HomeCaliforniaSierra County
Sierra County, California: commercial real estate data.
Sierra County, California has a population of 2,746 across 953 square miles, down 3.8 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $127.2 m in 2024, 72 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 5 7(a) approvals worth $917,300.
102 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Sierra County
How many people live in Sierra County
- Population2,746
- Households1,219
- Average household size2.25
- Median household income$63,355
- Median age54.7
- Median owner-occupied home value$331,900
- Home value to household income5.2 times
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher25.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree9.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over2,096
- Population under 18397
- Share under 1814.5 percent
- Population 65 and over963
- Share 65 and over35.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 641,386
- Civilian labor force1,243
- Unemployment rate12.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over52.9 percent
- Rank by population among California counties57th of 58
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents3056th
Sierra County is the 57th largest of 58 California counties by population. A median home costs 5.2 times median household income, which is a stretched ownership market and usually shows up as rental demand. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 35.1 percent against 14.5 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Sierra County
Is Sierra County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-3.77 percent
- Census 2020 base population3,235
- Births, 20249
- Deaths, 202454
- Natural change, 2024-45
- Net domestic migration, 2024-23
- Net international migration, 20240
- Total net migration, 2024-23
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-13
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2864th
The county has lost 3.77 percent of its population since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Sierra County
Where people moving to Sierra County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving87
- People arriving, from those returns147
- Adjusted gross income arriving$6.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$78,701
- Largest single originSierra County Non-migrants (1,015 households)
- Largest single destination (1,015 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sierra County Non-migrants | 1,015 | 1,907 | $69.5 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 65 | 108 | $5.8 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 22 | 39 | $1.1 m |
| Other flows - West | 22 | 39 | $1.1 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Sierra County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Sierra County
What the Sierra County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$127.2 m
- County GDP, 2023$113.9 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 202411.6 percent
- GDP change over five years28.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among California counties58th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents3019th
- GDP per resident$46,304
Output grew 11.6 percent in the latest year and 28.4 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Sierra County
Who employs people in Sierra County
- Covered employment, annual average611
- Establishments reporting135
- Average annual pay$50,525
- Average weekly wage$972
- Sector 72, employment97
- Sector 72, average annual pay$28,875
- Sector 44-45, employment30
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$31,671
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 72 | 97 | 20 | $28,875 |
| Sector 44-45 | 30 | 6 | $31,671 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 97 jobs, 15.9 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Sierra County
What businesses operate in Sierra County
- Establishments, all industries72
- Employment at those establishments204
- Annual payroll$10.1 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents26.2
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Sierra County
What is being built in Sierra County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20243
- Declared construction value permitted$1.4 m
- Single family units authorised3
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$482,558
- Units authorised per 1,000 households2.5
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Sierra County
How much SBA lending happens in Sierra County
- 7(a) approvals recorded5
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$917,300
- Average 7(a) approval$183,460
- Median 7(a) approval$28,600
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$431,500
- Largest single approval$431,500
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)31
- Jobs per approval6.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active3
- Distinct industries receiving approvals2
- Median 7(a) term60 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer40.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter3
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (3)
- Most active lenderU.S. Bank, National Association (3)
The average approval of $183,460 sits well above the median of $28,600, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. 40.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Sierra County
Do SBA loans in Sierra County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded3
- Paid in full3
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full3
- Status: Exempt from disclosure2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 3 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Sierra County
Which parts of Sierra County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending2
- Sierraville, approvals3
- LOYALTON, approvals2
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Sierraville | 3 | $860,500 |
| LOYALTON | 2 | $56,800 |
Sierraville accounts for 3 approvals against 2 in LOYALTON. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Sierra County
How big is Sierra County
- Land area953 sq mi
- Rank by land area among California counties45th of 58
- Width, east to west55.1 mi
- Height, north to south26.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land3
- Establishments per square mile0.08
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Sierra County
What hazards affect Sierra County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book2
- Of those, participating in the NFIP2
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No 504 approvals recorded in this county in the FOIA release covering FY2010 onward.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Sierra County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Sierra County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population2,746
- Households1,219
- Average household size2.25
- Median household income$63,355
- Median age54.7
Common questions
Sierra County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Sierra County, California?
2,746, in 1,219 households, ranking 57th of 58 California counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Sierra County growing?
The population has fallen 3.77 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 9 births against 54 deaths, with net migration of -23. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Sierra County?
$63,355. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $331,900, which is 5.2 times income, and median gross rent is null per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Sierra County?
72 establishments, employing 204 people with an annual payroll of $10.1 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Sierra County?
Average annual pay is $50,525, or $972 a week, across 611 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Sierra County?
5 7(a) approvals totalling $917,300 since FY2020, across 3 lenders, with a median approval of $28,600. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Sierra County?
3 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.4 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Sierra County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Sierra County come from?
The largest single origin is Sierra County Non-migrants, with 1,015 households. Arriving households report an average income of $78,701 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Sierra County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Sierra County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.