§ 1779 Sacramento Valley Urban Areas

This law says an area in the Sacramento‑San Joaquin Valley counts as a “qualifying urban area” if it meets certain size or density rules.

Key Takeaways

•An area needs at least 50,000 people or a high enough density (1,500 per sq mi) plus that many people to qualify.
•Even smaller areas can qualify if they’re dense and together with a nearby city reach 50,000 people.
•Planned growth (10,000 projected people) can also make an area qualify if it’s inside a city’s sphere of influence.

Example

A town called Riverbend has 55,000 residents and a density of 1,600 people per square mile.

Because Riverbend has more than 50,000 people and its density is over 1,500 per square mile, it meets the definition of a qualifying urban area under the law.

How to Calculate

Qualifying Urban Area = (Population ≥ 50,000) OR [(Density ≥ 1,500 per sq mi) AND (Population ≥ 50,000)] OR [(Density ≥ 1,500 per sq mi) AND (Adjacent City Population + Area Population ≥ 50,000)] OR (Projected Plan Population ≥ 10,000 in city’s sphere of influence)

Find the total population of the area.
Find the population density (people per square mile).
Check each rule:
a) Is the population 50,000 or more? If yes, it qualifies.
b) If not, does the density equal or exceed 1,500 people/sq mi AND is the population 50,000 or more? If yes, it qualifies.
c) If still not, does the area have a density of 1,500 people/sq mi and, when you add the population of any adjacent city, reach 50,000 total? If yes, it qualifies.
d) If none of the above, is the area inside a city’s sphere of influence and does the city’s general plan project at least 10,000 people? If yes, it qualifies.

Town of Meadowfield has 48,000 residents, a density of 1,600 people per square mile, and is next to Cityville with 5,000 residents.

Result: Meadowfield does NOT meet rule (a) because population < 50,000, but it meets rule (c) because density ≥ 1,500 and combined population (48,000 + 5,000) = 53,000 ≥ 50,000. So Meadowfield is a qualifying urban area.

“Qualifying urban area” means any of the following when they occur within the Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley: (a) A geographical area having a population of 50,000 or more inhabitants within the jurisdiction of a city, or a town, as defined by Sections 20 and 21 of the Government Code. (b) A portion of any geographical area within a town, as defined in Section 21 of the Government Code, which has a population density equal to, or exceeding, 1,500 persons per square mile and which has a population of 50,000 or more inhabitants. (c) A geographical area having a population density equal to, or exceeding, 1,500 persons per square mile, and an adjacent city, as defined in Section 20 of the Government Code, where the combined population of the geographical area and the city equals 50,000 or more inhabitants. (d) A geographical area within the sphere of influence of a city or community services district for which the projected population of the adopted general plan equals 10,000 or more inhabitants. (Added by Stats. 1993, Ch. 1254, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1994.)

This law says an area in the Sacramento‑San Joaquin Valley counts as a “qualifying urban area” if it meets certain size or density rules.

Key Takeaways

•An area needs at least 50,000 people or a high enough density (1,500 per sq mi) plus that many people to qualify.
•Even smaller areas can qualify if they’re dense and together with a nearby city reach 50,000 people.
•Planned growth (10,000 projected people) can also make an area qualify if it’s inside a city’s sphere of influence.

Example

A town called Riverbend has 55,000 residents and a density of 1,600 people per square mile.

Because Riverbend has more than 50,000 people and its density is over 1,500 per square mile, it meets the definition of a qualifying urban area under the law.

How to Calculate

Find the total population of the area.
Find the population density (people per square mile).
Check each rule:
a) Is the population 50,000 or more? If yes, it qualifies.
b) If not, does the density equal or exceed 1,500 people/sq mi AND is the population 50,000 or more? If yes, it qualifies.
c) If still not, does the area have a density of 1,500 people/sq mi and, when you add the population of any adjacent city, reach 50,000 total? If yes, it qualifies.
d) If none of the above, is the area inside a city’s sphere of influence and does the city’s general plan project at least 10,000 people? If yes, it qualifies.

Town of Meadowfield has 48,000 residents, a density of 1,600 people per square mile, and is next to Cityville with 5,000 residents.

Key Takeaways

Example

How to Calculate

Key Terms

References

§ 1779 Sacramento Valley Urban Areas

Key Takeaways

Example

How to Calculate

Key Terms

References

Key Takeaways

Example

How to Calculate

Key Terms

Related Statutes

References

Key Takeaways

Example

How to Calculate

Key Terms

Related Statutes

References