Yolo County’s Statistical and Demographic Profile
History of Yolo County
Yolo County was one of the original 27 counties created when California became a state in 1850. “Yolo” may be derived from the native Poewin Indian word “yo-loy” meaning “abounding in the rushes.” Other historians believe it to be the name of the Indian chief, Yodo, or the Indian village of Yodoi.
The first recorded contact with Westerners occurred in the late 1830s. These included Spanish missionaries as well as trappers and hunters who could be found along the banks of “Cache Creek” – named by French-Canadian trappers. The first white settler was William Gordon who received a land grant from the Mexican government in 1842 and began planting wheat and other crops.
The towns of Yolo County first developed along the Sacramento River. Its first town, Fremont, was founded in 1849 along the confluence of the Sacramento and Feather Rivers and became the first county seat. Knights Landing, Washington, Cacheville (later called Yolo), Clarksburg, Winters, Esparto, Capay, Guinda, and Davisville (Davis) were all built near waterways. Davisville had the added advantage of being on the path of the newly constructed railroad. Woodland, which became the county seat in 1862, began in a wooded area of valley oaks and was also served by a nearby railroad.
Current Demographics
Yolo County 1,021 square miles (653,549 acres) is located in the rich agricultural regions of California’s Central Valley and the Sacramento River Delta. It is directly west of Sacramento, the State Capital of California, and northeast of the Bay Area counties of Solano and Napa. The eastern two-thirds of the county consists of nearly level alluvial fans, flat plains and basins, while the western third is largely composed of rolling terraces and steep uplands used for dry-farmed grain and range. The elevation ranges from slightly below sea level near the Sacramento River around Clarksburg to 3,000 feet along the ridge of the western mountains. Putah Creek descends from Lake Berryessa offering fishing and camping opportunities and wanders through the arboretum of the University of California at Davis. Cache Creek, flowing from Clear Lake, offers class II-III rapids for white water rafting and kayaking.
Yolo County sits in the Pacific flyway, a major migration route for waterfowl and other North American birds. Several wildlife preserves are situated within the county. The Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area has been recognized as one of the most successful public-private partnerships for wildlife preservation. It provides habitat for thousands of resident and migratory waterfowl on more than 2,500 acres of seasonal and semi-permanent wetlands.
Over 88% of Yolo County’s population of 200,709 (as of 1/1/09) residents reside in the four incorporated cities. Davis, founded in 1868, now with a population of 66,005, has a unique university and residential community internationally known for its commitment to environmental awareness and implementing progressive and socially innovative programs. Woodland, population 56,399, is the county seat. It has a strong historic heritage which is reflected in an impressive stock of historic buildings in its downtown area and surrounding neighborhoods. West Sacramento, population 47,782, sits across the Sacramento River from the state’s capital of Sacramento. It is home to the Port of Sacramento which ships out 1 million tons of some of Yolo County’s many agricultural products, such as rice, wheat, and safflower seed, to world wide markets. West Sacramento is also home to Triple-A baseball team, the Rivercats. The City of Winters, population 7,052, is a small farming town nestled at the base of the Vaca Mountains and offers unique shops, restaurants, galleries and live entertainment at the Palms Playhouse. It is close to Lake Berryessa and has become a favorite destination for bicycle enthusiasts.
Chart A – Where Does Your Property Tax Dollar Go?:
Distribution of 2007-08 Property Tax – Total Proposition 13 Tax Levy: $175.6 million
Chart B – Population of Yolo County 1990-2009 (as of 1/1/09, population 200,709)
State of California, Department of Finance, E-1 Population estimates for cities, counties and the state with annual percent change — January 1, 2008 and 2009. Sacramento, California, May 2009.
Chart C – Yolo County Population Change 2006-07 (193,262) to 2007-08 (197,530)
Source: State of California, Department of Finance, Population estimates and components of change by county, July 1, 2000-2007. Sacramento, California, December 2007.
Chart D – Population of Yolo County (as of 1/1/08, population 199,066)
The unincorporated portion of Yolo County – the area for which the County of Yolo provides municipal services – represents 12% of the county’s total population. The rest of Yolo County residents receive services from one of the four different municipal governments and from the county.
Chart E – Yolo 2007 Population by Race/Ethnicity
Chart F – Three-Year Trend in Unemployment Rates: Yolo County vs. California vs. U.S.
Chart G – 2007 Largest Employers in Yolo County – Yolo County is the 5th largest employer.
|
Company Name |
Number of Employees |
| UC Davis |
12,000 |
| Cache Creek Casino Resort |
2,420 |
| U.S. Postal Service |
2,300 |
| State of California |
2,119 (includes 117 intermittent employees) |
| Yolo County |
1,710 (includes 133 temporaries) |
| United Parcel Service |
1251 |
| Target Corporation |
1,176 |
| Raley's Inc. |
834 |
| Woodland Healthcare |
752 |
| Wal-Mart Stores Inc. |
712 |
| Rex Moore Electrical Contractors & Engineers |
700 |
| Sutter Davis Hospital |
661 |
| Pacific Gas & Electric Co. |
634 |
| City of West Sacramento |
520 (includes 180 temporaries) |
| Rite Aid Corp. |
500 |
| City of Davis |
469 |
| City of Woodland |
448 (includes 102 temporaries) |
| Coventry Health Care |
(formerly First Health Group) 425 |
| Nugget Markets Inc. |
425 |
| Roadway Express Inc. |
325 |
| AT&T California |
324 |
| Nor-Cal Beverage Co Inc. |
292 |
| Citigroup |
284 |
| Safeway Inc. |
208 |
| Affymetrix Inc. |
202 |
Source: Sacramento Business Journal, The Book of Lists 2007
Chart H – 2007 Annual Agricultural Crop Value by Commodity (estimated)
Chart I – 2006-07 Yolo County Crop Values
Comparable Counties
The following charts provide statistical comparison between Yolo County and other similar counties (Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Lake, Placer San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Solano, Sonoma and Sutter). These eight counties were selected for comparison to Yolo County based on their similar characteristics.
Chart J – Comparable Counties
Chart K – Comparable Counties: Full Time Employees per 1,000 Residents
Chart L – Comparable Yolo County Cities: Full Time Employees per 1,000 Residents
Chart M – Comparable Counties: Land Area (square miles)
Chart N – Comparable Counties: Portion of Population in Unincorporated Area
Chart O – Comparable Counties Per Capita Expenditures
Chart P – Comparable Counties: Percent Population 55 years and Older by 2010
Source: State of California, Department of Finance, Population Projections for California and Its Counties 2000-2050, by Age, Gender and Race/Ethnicity, Sacramento, California, July 2007.
Chart Q – Comparable Counties: Per Capita Personal Income
