Tehama County, California
County in California, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tehama County (/təˈheɪmə/ ⓘ tə-HAY-mə) is a county located in the northern part of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 65,829.[4] The county seat and largest city is Red Bluff.[5] Tehama County comprises the Red Bluff, California micropolitan statistical area, which is also included in the Redding-Red Bluff, California combined statistical area. The county is bisected by the Sacramento River.
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Tehama County | |
|---|---|
 Seal | |
 Interactive map of Tehama County | |
 Location in the state of California | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| Region | Shasta Cascade |
| Incorporated | April 9, 1856 |
| County seat | Red Bluff |
| Largest city | Red Bluff |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council–Administrator |
| • Chair | Tom Walker |
| • Vice Chair | Greg Jones |
| • Board of Supervisors[1] | Supervisors
|
| • Chief Administrator | Gabriel Hydrick |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,962 sq mi (7,670 km2) |
| • Land | 2,950 sq mi (7,600 km2) |
| • Water | 12 sq mi (31 km2) |
| Highest elevation | 9,239 ft (2,816 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 65,829 |
• Estimate (2025) | 64,665  |
| • Density | 22.3/sq mi (8.62/km2) |
| GDP | |
| • Total | $2.517 billion (2022) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific Standard Time) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (Pacific Daylight Time) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | www.co.tehama.ca.us |
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Etymology
The county is named for the City of Tehama. Tehama is most commonly believed to be derived from the Wintun word for "high water". Others definitions of native origin that have been proposed such as "low land", "salmon", "mother nature" or "shallow". A less accepted theory proposes the names origin is tejamanil, shingle in Spanish.
History
Tehama County was formed from parts of Butte, Colusa, and Shasta Counties in 1856.
The first permanent non-indigenous settlers in the area that is now Tehama County were Robert Hasty Thomes, Albert Gallatin Toomes, William George Chard, and Job Francis Dye. The four men were each given land grants by the government of Mexico in 1844. Thomes received Rancho Saucos, Toomes received Rancho Rio de los Molinos, Chard received Rancho Las Flores, and Dye received Rancho Primer Cañon o Rio de Los Berrendos. Later in the same year Josiah Belden received Rancho Barranca Colorado.[6]
Famous early figures include Kit Carson, who took part in a fight that gave name to Bloody Island and Battle Creek, Jedediah Smith, John C. Fremont, and William B. Ide, the first and only president of the California Republic.
The history of Tehama County includes multiple Chinatowns with some of its most distinguishable townsmen attending annual Chinese and American banquets, that merged the two cultures together.[7] The deep bonds formed would culminate into a powerful petition by 20 influential leaders in support of the Chew family, who were detained at Angel Island in 1916, proving that Tehama County valued the Chinese community.[8] This single act of kindness set the stage for a 20th-century Chinese American pioneer to be born, Dr. Kenneth Kendall Chew, and his research in aquaculture would change the world.[9] Historically, Red Bluff has been plagued with tunnel and expulsion folklore including untrue incidents such as an 1886 torching of Red Bluff's Chinatown by alleged anti-Coolie league arsonists.[10][11] The January 29, 1886, edition of The Daily Alta detailed 'The Anti-Coolie Move' held a meeting that was convened in the town of Tehama, and due to prominent White merchants, they deemed the movement as a public nuisance and as a result avoided any of its Chinese residence from being forced to relocate, which was an estimated 2,000 Chinese people in and around Vina.[12] Secret daily anti-Chinese caucuses continued their failed attempts in Red Bluff until their agitations died down.[13][14]
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,962 square miles (7,670 km2), of which 2,950 square miles (7,600 km2) is land and 12 square miles (31 km2) (0.4%) is water.[15] Watercourses in Tehama County include Dye Creek and Payne's Creek. The county is intersected by Sacramento River.[16] A small part of Lassen Volcanic National Park extends into the northeast corner of the county. The highest point of the county[17] is Brokeoff Mountain (9,235 feet[18]).
Adjacent counties
- Shasta County - north
- Plumas County - northeast
- Butte County - east
- Glenn County - south
- Mendocino County - southwest
- Trinity County - west
National protected areas
- Lassen National Forest (part)
- Lassen Volcanic National Park (part)
- Mendocino National Forest (part)
- Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge (part)
- Shasta–Trinity National Forest (part)
Transportation
Major highways
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Public transportation
Tehama Rural Area Express (TRAX) operates local service in Red Bluff, with service to Los Molinos and Corning. Greyhound and FlixBus buses stop in Red Bluff.
