96118 ZIP Code — Loyalton, CA

Sierra County, California

ZIP code 96118 is located in Loyalton, California, within Sierra County. It covers approximately 170.71 square miles and serves a population of 1,581 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Pacific (PT) timezone, served by area code 530.

About ZIP code 96118

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $244,800. Owner-occupancy is high at 85%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($62,099) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. Poverty affects 21% of residents, above the national average. 40% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 28 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 18% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Overall, ZIP code 96118 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,581

population

170.71

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Pacific (PT)

timezone

96118 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 96118

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 96118. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Loyalton	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

96105 Chilcoot (10.2 mi) 96129 Beckwourth (15.6 mi) 89506 Reno (15.7 mi) 89523 Reno (15.8 mi) 89508 Reno (17 mi) 96109 Doyle (17.5 mi) 89503 Reno (18.9 mi) 96122 Portola (19 mi) 96124 Calpine (19.9 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	1,581
Population density	9 / sq mi
State FIPS	06
County FIPS	091

Geography
Land area	170.71 sq mi
Water area	0.29 sq mi
Latitude	39.6706
Longitude	-120.1589
Timezone	Pacific (PT)
Area code	530

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	43.8%	44.7%	32.6%
$50k – $100k	29.6%	34.1%	27.7%
$100k – $200k	24.0%	18.9%	26.4%
Over $200k	2.6%	2.3%	13.3%

Demographics & statistics

1,581

Population

People per sq mi

56.0

Median age

$62,099

Median household income

$38,182

Per capita income

$244,800

Median home value

$1,056

Median monthly rent

85.0%

Home ownership

20.7%

Poverty rate

1.1%

Unemployment

605

Housing units

18.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–59

60–64

65–74

136

75–84

139

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	233	14.7%
18 and over	1,348	85.3%
65 and over	508	32.1%
Median age	56.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 91%

American Indian / Alaska Native 3.1%

Two or more races 3.1%

Hispanic or Latino 2.8%

Group	Count	%
White	1,480	91%
American Indian / Alaska Native	51	3.1%
Two or more races	50	3.1%
Hispanic or Latino	45	2.8%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	43.8%	44.7%	32.6%
$50k – $100k	29.6%	34.1%	27.7%
$100k – $200k	24.0%	18.9%	26.4%
Over $200k	2.6%	2.3%	13.3%

Under $10k 7.9%

$10k–$15k 4.0%

$15k–$25k 8.9%

$25k–$35k 13.5%

$35k–$50k 5.6%

$50k–$75k 18.2%

$75k–$100k 12.6%

$100k–$150k 9.3%

$150k–$200k 2.9%

$200k+ 17.0%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	7.9%
$10k–$15k	4.0%
$15k–$25k	8.9%
$25k–$35k	13.5%
$35k–$50k	5.6%
$50k–$75k	18.2%
$75k–$100k	12.6%
$100k–$150k	9.3%
$150k–$200k	2.9%
$200k+	17.0%
Median income	$62,099

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 2.6%

$100k–$150k 3.2%

$150k–$200k 27.0%

$200k–$300k 43.8%

$300k–$500k 23.4%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$244,800
Median rent / month	$1,056
Owner occupied	85.0%
Renter occupied	15.0%
Vacant	14.6%
Single-family detached	87.3%
Large apartment buildings	4.0%
Mobile homes	8.6%
Median rooms	5.2
Avg household size (owned)	2.63

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	0.0%
2000–2009	3.3%
1990–1999	4.6%
1980–1989	20.2%
1970–1979	24.8%
1960–1969	22.3%
1950–1959	3.2%
1940–1949	5.2%
1939 or earlier	16.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	7.2%
2 bedrooms	32.6%
3 bedrooms	53.2%
4 bedrooms	6.3%
5+ bedrooms	0.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	5.7%
1 vehicle	26.5%
2 vehicles	36.9%
3 or more	30.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	8.4%
Electricity	5.2%
Propane / LP gas	19.2%
Fuel oil	33.2%
Wood	26.3%
No fuel used	4.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	380	64.1%
Cohabiting couple	24	4.0%
Male householder, no spouse	120	20.2%
Female householder, no spouse	69	11.6%
Households with children under 18	74	12.5%
Households with seniors (65+)	293	49.4%
Average household size	2.61

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	27.3%	31.8%
Married	63.8%	48.6%
Separated	0.8%	1.7%
Widowed	1.4%	11.0%
Divorced	6.7%	6.9%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.3%

Some HS, no diploma 3.3%

HS graduate 39.0%

Some college, no degree 26.6%

Associate's degree 8.8%

Bachelor's degree 13.8%

Graduate / professional 4.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	92.5%
Bachelor's or higher	18.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	0	0.0%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	188	48.7%
High school	45	11.7%
College / grad school	153	39.6%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 40.4%

Construction 18.8%

Manufacturing 12.3%

Public administration 9.7%

Arts, food & hospitality 7.9%

Finance & real estate 4.5%

Transportation & utilities 3.5%

Professional & management 1.7%

Retail trade 1.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	62.1%
Service	0.8%
Sales & office	17.1%
Natural resources & construction	13.6%
Production & transportation	6.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	40.2%
Government	44.5%
Self-employed	15.3%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	92.1%
Carpool	1.6%
Public transit	0.5%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	5.9%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	27.7

Poverty

All people 20.7%

Under 18 years 39.1%

18 and over 17.4%

Married-couple families 9.5%

Female-led households 100.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	39.6%
Retirement income	38.4%
Supplemental Security	15.7%
Cash public assistance	1.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	6.6%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	32.2%
High blood pressure	34.8%
High cholesterol	35.5%
Diabetes	11.8%
Heart disease	8.1%
Stroke	3.8%
Asthma	10.5%
Arthritis	29.2%
Kidney disease	3.6%
Pulmonary disease	9.1%
Cancer	8.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	15.4%
Binge drinking	17.4%
No physical activity	21.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.0%
Depression	20.0%
Fair or poor health	17.0%
Poor mental health	15.1%
Poor physical health	12.8%
No health insurance	9.6%
Visited doctor (checkup)	70.3%
Visited dentist	62.9%
Cholesterol screening	92.4%
Teeth loss	12.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	89	6.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	18.0%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	16.3%
65 and over	29.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	57.0%
Public insurance	49.7%
No insurance	5.3%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,581	100.0%
Spanish	9	0.6%
Other Indo-European	9	0.6%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,572	99.4%
Born in same state	1,572	99.4%
Born in different state	990	62.6%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	9	0.6%
Not a US citizen	9	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	274	17.3%
Italian	187	11.8%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	4	0.3%
Arab	2	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	37.5%
Internet access	87.7%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 96118

What city is ZIP code 96118 in?

ZIP code 96118 is primarily assigned to Loyalton, California.

What county is ZIP code 96118 in?

ZIP code 96118 falls within Sierra County, California.

Does ZIP code 96118 have an older population?

32% of residents in ZIP code 96118 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 96118?

21% of residents in ZIP code 96118 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Is ZIP code 96118 mostly owner-occupied?

85% of occupied units in ZIP code 96118 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 96118 have a large retiree population?

40% of households in ZIP code 96118 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What timezone is ZIP code 96118 in?

ZIP code 96118 observes the PST timezone.