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Geography - Grass Valley is located at 39°13'9?N,
121°3'30?W. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total
area of 10.6 km² (4.1 mi²). Grass Valley is at the intersection of Hwy 49 and
Hwy 20 (in California).
Public transportation is limited to the city limits.
Demographics - The 2020 United States census reported that Grass
Valley had a population of 14,016. The population density was 2,670.2
inhabitants per square mile (1,031.0/km2). The racial makeup of Grass Valley was
80.7% White, 0.6% African American, 1.4% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.1%
Pacific Islander, 4.6% from other races, and 10.9% from two or more races.
Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.3% of the population.
The census
reported that 91.7% of the population lived in households, 2.4% lived in
non-institutionalized group quarters, and 5.9% were institutionalized.
There
were 6,301 households, out of which 23.2% included children under the age of 18,
26.7% were married-couple households, 8.1% were cohabiting couple households,
43.7% had a female householder with no partner present, and 21.4% had a male
householder with no partner present. 42.6% of households were one person, and
25.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.04.[26]
There were 3,056 families (48.5% of all households).
The age distribution was
17.6% under the age of 18, 6.7% aged 18 to 24, 23.6% aged 25 to 44, 21.6% aged
45 to 64, and 30.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47.5
years. For every 100 females, there were 81.2 males.[26]
There were 6,716
housing units at an average density of 1,279.5 units per square mile (494.0
units/km2), of which 6,301 (93.8%) were occupied. Of these, 41.3% were
owner-occupied, and 58.7% were occupied by renters.
In 2023, the US Census
Bureau estimated that 8.3% of the population were foreign-born. Of all people
aged 5 or older, 88.0% spoke only English at home, 5.0% spoke Spanish, 1.7%
spoke other Indo-European languages, 2.2% spoke Asian or Pacific Islander
languages, and 3.0% spoke other languages. Of those aged 25 or older, 92.2% were
high school graduates and 32.0% had a bachelor's degree.
The median household
income in 2023 was $48,850, and the per capita income was $34,832. About 19.4%
of families and 20.7% of the population were below the poverty line.
History - Grass Valley dates from the California Gold Rush, as
does nearby Nevada City. It is the location of the Empire Mine, one of
the richest mines in California. Many of those who came to settle in Grass
Valley were tin miners from Cornwall. They were attracted to the California
gold fields because the same skills needed for deep tin mining were needed
for hardrock (deep) gold mining. Many of them specialized in pumping the
water out of very deep mining shafts. This coincided with a glut in Cornish
tin mining. Grass Valley still holds on to its Cornish heritage, with events
such as its annual Cornish Christmas celebration. Pasties are a local favorite
dish with a few restaurants in town specializing in recipes handed down
from the original
immigrant generation.
Notable residents, both past and present
Hunter Burgan bassist of the band AFI
Lotta Crabtree 19th century actress
Jonathan Dayton director Little Miss Sunshine
Lyman Gilmore became the first person to fly a powered airplane (a
steam-powered glider). Lyman Gilmore Middle
School is located in Grass Valley and listed as a Historical site.
Bill Hotchkiss, poet and novelist, author of Medicine Calf, based
on the life of Jim Beckwourth.
Lola Montez 19th century dancer
Hans Ostrom, writer and professor.
Jim Pagliaroni, former professional baseball player, catcher of a
perfect game pitched by Jim "Catfish" Hunter
(Oakland Athletics).
John Rollin Ridge (1827-1867), Native American writer, is buried
in Grass Valley.
Josiah Royce philosopher
Chris Senn professional skateboarder
Jeremy Sisto actor (born in Grass Valley)
Wallace Stegner (1903-1993) set his Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel
Angle of Repose (1971) in Grass Valley.
John Thomson author
Jim Tucker, a guitarist for the group, The Turtles. RIP Jim, thanks
for all the music.
Chuck Yeager the ace fighter pilot. RIP Chuck Economy - The combined communities of Grass Valley and Nevada City
have a fairly diversified economy. The gold rush days left a historical legacy
and today, tourism and the related services sector are considered to constitute
the bulk of the local economy. Many of those who do not commute to the
Sacramento Valley, work locally in retail, wholesale, trade, engineering,
manufacturing, construction, and other businesses, as well in various levels of
local and state government. A significant number of high-tech electronics
companies are in the area.
Another significant sector of the local economy is the agriculture industry, as
the soil in Nevada County is considered to be quite fertile. Around the time the
areas were being settled during the Gold Rush, farmers planted orchards,
vegetables, and other produce as ranchers brought in cattle, sheep, and other
livestock. While the percentage of land dedicated to agriculture has
significantly decreased over the last few decades, agriculture continues to be
an important aspect of the areas economy including local produce and organic
agricultural products. During the past decade, Nevada County has become known
for its growing wine industry.
Commercial employers in Grass Valley include Raley's, Safeway, Starbucks, GNC, Jamba Juice, JC Penny, and BriarPatch, as well as fast-food
chain restaurants. Other major employers include Nevada Union High School,
Nevada Irrigation District, Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital, and other various
faith-related entities.
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