Why doesn't California's northern third have a higher population? (San Francisco: how much, Home Depot)

[sacreole]

Originally Posted by EckyX

Source

Given all of this, one would think the population would be more than 27,000.

IMO, Eureka does have the look and feel of a larger city since it’s the county seat of Humboldt County and the commercial hub for the region. The downtown and historic district have a number multi-story buildings that harken back to more economically prosperous times when the timber and fishing industries were bustling.

[Chimérique]

Originally Posted by EckyX

By "Northern" I don't mean to include San Francisco and Sacramento, which are more approximately at the middle of the state, but the actual northern third. E.g. Redding, Eureka, Crescent City. What are the population constraints of these areas? Weather-wise, they're still more pleasant than a vast majority of the country. Best I can tell, the northern third of the state isn't really lacking water, either.

What you describing is more like the northern 1/4 of the state, not the northern 1/3.

California is 770-775 miles long. San Francisco and Sacramento are not in the "middle" of the state from north to south.

Just think of the northern 1/4 of California as a very rural state like many other rural states, like Vermont.

The population of the northern 1/3 of California is 1.5 million plus, even more populous than New Hampshire or Maine. If you include all of the Sacramento Metro into that 1/3 it's more like 4.75 million people.

Most of the Sacramento Metro is in the northern 1/3 of the state, and Sacramento is not lacking any water as 90% or more of the northern watershed naturally flows through Sacramento. (80% of all of California's watershed flows through Sacramento).

[EckyX]

Originally Posted by Chimérique

What you describing is more like the northern 1/4 of the state, not the northern 1/3.

California is 770-775 miles long. San Francisco and Sacramento are not in the "middle" of the state.

Just think of the northern 1/4 of California as a very rural state like many other rural states, like Vermont.

The population of the northern 1/3 of California is 1.5 million plus, even more populous than New Hampshire or Maine. If you include all of the Sacramento Metro into that 1/3 it's more like 4.75 million people.

Most of the Sacramento Metro is in the northern 1/3 of the state, and Sacramento is not lacking any water as 90% or more of the northern watershed naturally flows through Sacramento. (80% of all of California's watershed flows through Sacramento).

I know I'm being pedantic. And I can't say for certain Google Maps has everything to scale. Here's where the dividing lines for thirds are, depending on if you measure from coastal border to coastal border, or north to south:

[Chimérique]

I hear ya OP,

Just clarifying, you do know that Sacramento is around 80 miles NORTH of San Francisco, and San Francisco is no where near the "middle of the state" either.

At least half of the Sacramento metro lies within the northern 1/3 of the state. All of the Sacramento Metro is well above the top northern 1/2 of the state.

A decent chuck of the Bay Area is within the northern 1/3 of California as well (parts of Marin, all of Sonoma, and part of Napa Counties)

Like I said, most of what you are describing and apparently want to know about is in the northern 1/4 of the state, not 1/3.

Most of all the jobs in this 1/4 northern top of the state are County, State, Federal, or hospital/medical jobs.

[chairmanoftheboard]

If you look at a map of CA, there is a jut of land around northern Santa Barbara Co (Lompoc) that is a geographical North/South divider. Above that jut, the ocean currents run north, and below that jut the ocean currents run south. Some people consider Santa Barbara to be the beginning of Southern CA when coming from the North. Or some consider it the beginning of N Cal if coming up from the South.

If you wish to cut up into thirds, a 1/3 line could be drawn around that jut. The next line I would draw is at the top of San Francisco. So, from SF to Santa Barbara would be the middle part. Northern CA would be everything North of SF.

[Tedster24]

Originally Posted by CA4Now

Ever been to Redding during the months of June through early October?

Ever been to Redding?

That's as long as the question needed to be.

[evening sun]

Originally Posted by Tedster24

Ever been to Redding?

That's as long as the question needed to be.

Redding is surrounded by some beautiful countryside. And has beautiful summer weather

[Tedster24]

Originally Posted by evening sun

Redding is surrounded by some beautiful countryside. And has beautiful summer weather

Absolutely!
But, if we're talking Redding......

[NORTY FLATZ]

Originally Posted by EckyX

I understand it's hot there, but Bakersfield is no less hot and it has 4x the population. What's the excuse for Eureka?

Not many have found it?

[TacoSoup]

Originally Posted by NORTY FLATZ

Not many have found it?

Nicely done.