Christmas display in, 2012
Loyalton’s story
162 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2012.
- 1864Loyalton is settled
LoyaltonCA
A town of 709, settled in 1864.
Photo: Carol M. Highsmith · Public domain
Population
709
2025 Census estimate · −4.4% since 2020
Typical home
$301K
+0.5% in a year
Household income
$66K
median
Median age
45.0
years
Jobs based here
147
A commuter town
Is Loyalton a good place to live?
Among 847 California towns, just 4 have a lower January low than Loyalton. Loyalton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
709 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Loyalton: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Loyalton, and how to reach them.
PowerLiberty Utilities27.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Loyalton water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Loyalton’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn California you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereSierra County Clerk-ElectionsSierra County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2021
ZIP code9611896118 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Loyalton.
Housing
Loyalton stands out in California and nationally, with more of its households who own their home
96% of Loyalton households own their home, against 64% in California’s towns and 73% across U.S. towns. The typical Loyalton home is worth about $301,000, up 0.5% in a year, 60% below the California typical home.
$301KZillow home value
Typical home value
Loyalton$301K
California$762K
+0.5%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Schools
The schools Loyalton’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Sierra-Plumas Joint Unified school district. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loyalton ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 199 | – |
| Loyalton HighLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 165 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a very high hazard risk in Loyalton
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 99% of U.S. communities. Since 1996, 10 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Loyalton.
99risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfireEarthquakes
10
paid flood claims since 1996
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than California overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 1% of residents (24% statewide); people 65 and older are 29% of residents (16% statewide). At 45 years, Loyalton’s median age is above both the California town median (39 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). Loyalton has lost 4.4% of its people since 2020, down to 709 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
45median age · CA 37.9
| Loyalton | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 45 years | 39 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 29% | 29% | 29% |
LoyaltonCaliforniaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
25%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma11%
High school26%
Some college17%
Associate’s18%
Bachelor’s20%
Graduate9%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 53% and 78% women
The Census survey reached too few of Loyalton’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±12.2 points. Across California, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Loyalton | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 2.9% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 20.9% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 0% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 1.2% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 24.9% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 15.6% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 5.9% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 15.8% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 12.8% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 11.2% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 25.6% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 16.7% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 17.7% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.6% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.1% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 700, single groups can be off by several points
Work & commute
With 0.6 jobs for every working resident, most of Loyalton’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Loyalton for work: only 8% work in town. 4.7% of residents live below the poverty line in Loyalton. The top destinations are Downieville (14%), Truckee (8%) and Reno (7%).
8%work in town
| Loyalton | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 4.7% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $66,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Loyalton8%
Downieville14%
Truckee8%
Reno7%
Sacramento4%
33 mi
median commute distance
147
jobs based in Loyalton
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Loyalton has four seasons and pleasant summers
Loyalton has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 22° and about 38 inches of snow falls in a winter.
38″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter22–45°
Spring32–61°
Summer46–84°
Fall33–67°
Sep 10
typical first frost
Jun 11
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Loyalton is
Loyalton beats the California average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 17% of Loyalton adults report frequent physical distress.
| Loyalton | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 31% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 22% | 19% |
32 measures vs. California
5 better15 too close to call12 worse
| What stands out | Loyalton | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 8% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 12.3% | 14.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.4% | 5.1% |
Eastern Plumas Hospital - Portola Campus
15 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Loyalton
17pages on Loyalton
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Loyalton; the nearest are
University of Nevada-RenoUniversity or college · Public · Reno, NV24.6 mi$9,578 in-state tuitionLake Tahoe Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · South Lake Tahoe53.8 mi$1,131 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Loyalton residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
A commuter town
92% of working residents leave Loyalton for work
Where Loyalton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
147jobs based in Loyalton
8%of working residents work in town
33 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Loyalton
City in California, United States
Loyalton is the only incorporated city in Sierra County, California, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 740, reflecting a decline of 29 from the 769 counted in 2010. The ZIP code for the community is 96118. The town is near the north extent of State Route 49, which ends at State Route 70 in Vinton. According to Rand-McNally, it is a fifty-mile drive on State Route 49 to the county seat, Downieville. Many of the population are ranchers, loggers, former loggers, or suburbanites who have relocated from the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, and growing Reno–Tahoe area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 4,951 ft
- ZIP code
- 96118
- Area code
- 530
Questions about Loyalton
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Loyalton, CA a good place to live?
Loyalton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.