Irish Population in Sierra County, CA by City : 2025 Ranking & Insights

Irish residents in Sierra County, CA total 261 people, according to the latest U.S. Census estimates. Of that, 120 live in Loyalton - the only incorporated city in Sierra County included in this analysis* - while the remaining population appears to reside in unincorporated parts of the county or smaller incorporated cities not captured in this ranking. This pattern suggests a blended distribution across both urban and rural areas of Sierra County. The sections below explores how the Irish community is spread across the county and how it compares with similar rural populations throughout California.

Top 5 cities with the largest Irish population in Sierra County

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  • 1
    Loyalton
    Irish population in Loyalton is 120
    14.46% of Loyalton population is Irish

Overview of Irish population in Sierra County

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data shows Sierra County contains 261 Irish residents (9.6% of 2,731 total county population), ranking the jurisdiction at the 5th percentile nationally among counties and 0th percentile within California for Irish demographic concentrations across both absolute and proportional measures.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: Census Bureau's ACS data indicates Sierra County's Irish population of 9.6% corresponds to the national average while exceeding California's state average of 5.8%, placing the county at national demographic averages while above state-level concentrations.
  • Share of Total State Population: Official American Community Survey data indicates Sierra County contains 261 Irish residents, representing less than 1% of California's total Irish population of 2.3 million.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey show Sierra County maintains fewer than 0.27 Irish Americans per square mile, compared to California's average of 14.6 per square mile, placing the county among jurisdictions with minimal demographic representation within the state.
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Irish Population in Sierra County — Loyalton

View Methodology
American Community Survey data [1] indicate 120 Irish population in Loyalton, the only incorporated city included in this analysis*. The table below provides broader statistics, including total population figures, density measures, and demographic distributions based on current ACS data.
cities in Sierra County, CA ranked by Irish population count
Rank by Irish Population
City
Irish Population
% of Total City Population
% of Total Sierra County Irish Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Loyalton 120 14.46% 45.98%
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Methodology

This ranking list is based on data from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The ACS is one of the most reliable sources for understanding population trends across different locations, and it provides estimates for various racial and ethnic groups at city, county, state and all geography levels down to the Census block group.
This list ranks city in Sierra County, CA by their Irish population, using the most recent ACS data available.

How the Census defines Irish population

The U.S. Census Bureau allows people to self-identify their ancestry, meaning individuals can write upto ancestries when responding to the survey. In this ranking, we include everyone who identifies as having Irish ancestry, whether alone or in combination with another ancestry.
Here are a few important things to know about how ancestry is reported:
  • Some people identify as Irish alone, while others identify as Irish along with another race (such as Irish and German).
  • We’ve used the “Irish alone or in any combination” category unless noted otherwise, which gives a broader picture of the Irish population in each area.

How We Ranked the Data

This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as Irish alone or in combination in city. To provide additional context, we’ve also included two key percentages:
  1. % of Total City Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as Irish .
  2. % of Total Sierra County Irish Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. Irish population lives in that state.
To keep things simple, all population numbers have been rounded to the nearest whole number, and percentages are rounded to one decimal place. Because of rounding, some percentages may not add up to exactly 100%.

Things to Keep in Mind

Like all survey-based data, ACS estimates come with some limitations. Here are a few things to be aware of:
  • In places with very small Irish populations, the numbers may not be reported at all due to privacy protections or sampling variability in the survey.
  • Since the ACS is based on a sample, the numbers are estimates, not exact counts. That means they may slightly differ from other sources like the decennial U.S. Census.
  • City that don’t have any reported Irish population are not included in the ranking but are listed separately below for reference.
This ranking is meant to provide a clear, data-driven look at where Irish populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.

Sources

  1. 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.
  2. 2023.