Mono County ( ) is a county located in the east-central portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, its population was 13,195, making it the fourth-least populous county in California. The county seat is Bridgeport. The county is located east of the Sierra Nevada between Yosemite National Park and Nevada. The only incorporated town in the county is Mammoth Lakes, which is located at the foot of Mammoth Mountain. Other locations, such as June Lake, are also famous as skiing and fishing resorts. Located in the middle of the county is Mono Lake, a vital habitat for millions of migratory and nesting birds. The lake is located in a wild, natural setting, with pinnacles of tufa arising out of the salty and alkaline lake. Also located in Mono County is Bodie, the official state gold rush ghost town, which is now a California State Historic Park.
History
Mono County was formed in 1861 from parts of Calaveras, Fresno, and Mariposa Counties. A portion of northern Mono County contributed to the formation of Alpine County in 1864; parts of the county's territory were given to Inyo County in 1866.
The county is named after Mono Lake which, in 1852, was named for a Native American Paiute tribe, the Mono people, who historically inhabited the Sierra Nevada from north of Mono Lake to Owens Lake. The tribe's western neighbors, the Yokuts, called them monachie, meaning "fly people" because they used fly larvae as their chief food staple and trading article.
Archeologists know almost nothing about the first inhabitants of the county, as little material evidence has been found from them. The Kuzedika, a band of Paiute, had been there many generations by the time the first anglophones arrived. The Kuzedika were hunter-gatherers and their language is a part of the Shoshone language.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which (2.6%) are covered by water. The highest point in Mono County is White Mountain Peak, which at , is the third-highest peak in California.
Adjacent counties
Inyo County - south Fresno County - southwest Madera County - southwest Tuolumne County- west Alpine County - northwest Douglas County, Nevada - north Lyon County, Nevada - northeast Mineral County, Nevada - east Esmeralda County, Nevada - southeast
Demographics
2021 In June 2021, U.S. News & World Report ranked the county with the third-best life expectancy in the United States at 96.5 years.
2020 census As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 13,195. The median age was 39.5 years. About 20.0% of residents were under 18 and 16.1% of residents were 65 or older. For every 100 females, there were 114.7 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 117.2 males aged 18 and over.
As of the 2020 census, the racial makeup of the county was 70.9% White, 0.6% Black or African American, 2.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% Asian, 0.2% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 12.9% from some other race, and 12.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 26.6% of the population.
As of the 2020 census, 53.4% of residents lived in urban areas, while 46.6% lived in rural areas.
Of the 5,474 households in the county, 28.7% had children under 18 living with them and 19.8% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 or older.
Of the 13,589 housing units, 59.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 56.9% were owner-occupied and 43.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 18.4%.
Racial and ethnic composition +Mono County, California – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)7,7618,3299,8379,6878,67990.49%83.66%76.53%68.21%65.77%Black or African American alone (NH)16415342680.19%0.41%0.41%0.30%0.52%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)3343412672391773.89%3.43%2.08%1.68%1.34%Asian alone (NH)431141401911590.50%1.15%1.09%1.34%1.21%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census1011260.08%0.08%0.08%0.08%0.20%Other race alone (NH)1858233780.21%0.05%0.64%0.23%0.59%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census190237501xx1.48%1.67%3.80%Hispanic or Latino (any race)4051,1262,2743,7623,5074.72%11.31%17.69%26.49%26.58%Total8,5779,95612,85314,20213,195 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%
2010 Census The 2010 United States census reported that Mono County had a population of 14,202. The racial makeup of Mono County was 11,697 (82.4%) White, 47 (0.3%) African American, 302 (2.1%) Native American, 192 (1.4%) Asian, 11 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 1,539 (10.8%) from other races, and 414 (2.9%) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 3,762 persons (26.5%).
Politics Overview In November 2008, Mono County was one of just three counties in California's interior in which voters rejected Proposition 8, which sought to ban gay marriage. The county's voters rejected Proposition 8 by 55.5 to 44.5% The other interior counties in which Proposition 8 failed to receive a majority of votes were neighboring Alpine County and Yolo County.
Mono County is in .
In the state legislature, Mono is in , and .
Election results After voting Republican for six decades, Mono County was won by John Kerry in 2004 by seven votes. It has not voted for a Republican since George W. Bush in 2000.
Transportation
Major highways U.S. Route 6 U.S. Route 395 State Route 89 State Route 108 State Route 120 State Route 158 State Route 167 State Route 168 State Route 182 State Route 203 State Route 266 State Route 270
Public transportation Eastern Sierra Transit Authority operates intercity bus service along U.S. 395, as well as local services in Mammoth Lakes. Service extends south to Lancaster, California (Los Angeles County) and north to Reno, Nevada.
Yosemite Area Regional Transit System (YARTS) also runs along U.S. 395 from Mammoth Lakes to Lee Vining before entering Yosemite National Park.
Airports General aviation airports in Mono County include Bryant Field near Bridgeport, Mammoth Yosemite Airport and Lee Vining Airport. In December 2021, seasonal commercial air service by United Airlines to San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Denver began at the Eastern Sierra Regional Airport in Bishop, providing local service to southern Mono County.
Communities
Town Mammoth Lakes
Census-designated places
Aspen Springs Benton Bridgeport (county seat) Chalfant Coleville Crowley Lake June Lake Lee Vining McGee Creek Mono City Paradise Sunny Slopes Swall Meadows Topaz Twin Lakes Virginia Lakes Walker
Population ranking
The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Mono County.
† county seat
RankCity/Town/etc.Municipal typePopulation (2010 Census) 1Mammoth Lakes Town 8,234 2Crowley Lake CDP 875 3Walker CDP 721 4Chalfant CDP 651 5June Lake CDP 629 6† Bridgeport CDP 575 7Coleville CDP 495 8Benton CDP 280 9Lee Vining CDP 222 10Swall Meadows CDP 220 11Sunny Slopes CDP 182 12Mono City CDP 172 13Paradise CDP 153 14Benton Reservation (Utu Utu Gwaitu Paiute Tribe) AIAN 76 15Aspen Springs CDP 65 16Topaz CDP 50 17McGee Creek CDP 41 18Bridgeport Reservation (Paiute Indians) AIAN 35
Education There are two school districts covering grades PK-12 in the county: Eastern Sierra Unified School District and Mammoth Unified School District. There is another section in the Round Valley Joint Elementary School District for elementary and middle school, and Bishop Unified School District for grades 9-12 (high school) only. - Text list
Previously the Bishop USD 9-12 area was in the Bishop Joint Union High School District. - Text list
See also List of school districts in Mono County, California National Register of Historic Places listings in Mono County, California
References
Further reading
External links
Mono County Film and Tourism Commission