Sacramento County, California
Sacramento County () is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 1,585,055. Its county seat is Sacramento, California, Sacramento, which has been the List ...
, United States. It is part of the
Sacramento metropolitan area
The Greater Sacramento area is a metropolitan region in Northern California comprising either the U.S. Census Bureau defined Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade metropolitan statistical area or the larger Sacramento–Roseville combined sta ...
Central Pacific Railroad
The Central Pacific Railroad (CPRR) was a rail company chartered by U.S. Congress in 1862 to build a railroad eastwards from Sacramento, California, to complete most of the western part of the "First transcontinental railroad" in North Americ ...
as part of the
first transcontinental railroad
America's first transcontinental railroad (known originally as the "Pacific Railroad" and later as the "Overland Route (Union Pacific Railroad), Overland Route") was a continuous railroad line built between 1863 and 1869 that connected the exis ...
. The town is named after
Galt, Ontario
Galt is a community in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario on the Grand River (Ontario), Grand River. Prior to 1973, it was an independent city, incorporated in 1915, but amalgamation with the village o ...
, the Canadian home town of local rancher John McFarland.
Geography
Galt is located at .
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which of it is land and 0.23% is water.
The city is bordered entirely by unincorporated areas of both Sacramento and San Joaquin Counties.
Toponymy
Galt was named in 1869 after the former city of Galt in Canada, now part of
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...
, the hometown of John McFarland.
Climate
According to the
Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
system, Galt has a
warm-summer Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...
, abbreviated "Csa" on climate maps.
Demographics
2020
The 2020 United States census reported that Galt had a population of 25,383. The population density was . The racial makeup of Galt was 50.7%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 1.9%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 22.8% from other races, and 18.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 45.7% of the population.
The census reported that 99.4% of the population lived in households, 0.2% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.4% were institutionalized.
There were 8,131 households, out of which 41.7% included children under the age of 18, 58.7% were married-couple households, 6.3% were
cohabiting
Cohabitation is an arrangement where people who are not legally married live together as a couple. They are often involved in a romantic or sexually intimate relationship on a long-term or permanent basis. Such arrangements have become incr ...
couple households, 22.4% had a female householder with no partner present, and 12.6% had a male householder with no partner present. 16.2% of households were one person, and 8.8% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.1. There were 6,424
families
Family (from ) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictability, structure, and safety as ...
(79.0% of all households).
The age distribution was 25.9% under the age of 18, 9.3% aged 18 to 24, 25.8% aged 25 to 44, 25.0% aged 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 36.4years. For every 100 females, there were 95.2 males.
There were 8,304 housing units at an average density of , of which 8,131 (97.9%) were occupied. Of these, 74.3% were owner-occupied, and 25.7% were occupied by renters.
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that 19.7% of the population were foreign-born. Of all people aged 5 or older, 63.0% spoke only English at home, 31.6% spoke
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas
**Spanish cuisine
**Spanish history
**Spanish culture
...
, 2.6% spoke other
Indo-European languages
The Indo-European languages are a language family native to the northern Indian subcontinent, most of Europe, and the Iranian plateau with additional native branches found in regions such as Sri Lanka, the Maldives, parts of Central Asia (e. ...
, 2.7% spoke Asian or Pacific Islander languages, and 0.1% spoke other languages. Of those aged 25 or older, 84.0% were high school graduates and 21.1% had a bachelor's degree.
The median household income was $86,327, and the
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
was $36,124. About 4.4% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line.
2010
At the 2010 census Galt had a population of 23,647. The population density was . The racial makeup of Galt was 15,639 (66.1%) White, 430 (1.8%) African American, 361 (1.5%) Native American, 815 (3.4%) Asian, 108 (0.5%) Pacific Islander, 4,834 (20.4%) from other races, and 1,460 (6.2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10,113 persons (42.8%).
The census reported that 23,498 people (99.4% of the population) lived in households, 32 (0.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 117 (0.5%) were institutionalized.
There were 7,262 households, 3,516 (48.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 4,431 (61.0%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 895 (12.3%) had a female householder with no husband present, 465 (6.4%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 431 (5.9%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 32 (0.4%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,171 households (16.1%) were one person and 547 (7.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.24. There were 5,791 families (79.7% of households); the average family size was 3.62.
