Magalia, California | |
|---|---|
 Location inButte County and the state ofCalifornia | |
  Magalia, California Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates:39°50′N121°35′W / 39.833°N 121.583°W /39.833; -121.583 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County | Butte |
| Government | |
| • State Senator | Megan Dahle (R)[1] |
| • State Assembly | James Gallagher (R)[2] |
| • U. S. Congress | Doug LaMalfa (R)[3] |
| Area | |
• Total | 14.025 sq mi (36.324 km2) |
| • Land | 14.021 sq mi (36.313 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0042 sq mi (0.011 km2) 0.03% |
| Elevation | 2,333 ft (711 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 7,795 |
| • Density | 556.0/sq mi (214.7/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−08:00 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−07:00 (PDT) |
| ZIP Code | 95954 |
| Area codes | 530, 837 |
| FIPS code | 06-45120 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1659035; 2408161 |
| U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Magalia, California;U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Magalia, California | |
Magalia (formerlyButte Mills andDogtown)[6] is anunincorporated community andcensus-designated place (CDP) inButte County,California, United States. The population was 7,795 at the 2020 census, down from 11,310 at the 2010 census.[7]
Originally established after the 1849California Gold Rush as a mining camp, the town was first calledMountain View.[8] A dog breeding operation started in 1850 which led to the nameDogtown.[6] A post office opened in 1857, which was shared with the adjacent settlement ofMill City; the two eventually united.[6] In 1861 the name was changed toMagalia[6] after theLatin word for cottages.
On April 12, 1859, at the Willard Claim, a hydraulic mine in theFeather River Canyon northeast of the town, a 54-pound (20 kg)gold nugget was discovered, the largest in the world at the time. Dubbed the "Dogtown Nugget", it made the town famous.[9]
The community suffered extensive damage in theCamp Fire, a wildfire which began on November 8, 2018.[10] As of December 13,Butte County Sheriff's Department reported that at least seven people died in Magalia during the Camp Fire.[11] Some survivors sheltered in place at a Baptist church along the only evacuation route north of the ridge.[12]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 14.0 square miles (36 km2), all of it land. There are numerous flora and fauna species found in the vicinity including mammals such asBlack tailed deer,raccoon, and grey squirrel. A considerable number of amphibians are also found such as theRough-skinned Newt, whose southern range in the California interior occurs near Magalia.[13] The soil, deep reddish-brown loam for the most part, supports forest dominated by tallincense cedar andbull pine.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 8,987 | — | |
| 2000 | 10,569 | 17.6% | |
| 2010 | 11,310 | 7.0% | |
| 2020 | 7,795 | −31.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[14] 1990[15]2000[16] 2010[17] | |||
Magalia first appeared as acensus designated place in the1990 U.S. census.[15]
The2020 United States census reported that Magalia had a population of 7,795. The population density was 556.0 inhabitants per square mile (214.7/km2). The racial makeup of Magalia was 84.3%White, 0.5%African American, 1.6%Native American, 1.1%Asian, 0.1%Pacific Islander, 2.5% fromother races, and 9.9% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.9% of the population.[18]
The census reported that 98.9% of the population lived in households, 1.1% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized.[18]
There were 3,103 households, out of which 22.3% included children under the age of 18, 43.4% were married-couple households, 9.7% werecohabiting couple households, 24.5% had a female householder with no partner present, and 22.3% had a male householder with no partner present. 25.9% of households were one person, and 14.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.48.[18] There were 2,011families (64.8% of all households).[19]
The age distribution was 18.1% under the age of 18, 6.0% aged 18 to 24, 21.0% aged 25 to 44, 29.2% aged 45 to 64, and 25.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.8 males.[18]
There were 3,442 housing units at an average density of 245.5 units per square mile (94.8 units/km2), of which 3,103 (90.2%) were occupied. Of these, 80.5% were owner-occupied, and 19.5% were occupied by renters.[18]
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that 3.7% of the population were foreign-born. Of all people aged 5 or older, 93.6% spoke only English at home, 2.9% spokeSpanish, 1.7% spoke otherIndo-European languages, 1.8% spoke Asian or Pacific Islander languages, and 0.0% spoke other languages. Of those aged 25 or older, 91.4% were high school graduates and 20.1% had a bachelor's degree.[20]
The median household income in 2023 was $60,625, and theper capita income was $30,786. About 6.8% of families and 14.6% of the population were below the poverty line.[21]
The2010 United States census[22] reported that Magalia had a population of 11,310. The population density was 806.8 inhabitants per square mile (311.5/km2). Theracial makeup of Magalia was 10,398 (91.9%) White, 40 (0.4%) African American, 141 (1.2%) Native American, 90 (0.8%) Asian, 17 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 134 (1.2%) from other races, and 490 (4.3%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 765 persons (6.8%).
The Census reported that 11,297 people (99.9% of the population) lived in households, 13 (0.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 4,825 households, out of which 1,217 (25.2%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 2,483 (51.5%) wereopposite-sex married couples living together, 515 (10.7%) had a female householder with no husband present, 278 (5.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 311 (6.4%)unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 34 (0.7%)same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,239 households (25.7%) were made up of individuals, and 623 (12.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34. There were 3,276families (67.9% of all households); the average family size was 2.75.
The population was spread out, with 2,165 people (19.1%) under the age of 18, 789 people (7.0%) aged 18 to 24, 2,104 people (18.6%) aged 25 to 44, 3,573 people (31.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 2,679 people (23.7%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.7 males.
There were 5,355 housing units at an average density of 382.0 per square mile (147.5/km2), of which 4,825 were occupied, of which 3,713 (77.0%) were owner-occupied, and 1,112 (23.0%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.1%. 8,212 people (72.6% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 3,085 people (27.3%) lived in rental housing units.
Almost all of Magalia is in theParadise Unified School District. Small pieces of the census-designated place extend into theChico Unified School District.[23]
Municipalities and communities ofButte County, California,United States | ||
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| Cities and towns |  | |
| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
