▁U . S . ▁state ▁of ▁Nev ada . ▁As ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁census , ▁the ▁population ▁was ▁ 7 8 3 , ▁making ▁it ▁the ▁least ▁popul ous ▁county ▁in ▁Nev ada . ▁Es mer al da ▁County ▁does ▁not ▁have ▁any ▁incorpor ated ▁communities . ▁Its ▁county ▁seat ▁is ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Gold field . ▁ ▁Its ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁census ▁population ▁density ▁of ▁ ▁was ▁the ▁second - low est ▁of ▁any ▁county ▁in ▁the ▁cont igu ous ▁United ▁States ▁( above ▁L oving ▁County , ▁Texas ). ▁Its ▁school ▁district ▁does ▁not ▁have ▁a ▁high ▁school , ▁so ▁students ▁in ▁gr ades ▁ 9 – 1 2 ▁go ▁to ▁school ▁in ▁Ton op ah , ▁in ▁the ▁N ye ▁County ▁School ▁District . ▁ ▁Es mer al da ▁is ▁the ▁only ▁Nev ada ▁county ▁in ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁TV ▁market ▁( or ▁any ▁California ▁market ) ▁as ▁defined ▁by ▁The ▁N iel sen ▁Corporation . ▁ ▁History ▁Es mer al da ▁County ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁original ▁count ies ▁in ▁Nev ada , ▁established ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 1 . ▁When ▁it ▁was ▁organized , ▁it ▁compr ised ▁the ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Nev ada ▁Territ ory ▁south ▁of ▁the ▁ 3 9 th ▁parallel ▁and ▁east ▁of ▁Mason ▁Valley . ▁Es mer al da ▁is ▁the ▁Spanish ▁and ▁Portuguese ▁word ▁for ▁" emer ald ". ▁An ▁early ▁California ▁min er ▁from ▁San ▁Jose ▁Ca , ▁James ▁Mann ing ▁C ory , ▁named