Census & Labor Data

Placer County stretches from the northeastern suburbs of Sacramento to the Nevada border at Lake Tahoe. Politically and demographically, Placer County is something of an outlier in diverse, blue California. The total population in the county amounts to 408,490 persons, with 157,118 households. The county is 72% white, compared with 37% for the state. Its median age of 42 is about five years older than the state median. 

‍

Although young people nationwide are more liberal, there are more 18-to 24-year-old Republicans than Democrats in Placer County, according to county data. Independents outnumber both. 88.31% of the voting age population is registered to vote; 31% identify as Democrats, while 42% identify as Republicans (compared to only 24% statewide). The rest of the voting age population is as follows: American Independent (3.45%), Green (0.33%), Libertarian (1.69%), Peace and Freedom (0.23%). Out of 303,684 civilian population 18 years and over the total number of veterans is 25,573. Placer County is represented in the California Legislature by five Republicans and in the U.S. House by Republicans Doug LaMalfa of Richvale and Tom McClintock of Elk Grove.

Total population: 408,490

Race percentages: 

• White: 78.5%
• African American/ Black: 1.89%
• Asian: 8.52%
• American Indian/Alaskan Native: 0.86%
• Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0.23%
• Other: 9.99%

Median age: 42.9 years

Percentage of veterans: 1%

High school and college graduate percentages: 

• High School: 18.24%
• College: 51.8%
• Registered Republicans: 111,924
• Registered Democrats: 87,390
• Nonpartisan: 55,148
• Libertarian: 5,110

‍

Bureau of Labor Statistics

U.S. Census Bureau

According to the latest data from the U.S. Census, Placer County, CA has an employment rate of 97.9%. The county’s median household income is  $93,677. About 0.07% of the population falls under the poverty line. Approximately 95.9% of the population has a computer at home, with 91% having broadband internet service. 

‍

• Total labor force size: 982,540
• County’s unemployment rate: 2.1%
• Mean hourly wage: $32.81
• Median household income : $93,677
• Percentage living below the poverty line: 0.07%

Characteristics

• Percentage of population with computer at home: 95.9%
• Percentage of population with broadband internet service: 91%
• List any other relevant data:

Top Occupations:

1. Office and Administrative Support
2. Business and Finance Operations
3. Sales
4. Transport
5. Food preparation 

Top Industries: 

• Health Care
• Retail
• Scientific and Technical services
• Construction
• Hospitality

‍

Economic Indicators

• The total labor force size in the county in May 2022 was 192,020. In the last two years, there were changes in the labor force size, with a minimum value (May 2020) of 181,781 to the maximum value in March 2022 of 194,405. The total for 2021 was 182,050, with the breakdown by industry as follows: Agriculture/Mining 0.7%, Construction 7.7%, Manufacturing 5.6%, Wholesale Trade 2.3%, Retail Trade 11.3%, Transportation/Utilities 4.6%, Information 2.1%, Finance/Insurance/Real Estate 8.7%, Services 48.8%, Public Administration 8.1%.
• The (16+) unemployed population in the County is 3.30%, whereas the County’s unemployment rate was 2.1% in May 2022. This number has fluctuated in the last two years, with the maximum value in April 2020 of 13.0%. In early 2020 was between 3.1% to 4.6% after which the rates went significantly higher throughout 2020. Finally, the rate started to decrease at the beginning of 2021 and reached its minimum value in May 2022. 
• Workers in the Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area had an average (mean) hourly wage of $30.20 in May 2020, 12 percent above the nationwide average of $27.07. When compared to the nationwide distribution, Sacramento area employment was more highly concentrated in 6 of the 22 occupational groups, including business and financial operations, healthcare support, and construction and extraction. Eight groups had employment shares significantly below their national representation, including production, office and administrative support, and transportation and material moving.
• Median household income for 2021 was $95,371. Median household income for the period of (in 2020 dollars) 2016-2020 was $93,677.
• Persons living in poverty amount to 6.5% of the county’s population. The number of families living below poverty is 5,494 which represents 4.93% of the total number of families. 
• The County’s economy is dominated by four major sectors including Trade, Transportation & Utilities; Government; Construction; and Leisure & Hospitality.

The top 4 major employers in Placer County are:

1. TASQ Technology in Roseville — a firm that provides point of sale services and products.
2. Thunder Valley Casino in Lincoln — a 250,000-square-foot Las Vegas-style casino.
3. Union Pacific Railroad Co in Lincoln — operates North America's premier railroad franchise, covering 23 states in the western two-thirds of the United States.
4. The Walmart Super Center in Roseville — a chain of hypermarkets stocking general merchandise with full-service supermarkets.