The Shasta Regional Transportation Agency has proposed a weekday commuter bus to/from Red Bluff and the Sacramento Valley Station, following a route similar to the twice daily Amtrak Thruway 3.[19][20]
Airports
Red Bluff Municipal Airport and Corning Municipal Airport are two general aviation airports.
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[21] | 62,985 | |
| Violent crime[22] | 387 | 6.14 |
| Homicide[22] | 3 | 0.05 |
| Forcible rape[22] | 9 | 0.14 |
| Robbery[22] | 28 | 0.44 |
| Aggravated assault[22] | 347 | 5.51 |
| Property crime[22] | 725 | 11.51 |
| Burglary[22] | 400 | 6.35 |
| Larceny-theft[22][note 1] | 808 | 12.83 |
| Motor vehicle theft[22] | 136 | 2.16 |
| Arson[22] | 33 | 0.52 |
Cities by population and crime rates
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 4,044 | — | |
| 1870 | 3,587 | −11.3% | |
| 1880 | 9,301 | 159.3% | |
| 1890 | 9,916 | 6.6% | |
| 1900 | 10,996 | 10.9% | |
| 1910 | 11,401 | 3.7% | |
| 1920 | 12,882 | 13.0% | |
| 1930 | 13,866 | 7.6% | |
| 1940 | 14,316 | 3.2% | |
| 1950 | 19,276 | 34.6% | |
| 1960 | 25,305 | 31.3% | |
| 1970 | 29,517 | 16.6% | |
| 1980 | 38,888 | 31.7% | |
| 1990 | 49,625 | 27.6% | |
| 2000 | 56,039 | 12.9% | |
| 2010 | 63,463 | 13.2% | |
| 2020 | 65,829 | 3.7% | |
| 2025 (est.) | 64,665 | [24] | −1.8% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[25] 1790–1960[26] 1900–1990[27] 1990–2000[28] 2010[29] 2020[30] | |||
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 65,829 and a median age of 40.4 years. 24.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.0% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 99.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 97.5 males.[31]
The racial makeup of the county was 68.2% White, 0.6% Black or African American, 2.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% Asian, 0.2% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 14.6% from some other race, and 11.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 27.2% of the population.[32]
43.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 57.0% lived in rural areas.[33]
There were 24,910 households in the county, of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 26.2% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[31]
There were 27,341 housing units, of which 8.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 64.8% were owner-occupied and 35.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 4.7%.[31]
Racial and ethnic composition
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980[34] | Pop 1990[35] | Pop 2000[36] | Pop 2010[29] | Pop 2020[30] | % 1980 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 35,875 | 43,049 | 43,972 | 45,603 | 41,340 | 92.25% | 86.75% | 78.47% | 71.86% | 62.80% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 58 | 246 | 279 | 349 | 391 | 0.15% | 0.50% | 0.50% | 0.55% | 0.59% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 603 | 849 | 1,008 | 1,205 | 1,167 | 1.55% | 1.71% | 1.80% | 1.90% | 1.77% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 191 | 325 | 423 | 625 | 985 | 0.49% | 0.65% | 0.75% | 0.98% | 1.50% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) | x [37] | x [38] | 48 | 64 | 96 | x | x | 0.09% | 0.10% | 0.15% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 34 | 32 | 109 | 67 | 324 | 0.09% | 0.06% | 0.19% | 0.11% | 0.49% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x [39] | x [40] | 1,329 | 1,644 | 3,588 | x | x | 2.37% | 2.59% | 5.45% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2,127 | 5,124 | 8,871 | 13,906 | 17,938 | 5.47% | 10.33% | 15.83% | 21.91% | 27.25% |
| Total | 38,888 | 49,625 | 56,039 | 63,463 | 65,829 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2010 Census
The 2010 United States census reported that Tehama County had a population of 63,463. The racial makeup of Tehama County was 51,721 (81.5%) White, 406 (0.6%) African American, 1,644 (2.6%) Native American, 656 (1.0%) Asian, 76 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 6,258 (9.9%) from other races, and 2,702 (4.3%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13,906 persons (21.9%).[41]
| 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) |
