Auburn is a quintessential California city who's history mirrors that of California, with its beginnings as a Native American village of the Nisenan band of the Maidu to its expansion with the Gold Rush and transcontinental railroad. After gold was found in Coloma in 1848, many people began flocking to the area in search of instant fortune. Not long after the initial discovery, gold was found in Auburn. From there, Auburn began growing and establishing itself as a city.


A Tale of 2 Incorporated Cities
In 1861, Auburn was originally incorporated, making it the 22nd city to be incorporated. According to the Old Town Auburn website, the city's fathers voted to unincorporated the city a few years later, in 1865, in order to avoid having to pay the debt for a failed railroad. Auburn was incorporated for the second time in 1888.


A Tale of 2 County Seats
For a short time, Auburn was the county seat of Sutter County until Placer County was formed from portions of Sutter and Yuba Counties in 1851. Since then, Auburn has been the county seat of Placer County.


Because of its rich history, especially in the Gold Rush years, Auburn is a California Historical Landmark. Its history can be seen and experienced in Old Town Auburn through its landmarks, museums, and buildings dating back to its founding.

Location and Demographics:

Auburn is located in South Placer County, only 45 minutes or less from downtown Sacramento. Spanning zip codes 95602 and 95602. Auburn has an ideal position adjacent to the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Sutter-Butte range, less than 2 hours from San Francisco and the same to Lake Tahoe.


Despite being the county seat of Placer County, Auburn has the second-smallest population of the county's five cities, with only 13,935 residents, according to the 2015 census estimate.

Real Estate in Auburn

Auburn offers a diverse real estate market, ranging from multi-million-dollar homes on golf course lots to older homes on acreage. Home sells fairly quickly in Auburn, averaging only 45 days on the market in 2016.


There are approximately 5,992 households in Auburn. About 52% of them in Auburn are owner-occupied, while 41% are renter-occupied. The remaining 7% are vacant.

HOUSING TRENDS IN AUBURN

Education

Overall, Auburn has an above-average school system in Rocklin is stellar, with Placer High School rated 9/10.


Auburn residents are well educated, with over 94% of adults over 25 graduating from high school, well above the US average of 86%. Furthermore, 35% have earned bachelor’s degrees or higher, versus only 29% of the total US population.


To find out more about Auburn schools, you can visit the school district's website:

Auburn Union School District Website

Downtown Auburn

Celebrating Auburn's 160+ year history, historic Auburn in downtown offers a blast from the past with its dozens of shops, eateries, and museums.

Placer County Courthouse:

Arguably the most recognizable building in Placer County, this stately courthouse was completed in 1898 on a hilltop that was once the site of bull and bear fights. The first floor of the courthouse originally held the county jail, the Sheriff's Office, the Treasurer's Office, and the County Clerk's Office. Today, the site of the old treasurer's office is now a gift shop, and the old jail is now a Museum Gallery where visitors can find out all about the rich history of Placer County.


Locally Sourced:
Most of the building materials used to erect the courthouse were sourced from the surrounding areas. The granite came from Rocklin, the bricks and terra-cotta from Lincoln, and the slate roof came from El Dorado County.

Downtown Auburn

Homes for Sale in Auburn

Share by: