With 2020 Census data officially in and state and local jurisdictions rolling up their sleeves to begin the work of redrawing legislative boundaries, we’re getting our first peek at how populations have shifted in the San Joaquin Valley.
So what happened between 2010 and 2020 in Fresno County? Thanks to an internal memo from county officials, we now know.
As California, on the whole, saw an exodus of residents to other states, a precipitous decline in birth rates, and high death rates, Fresno County’s population figures more precisely a story of a shifting landscape of growth.
Fresno County is officially home to 1,008,654 residents, per initial U.S. Census data that does not account for incarcerated Fresno County residents living in other counties.
That’s up from 932,063 at the last decennial census in 2010.
The county is currently divided into five Supervisorial districts, each with a representative on the Board of Supervisors.
According to a county memo, the ideal – or target – population for each district now sits at 201,731 residents.
According to that figure, only two Supervisorial districts are over their target population, signifying a relative increase in populations compared to 2010.
The first? District 1, represented by Supervisor Brian Pacheco, located in western Fresno County – stretching from west of Highway 99 to the county line including communities of Kerman, Firebaugh, and Mendota.
The westside of Fresno County saw its population crack 205,146 residents, which sits 3,415 people over the ideal figure for the district.
The other booming district? Nathan Magsig’s District 5, anchored by the City of Clovis and southeast Fresno, both regions which have seen the greatest boost in housing production over the decade.
Magsig’s district currently has a population of 229,369 people, or 27,638 people more than the target figure.
The other three districts – represented by Supervisors Steve Brandau, Sal Quintero, and Buddy Mendes – each have a population deficit heading into redistricting.
The greatest deficit belongs to Quintero’s urban Fresno-anchored District 3, which is short by 14,573 residents.
Mendes’ southwestern Fresno County district, which covers Fowler, Selma, Kingsburg, Riverdale and stretches all the way to Coalinga, is short by 13,259.
Meanwhile, Brandau’s north Fresno-based district is only short by 3,222 residents.
