Saturday, March 18, 2017

City and neighborhood profile: Loomis, California

Nestled between the Sierra Mountains to the east, The Tahoe and El Dorado National Forests, and Folsom Lake only six miles to the south, the town of Loomis is an oft-forgotten treasure in Placer County. With a colorful history amid its quiet small-town charm, Loomis is also a great place to live, work, and play.

Loomis demographics and location:
Loomis was incorporated as a town in 1984, sitting in Placer County, California, less than 25 miles from the state capital of Sacramento. Per official 2015 estimates, Loomis has a population of only 6,733 residents with a low population density of only 910 people per square mile. 24.7% of Loomis' population is under 18 years of age, and 13% are over 65.

The town of Loomis covers 7.27 square miles and claims the zip code 95650.

The colorful history of Loomis:
Throughout its history, Loomis has also been called Pine, Pino, Smithville, and Placer, but the origins of Loomis can be traced back to one man, James Loomis, a pioneer and founder in the mid 19th century. As the Gold Rush boomed in the foothills around Loomis, the man became the saloonkeeper, railroad agent, and postmaster for the blossoming area. Sitting in present-day Loomis, the Placer post office opened in 1861 to serve the ever-growing needs of settlers. The post office underwent a name change to Smithville only a year later in 1862, in honor of honor of town leader L.G. Smith. The name changed again in 1869 to Pino, but after plenty of mail was lost due to the confusion with Reno, it was finally given the name "Loomis."

In 1890, the Southern Pacific Railroad established a stop in Loomis, which helped the settlement grow and prosper. In fact, by the early 20th century, Loomis was one of the largest fruit-shipping stations in all of northern California. Still to this day, historic landmarks of the High Hand and Blue Goose fruit packing sheds stand in Loomis, as do the Union Pacific railroad tracks, the predecessor of the Southern Pacific.

Loomis was almost annexed into this neighboring town…
Even as recently as the 1980s, there was a growing movement to annex the area of present-day Loomis into the neighboring city of Rocklin. However, Loomis residents voted to maintain their autonomy so their home could retain its small town character and historic charm. Therefore, the town of Loomis was officially incorporated on December 17 of 1984, staying true to its adopted motto, “A small city is like a big family.”

Real estate and housing in Loomis:
There are approximately 2,465 households and housing units in Loomis, with 77.2% of them owner-occupied and 22.8% filled by renters.

Currently, the estimated median value for homes in Loomis is $498,000, about triple the $168,300 value from 2000. Real estate values in Loomis have gone up 3% over the last year and 8.4% the year before, with analysts predicting healthy real estate value appreciation continuing.
New listings sell after an average 89 Days On Market in Loomis with a price per square foot of $253. Loomis also has a median rent of $1,450 per month.

Loomis attracts many buyers from all over Northern California who want to live in a safe, tight-knit community that still has small town charm, but modern amenities and close enough to commute to bigger cities. Therefore, properly priced homes for sale in Loomis move quickly, with more demand than supply in some markets.

Income and the economy of Loomis:
As of 2015, the median household income in Loomis was $89,706, up significantly from the household income of $75,494 in 2012. However, the cost of living in Loomis is around 53% higher than the national average, though not considered high compared to the rest of California.

The industries that provide the most jobs to Loomis residents include construction (20%), manufacturing (17%), retail (10%), professional services (6%), and financial and insurance jobs (5%), among others.

Education in Loomis:
The town's residents tend to be well-educated, with 96.4% of the population over 25 having graduated high school or higher, and 34.7% having achieved bachelor's degrees or higher.

Loomis has a solid foundation of quality public, private, and charter schools serving residents, including the recently opened Loomis Basin Charter School, Compass Rose, Sierra Foothills Academy, and Del Oro High School. In fact, the Valley View Elementary School, Del Oro High School, and nearby Rocklin High all rate10’s in independent school rankings.

Sports teams are very competitive in women's basketball and swimming, but especially the Golden Eagles football program, which has won a section-record 7 CIF championships.

Things to do and see in Loomis:
Loomis sits in close proximity to Folsom Lake, Lake Tahoe, the Sierra Mountains, and the El Dorado National Forests. But residents who want to stay closer to home can enjoy two of Loomis’ great parks, the Loomis Basin Community Park and Sterling Pointe Park, with ball fields, horseshoe pits, bike trails, playgrounds and even an equestrian arena.

Wine lovers can stop by and enjoy a tasting at the local Le Casque Winery Tasting Room or Rock Hill Winery.

Alexander's Horseshoe Bar and Grill is a popular eatery for residents to enjoy a great meal or even take cooking classes.

Golfers enjoy teeing off in Loomis at the 9-holes at Indian Creek Golf Club.

Families gather for summer night fun every Thursday from May through August at the Downtown Loomis Thursday Night Family Fest, and the Loomis Eggplant Festival every October is a popular tradition.

You can check out all of the great festivals, events and activities in Loomis at


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