Demographics


 

Where is Sonora ? The City of Sonora is located in Central California on the Western slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range.  The City of Sonora serves as the County Seat for Tuolumne County.

Major State Highways:
Highway 49 travels through the Historic District of the City of Sonora and is known as the “Golden Chain" because it connects the historic communities of the California “Gold Rush” and is a favorite of visitors to the area.  It also serves as the link from the Sacramento Region to the City. State Highway 120 links Sonora to the San Francisco Bay Area and State Highway 108 connects the community to the Central California Valley. To access Sonora from the Southern California Region the recommended route is State Highway 99 to J59.

Air Service:
Sonora is within easy driving distance to four major airports:

Sacramento International	117 miles
Oakland International	120 miles
San Jose International	126 miles
San Francisco International	133 miles
Fresno Yosemite International Airport	116 miles

In addition, there are two non-commercial airports in the County of Tuolumne, Columbia Airport (209) 533-5685 (approximately 5 miles from Sonora) and Pine Mountain Lake Airport, (209) 962-8966.

Local Rental Car Agency:

Enterprise
14860 Mono Way , Sonora
(209) 533-0500

Hertz
13411 Mono Way , Sonora
(209)588-1575
 

Weather:
The sun shines on the City of Sonora an average of 328 days per year.  Average annual rainfall for the City is 33 inches, January traditionally is the wettest month.  The average high for the City is 70ºF with July and August being the hottest months.  The average low for the City is 42ºF with December and January being the coldest months. 

Geographic Information:

Area	3 Square Miles
Elevation	1825 Feet
County	Tuolumne County
County Seat	Sonora
State	California

 

Population:

Sonora *	4,666
Tuolumne County:	56,335

  *The City’s daytime population increases to 22,000-25,000; this is due to the high number of employees and tourists who enter the City daily.  

Tuolumne County:

Per Capita Personal Income (2006)	$30,916
Median Family Household Income (2009)	$58,300

                    

Taxes

Sales Tax:	7.75%
Transient Occupancy Tax:	8%

  

Taxable Sales

Jurisdiction	2007	2008
Sonora	$252,103,000	$245,087,000
Tuolumne County Unincorporated Area	$317,636,000	$299,158,000
Unallocated	$76,362,000	$63,685,000
Total	$646,101,000	$607,931,000

 

City Taxable Transactions By Business Type

Business Type	2007	2008
Apparel Stores	$2,796,000	$4,493,000
General Merchandise Stores	$84,806,000
Food Stores	$21,227,000	$21,959,000
Eating & Drinking Places	$19,392,000	$19,475,000
Home Furnishings & Appliances	$5,899,000	6,224,000
Building Materials & Farm Impl.	$33,475,000	28,275,000
Auto Dealers & Supplies	$9,001,000	$8,593,000
Service Stations	$26,221,000	$25,431,000
Other Retail Stores	$30,565,000	$109,443,000
All Other Outlets	$18,721,000	$21,194,000
Total All Outlets	$252,105,000	$245,087,000

Education:

Sonora Elementary School
K through 8th Grades
830 Greenley Rd.
Sonora , CA 95370
(209)532-5491
www.ses.k12.ca.us

Sonora Union High School
 9^th through 12^th Grades
430 N. Washington Street
Sonora , CA 95370
(209)532-5511
www.sonorahs.k12.ca.us

Columbia College
11600 Columbia College Dr .
Sonora , CA 95370
(209)588-5100
 www.columbia.yosemite.cc.ca.us
 

Commercial and Industrial Statistics:
View website current listing of available commercial, retail and office space within the City, Commercial Space Available  
Tuolumne County Profile

Utilities:
Water & Sewer:                      
Tuolumne Utilities District
18885 Nugget Blvd.
PO Box 3728
Sonora , CA 95370
(209)532-5536
www.tuolumneutilities.com 

Electric:   
Pacific Gas & Electric Company
14550 Tuolumne Rd.
Sonora , CA 95370
Customer Service – (800)743-5000
New Construction – (209)533-6034

  For private utilities such as propane, phone, cable, etc.; there are several providers within the City, please contact the provider of your choice.