Mono County ( MOH-noh) 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 3,132 square miles (8,110 km2), of which 83 square miles (210 km2) (2.6%) are covered by water. The highest point in Mono County is White Mountain Peak, which at 14,252 feet (4,344 m), is the third-highest peak in California.
Adjacent counties
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, and for every 100 females 18 and over there were 117.2 males age 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
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 California's 3rd congressional district, represented by Independent Kevin Kiley.
In the state legislature, Mono is in the 4th senatorial district, represented by Republican Marie Alvarado-Gil, and the 8th Assembly district, represented by Republican David Tangipa.
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
Population ranking
The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Mono County.
† county seat
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.
Previously the Bishop USD 9-12 area was in the Bishop Joint Union High School District.