Herlong is the closest community to Sierra Army Depot; Patton Village is also very nearby. Herlong has a few hundred people, and Patton Village up to 700; both are is in Lassen County, California, which has a population of about 35,000 people. Other nearby small communities include Doyle, Janesville, and Susanville - Susanville is the largest of these, at about 18,000 people, and Janesville next, at about 1500. Most of the communities in the area have a few hundred people.

Herlong and Patton Village are on Depot grounds; Susanville is 42 miles away, taking about 42 minutes to travel. The average commute in Lassen County is about 17 minutes, but this is in the main center of population, near Susanville.

Local Housing Rental Prices: The average apartment rent in Lassen County ranges from $740 to $1400 per month, with a median of about $1000 per month.

Local Housing Purchase Prices: The average price for a house in Lassen County in the last few years was about $190,000, compared to $385,000 for California.

Short Description of the Area: Lassen County is in northeastern California, on the eastern slope of the northern Sierra Nevada and southern Cascade mountain ranges, where the northern Californian highlands turn into the Nevada high desert. The hills and mountains have light to moderate woods, but vegetation thins as one moves east.

Climate and Weather: The area has a dry climate, with up to 3" of rain in January to a fraction of an inch in summer. Winter temperatures in Lassen County range from the low 40s to low 20s, with summer temperatures ranging from the high 80s to low 50s. The area is in the rain shadow of the Sierra and Cascade ranges, and gets little rainfall or snow, and is generally protected from high winds. Summers are hot and dry. Winters are cool and dry.

Prisons: Lassen County is also the location of three prisons, the Federal Correctional Institution, Herlong, very near at hand, the maximum security High Desert State Prison and the minimum security California Correctional Center, both in Susanville.