| Tehama County | 63,463 | 51,721 | 406 | 1,644 | 656 | 76 | 6,258 | 2,702 | 13,906 |
Total Population | White | African American | Native American | Asian | Pacific Islander | other races | two or more races | Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | |
| Corning | 7,663 | 5,510 | 44 | 201 | 82 | 11 | 1,496 | 319 | 3,271 |
| Red Bluff | 14,076 | 11,366 | 128 | 438 | 187 | 16 | 1,168 | 773 | 3,037 |
| Tehama | 418 | 346 | 6 | 23 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 15 | 57 |
Total Population | White | African American | Native American | Asian | Pacific Islander | other races | two or more races | Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | |
| Bend | 619 | 570 | 4 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 13 | 48 |
| Flournoy | 101 | 90 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 9 |
| Gerber | 1,060 | 575 | 6 | 55 | 8 | 0 | 371 | 45 | 526 |
| Lake California | 3,054 | 2,751 | 11 | 81 | 31 | 6 | 55 | 119 | 251 |
| Las Flores | 187 | 127 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 14 | 72 |
| Los Molinos | 2,037 | 1,581 | 0 | 39 | 7 | 2 | 321 | 87 | 537 |
| Manton | 347 | 312 | 0 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
| Mineral | 123 | 115 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Paskenta | 112 | 95 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 9 | 19 |
| Paynes Creek | 57 | 51 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 7 |
| Proberta | 267 | 174 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 76 | 8 | 91 |
| Rancho Tehama | 1,485 | 1,181 | 21 | 52 | 21 | 5 | 102 | 103 | 214 |
| Richfield | 306 | 264 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 3 | 65 |
| Vina | 237 | 195 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 12 | 42 |
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) | 31,314 | 26,418 | 185 | 693 | 308 | 33 | 2,511 | 1,166 | 5,621 |
2000 Census
As of the census[42] of 2000, there were 56,039 people, 21,013 households, and 14,898 families residing in the county. The population density was 19 people per square mile (7.3 people/km2). There were 23,547 housing units at an average density of 8 units per square mile (3.1 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 84.8% White, 0.6% Black or African American, 2.1% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 8.3% from other races, and 3.4% from two or more races. 15.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 14.4% were of German, 11.0% English, 9.6% Irish and 9.5% American ancestry according to the 2000 United States census. 86.0% spoke English and 13.0% Spanish as their first language.
There were 21,013 households, out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.6% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.1% were non-families. 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.4% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.0 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,206, and the median income for a family was $37,277. Males had a median income of $30,872 versus $22,864 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,793. About 13.0% of families and 17.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.0% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
Voter registration statistics
| Population and registered voters | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total population[21] | 62,985 | |
| Registered voters[43][note 2] | 30,485 | 48.4% |
| Democratic[43] | 9,163 | 30.1% |
| Republican[43] | 13,542 | 44.4% |
| Democratic–Republican spread[43] | -4,379 | -14.3% |
| American Independent[43] | 1,502 | 4.9% |
| Green[43] | 125 | 0.4% |
| Libertarian[43] | 234 | 0.8% |
| Peace and Freedom[43] | 92 | 0.3% |
| Americans Elect[43] | 0 | 0.0% |
| Other[43] | 108 | 0.4% |
| No party preference[43] | 5,719 | 18.8% |
Cities by population and voter registration
| Cities by population and voter registration | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City | Population[21] | Registered voters[43] [note 2] |
Democratic[43] | Republican[43] | D–R spread[43] | Other[43] | No party preference[43] |
| Corning | 7,624 | 33.8% | 35.2% | 35.1% | +0.1% | 11.7% | 22.8% |
