Republican in presidential and congressional elections, coinciding with the dominance of the prisons in local employment. Jimmy Carter (in 1976) remains the last Democrat to have carried the county. In 2016, 2020, and 2024, Lassen stood as Donald Trump's best county in the state, giving him a 50% or greater margin over overwhelming statewide winners Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, and Kamala Harris.
Template:PresHead Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresFoot
Lassen County is in Template:Representative.<ref>Template:Cite GovTrack</ref> is in the 1st Senate District, represented by Republican Brian Dahle,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Template:Representative.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/> | 35,001 | |
| Violent crime<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11">Office of the Attorney General, Department of Justice, State of California. Table 11: Crimes – 2009 Template:Webarchive. Retrieved November 14, 2013.</ref> | 96 | 2.74 |
| Homicide<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11"/> | 1 | 0.03 |
| Forcible rape<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11"/> | 6 | 0.17 |
| Robbery<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11"/> | 9 | 0.26 |
| Aggravated assault<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11"/> | 80 | 2.29 |
| Property crime<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11"/> | 196 | 5.60 |
| Burglary<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11"/> | 101 | 2.89 |
| Larceny-theft<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11"/><ref name="LT-note" group="note">Only larceny-theft cases involving property over $400 in value are reported as property crimes.</ref> | 229 | 6.54 |
| Motor vehicle theft<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11"/> | 25 | 0.71 |
| Arson<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11"/> | 11 | 0.31 |
Cities by population and crime rates
[edit]| Cities by population and crime rates | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City | Population<ref name="FBI-UCR-T8">United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. Crime in the United States, 2012, Table 8 (California). Retrieved November 14, 2013.</ref> | Violent crimes<ref name="FBI-UCR-T8"/> | Violent crime rate per 1,000 persons |
Property crimes<ref name="FBI-UCR-T8"/> | Property crime rate per 1,000 persons | |||
| Susanville | 17,849 | 96 | 5.38 | 320 | 17.93 | |||
Infrastructure
[edit]Airports
[edit]Susanville Municipal Airport, Herlong Airport and Westwood Airport are general aviation airports in the county. The closest major airport is in Reno.
Major highways
[edit]- File:US 395 (1961 cutout).svg U.S. Route 395
- File:California 36.svg State Route 36
- File:California 44.svg State Route 44
- File:California 139.svg State Route 139
- File:California 147.svg State Route 147
- File:California 299.svg State Route 299
.svg){kind=link}
Public transportation
[edit]Lassen Rural Bus (LRB), operated by the Lassen Transit Service Agency, runs a local service in Susanville, with longer distance routes to Westwood and Doyle.
Utilities
[edit]The Lassen Municipal Utility District (LMUD) is the primary electric utility in the county, and was created in 1986 by purchasing transmission facilities from CP National (now Pacificorp) at a cost of $19 million.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In 2019 it had 42 employees, and the General Manager was Doug C. Smith.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is powered in part by the Honey Lake biomass power plant, which runs on wood waste from the nearby Lassen National Forest.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Whaleback Fire caused a significant outage in 2018.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Communities
[edit]City
[edit]- Susanville (county seat)
Census-designated places
[edit]- Bieber
- Clear Creek
- Doyle
- Herlong
- Janesville
- Johnstonville
- Litchfield
- Little Valley
- Madeline
- Milford
- Nubieber
- Patton Village
- Spaulding
- Stones Landing
- Westwood
Unincorporated communities
[edit]Population ranking
[edit]The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Lassen County.
† county seat
| Rank | City/Town/etc. | Municipal type | Population (2020 Census) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | † Susanville | City | 16,728 |
| 2 | Janesville | CDP | 2,461 |
| 3 | Westwood | CDP | 1,541 |
| 4 | Johnstonville | CDP | 973 |
| 5 | Patton Village | CDP | 632 |
| 6 | Susanville Indian Rancheria<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | AIAN | 570 |
| 7 | Doyle | CDP | 536 |
| 8 | Bieber | CDP | 266 |
| 9 | Herlong | CDP | 237 |
| 10 | Spaulding | CDP | 206 |
| 11 | Clear Creek | CDP | 175 |
| 12 | Litchfield | CDP | 160 |
| 13 | Milford | CDP | 147 |
| 14 | Stones Landing | CDP | 86 |
| 15 | Little Valley | CDP | 84 |
| 16 | Madeline | CDP | 21 |
| 17 | Nubieber | CDP | 19 |
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]References
[edit]External links
[edit]Template:Geographic Location Template:Lassen County, California Template:California Template:Authority control