El Dorado Hills Population Notes

El Dorado Hills Citizens Alliance

Population Notes

Our home page displays the estimated population of El Dorado Hills based on data reported annually by the El Dorado Hills Fire District ("El Dorado Hills County Water District").

The Fire District is the local agency whose boundaries most nearly represent the entire actual community of El Dorado Hills. It is also the only local agency that regularly publishes statistics annually that include estimated population within its boundaries, derived by tracking building permits for new housing. The El Dorado Hills Community Services District covers a smaller land area, and the Census Bureau's definition of the El Dorado Hills Census Designated Place is even smaller: The CDP contains less than half the land area of the Fire District. EDH CSD population estimates usually are updated at intervals of about 3 years. CDP population estimates are updated once every 10 years.

Here is the population growth chart from the Fire Department's most recent population report. This is annotated with two lines:

The upper line projects growth that would have occurred if the highest rate seen in recent years had continued. This is based on population increase from in 2004.
The lower line projects growth that would occur if the lowest rate seen in recent years continues. This is based on population increase in 2007.

The shaded area between these two lines suggests the difference between maximum-growth and minimum-growth scenarios.

At this time three different geographic areas have been used to define El Dorado Hills:

Census Designated Place (CDP):

This is the oldest definition of El Dorado Hills, containing 17.9 square miles. The actual community has long since outgrown this area.
Boundaries defined for the attempted incorporation of El Dorado Hills as a legal city in 2005.

This included 31.3 square miles. Choice of these boundaries excluded at least two populated areas at the edge of the proposed incorporation area. If incorporation had succeeded the new city would have soon established a legally defined sphere of influence, and it was almost certain that to have included these additional areas. Under Policy 2.1.1.4 of the El Dorado County General Plan that would formally include these areas in the El Dorado Hills Community Region.
Boundaries of the EDH Fire Department service area. (The legal name of the Fire Department is the "El Dorado Hills County Water District".)

This encompassed approximately 37 square miles until it was expanded by annexation of Marble Valley in December, 2006. It is more consistent thian the other boundary alternatives with definition of the El Dorado Hills Community Region.

Other population data displayed on our home page:

Estimates for the incorporated cities of Placerville and South Lake Tahoe are derived from annual Census Bureau estimates. The citation suggested by the Census Bureau is to "Table 4: Annual Estimates of the Population for Incorporated Places in California, Listed Alphabetically: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2005. Source: Population Division, U.S. Census Bureau. Release Date: June 21, 2006".
The citation of "15,000+" for Cameron Park is based on very limited data, mainly for Base Year 1999 in the El Dorado County General Plan. As another unincorporated city in El Dorado County, Cameron Park has the same types of issues as El Dorado Hills in tracking population. However, its growth rate has been lower than that of El Dorado Hills, so "15,000+" is meaningful to give a general sense of its size.

Excerpted from the Census Bureau table cited above:

Table 4: Annual Estimates of the Population for Incorporated Places in California, Listed Alphabetically: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2005
Geographic Area		Population estimates						April 1, 2000
Geographic Area		July 1, 2005	July 1, 2004	July 1, 2003	July 1, 2002	July 1, 2001	July 1, 2000	Estimates base	Census
Placerville city	California	10,184	10,142	10,113	10,103	10,045	9,704	9,628	9,610
South Lake Tahoe city	California	24,016	23,904	23,885	23,919	23,890	23,649	23,609	23,609