| Red Bluff | 14,026 | 42.1% | 33.8% | 37.2% | -3.4% | 12.8% | 21.6% |
| Tehama | 383 | 54.3% | 35.1% | 39.9% | -4.8% | 15.4% | 16.8% |
Overview
Tehama is a strongly Republican county in presidential and congressional elections. The last Democrat to win a majority in the county was Jimmy Carter in 1976. Bill Clinton won a plurality in 1992.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1880 | 868 | 47.61% | 954 | 52.33% | 1 | 0.05% |
| 1884 | 1,075 | 47.80% | 1,146 | 50.96% | 28 | 1.24% |
| 1888 | 1,171 | 46.88% | 1,290 | 51.64% | 37 | 1.48% |
| 1892 | 969 | 43.39% | 1,045 | 46.80% | 219 | 9.81% |
| 1896 | 969 | 45.39% | 1,135 | 53.16% | 31 | 1.45% |
| 1900 | 1,210 | 50.35% | 1,138 | 47.36% | 55 | 2.29% |
| 1904 | 1,234 | 56.32% | 720 | 32.86% | 237 | 10.82% |
| 1908 | 1,064 | 47.46% | 894 | 39.88% | 284 | 12.67% |
| 1912 | 13 | 0.38% | 1,595 | 47.16% | 1,774 | 52.45% |
| 1916 | 1,739 | 36.32% | 2,534 | 52.92% | 515 | 10.76% |
| 1920 | 2,462 | 61.81% | 1,079 | 27.09% | 442 | 11.10% |
| 1924 | 1,943 | 45.97% | 486 | 11.50% | 1,798 | 42.54% |
| 1928 | 3,393 | 65.58% | 1,650 | 31.89% | 131 | 2.53% |
| 1932 | 2,001 | 34.20% | 3,534 | 60.40% | 316 | 5.40% |
| 1936 | 2,376 | 38.46% | 3,687 | 59.68% | 115 | 1.86% |
| 1940 | 2,913 | 43.95% | 3,618 | 54.59% | 97 | 1.46% |
| 1944 | 2,903 | 47.79% | 3,130 | 51.53% | 41 | 0.68% |
| 1948 | 3,348 | 51.27% | 2,920 | 44.72% | 262 | 4.01% |
| 1952 | 5,742 | 64.31% | 3,110 | 34.83% | 77 | 0.86% |
| 1956 | 4,866 | 53.82% | 4,143 | 45.82% | 33 | 0.36% |
| 1960 | 5,522 | 49.96% | 5,483 | 49.61% | 47 | 0.43% |
| 1964 | 4,529 | 39.50% | 6,928 | 60.42% | 10 | 0.09% |
| 1968 | 5,198 | 47.26% | 4,565 | 41.50% | 1,236 | 11.24% |
| 1972 | 6,054 | 48.73% | 5,175 | 41.65% | 1,195 | 9.62% |
| 1976 | 6,110 | 44.81% | 6,990 | 51.27% | 535 | 3.92% |
| 1980 | 9,140 | 59.13% | 4,832 | 31.26% | 1,485 | 9.61% |
| 1984 | 11,586 | 62.78% | 6,527 | 35.37% | 342 | 1.85% |
| 1988 | 9,854 | 56.52% | 7,213 | 41.37% | 367 | 2.11% |
| 1992 | 7,419 | 35.36% | 7,508 | 35.79% | 6,052 | 28.85% |
| 1996 | 10,292 | 50.34% | 7,290 | 35.66% | 2,861 | 14.00% |
| 2000 | 13,270 | 63.63% | 6,507 | 31.20% | 1,077 | 5.16% |
| 2004 | 15,572 | 66.42% | 7,504 | 32.01% | 368 | 1.57% |
| 2008 | 14,843 | 60.74% | 8,945 | 36.61% | 648 | 2.65% |
| 2012 | 14,235 | 61.95% | 7,934 | 34.53% | 808 | 3.52% |
| 2016 | 15,494 | 64.81% | 6,809 | 28.48% | 1,605 | 6.71% |
| 2020 | 19,141 | 66.62% | 8,911 | 31.02% | 679 | 2.36% |
| 2024 | 18,503 | 69.73% | 7,415 | 27.94% | 618 | 2.33% |
In the United States House of Representatives, Tehama County is in California's 1st congressional district, seat currently vacant.[46]
In the California State Legislature, the county is in the 1st Senate District, represented by Republican Megan Dahle, and the 3rd Assembly District, represented by Republican James Gallagher.
On November 4, 2008, Tehama County voted 72.7% for Proposition 8, which amended the California Constitution to ban same-sex marriages.[47]
Communities
Cities
Unincorporated communities
Census-designated places
Population ranking
The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Tehama County.[48]
† county seat
| Rank | City/Town/etc. | Municipal type | Population (2020 Census) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | † Red Bluff | City | 14,710 |
| 2 | Corning | City | 8,244 |
| 3 | Lake California | CDP | 3,377 |
| 4 | Los Molinos | CDP | 2,098 |
| 5 | Rancho Tehama | CDP | 1,572 |
| 6 | Gerber | CDP | 1,044 |
| 7 | Bend | CDP | 603 |
| 8 | Tehama | City | 435 |
| 9 | Manton | CDP | 310 |
| 10 | Richfield | CDP | 309 |
| 11 | Proberta | CDP | 237 |
| 12 | Vina | CDP | 198 |
| 13 | Las Flores | CDP | 190 |
| 14 | Mineral | CDP | 136 |
| 15 | Flournoy | CDP | 117 |
| 16 | Paskenta | CDP | 110 |
| 17 | Paynes Creek | CDP | 54 |
See also
Notes
- Only larceny-theft cases involving property over $400 in value are reported as property crimes.
- Percentage of registered voters with respect to total population. Percentages of party members with respect to registered voters follow.
- This total comprised 1,218 votes for Progressive Theodore Roosevelt (who was official Republican nominee in California), 388 votes for Socialist Eugene V. Debs and 168 votes for Prohibition Party nominee Eugene W. Chafin.