The age distribution was 7,347 people (31.1%) under the age of 18, 2,262 people (9.6%) aged 18 to 24, 6,344 people (26.8%) aged 25 to 44, 5,414 people (22.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 2,280 people (9.6%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 32.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.3 males.
There were 7,678 housing units at an average density of 1,291.6 per square mile, of the occupied units 5,344 (73.6%) were owner-occupied and 1,918 (26.4%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.2%. 17,034 people (72.0% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 6,464 people (27.3%) lived in rental housing units.
Public safety
Fire department
The local fire department is owned and operated by th Cosumnes Community Services District Founded in 1893, Elk Grove's Fire Department started with a single hose cart and a small group of dedicated volunteers. From these humble beginnings, the Department has forged a lasting presence in the community. Continued growth and innovation in the fire service has prompted a diverse array of new Fire Department projects and responsibilities. Each year, the Fire Prevention Bureau conducts hundreds of new construction inspections and plan reviews and actively implements annual weed abatement and fireworks enforcement campaigns. Moreover, the Public Education Division coordinates a number of safety activities including "Change Your Clock-Change Your Smoke Detector Batteries" Campaign, the Juvenile Firesetters Intervention Program, the Life Jacket Loan-Out Program and Car Seat Safety Inspections. A new Special Operations Division was formed in 2007 that oversees the specialized rescue, hazardous materials, and disaster preparedness needs for the Cosumnes CSD Fire Department.
As they have done for more than 100 years, the members of the Cosumnes CSD Fire Department maintain their commitment to protecting the lives, property and environment from fire and other natural and manmade disasters and emergencies in a courteous, timely and effective manner. In 2010, Tracey M. Hansen, a 17-year veteran of the Cosumnes CSD Fire Department was named the new Fire Chief by CSD General Manager Jeff Ramos, the latest achievement in a career she began as a paramedic. Hansen named John Michelini as her Deputy Chief and the team immediately began developing strategies to effectively manage the Fire Department during the recession.
Government
Galt operates under an elected council form of government. The Mayor of Galt is peer elected by the entire City Council. Currently, the council members (with end of term in parentheses) are: Mayor Shawn Farmer (2026), Vice Mayor Paul Sandhu (2026), Council Member Bonny Rodriguez (2026), Council Member Tim Reed (2028) and Council Member Mathew Pratton (2028).
In the
California State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the bicameral state legislature of the U.S. state of California, consisting of the California State Assembly (lower house with 80 members) and the California State Senate (upper house with 40 members). ...
, Galt is in , and .
In the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
, Galt is in .
Current Sacramento County Supervisor Don Nottoli served as the youngest member of the Galt City Council in 1978 at just 23 years old, while Andrew J. Meredith served as its youngest Mayor in 2007 at 27 years old.
Media
Galt has had a weekly newspaper, ''The Galt Herald'', since 1904. It is owned and operated Media Publishing Group.
Galt Joint Union High School District
Galt Joint Union High School District (GJUHSD) is a high school district headquartered in Galt, California.
It serves sections of Sacramento and San Joaquin counties.Galt Area Historical Society is very active and has more than 500 members. Th Performing Animal Welfare Society is a place where retired, abandoned or abused performing animals and victims of the exotic animal trade can live in peace and contentment. The Galt Lions Club is part of Lions International and helps the local visually impaired repair their vision.
Galt is well known for the Flea Market, also known a Galt Market
Cosumnes River country holds a very special place among California landscapes. Th Cosumnes River Preserve was created to safeguard much of that landscape.
The city hosts an annual winter bird festival, in conjunction with the Cosumnes River Preserve, as many birds winter in and around the city.Brewster House, on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
, is located there.
The Galt Arno Cemetery District is located in Galt.
The California Department of Corrections "Boot Camp" School is located in Galt.
Notable people
*
LeVar Burton
Levardis Robert Martyn Burton Jr. (born February 16, 1957) is an American actor, director, and television host. He played Geordi La Forge in '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (1987–1994), Kunta Kinte in the ABC miniseries ''Roots'' (1977 ...
, at the age of thirteen, entered St. Pius X seminary in Galt to become a priest.
* Ryan Mattheus, former pitcher for the
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...
and
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
of
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
discus throw
The discus throw (), also known as disc throw, is a track and field sport in which the participant athlete throws an oblate spheroid weight (object), weight called a discus in an attempt to mark a further distance than other competitors. It is a ...
at the
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and officially branded as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes fro ...