More historic than 9% of U.S. towns · #705 of 847 in California. What drives it
Most of Mather was built recently: 0.6% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2004. Below: 4 old photos and papers and maps from 1902 on.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Mather is more historic than 9% of U.S. towns, #705 of 847 in California. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Mather’s overall grade.
Few California towns list much on the Register (a typical California town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Mather’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (31% of California towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±0.7 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Mather’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Following the closure of Mather Air Force Base under the Base Realignment and Closure Act of 1988, the United States Air Force leased a portion of the 5,717-acre facility to Sacramento County, California, for mixed-use redevelopment. Later, portions of the base were transferred to the Cordova Recreation and Park District. Over time, the redevelopment of former military land led to the Mather Commerce Center, a Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, sports complexes, and wetland reserves. It also led to business parks, industrial zones, and residential communities. In 2010, Mather received its designation as a census-designated place.
Mather is more historic than 9% of U.S. towns, #705 of 847 in California. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Mather?
0.6% of Mather’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 2004.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From the Library of Congress (4), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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