The now-decommissioned 918MW Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Station was built in Herald; its site is now the location of the 1000MW gas-fired Cosumnes Power Plant and an 11 MW solar installation.

The nuclear plant's disused cooling towers remain standing, and are the largest buildings in California's Central Valley.

[3] Nearby Rancho Seco Recreational Park features a lake originally created to serve as an emergency backup water supply for the plant.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP covers an area of 7.9 square miles (20.5 km2), 99.72% of it land and 0.28% of it water.

There were 376 housing units at an average density of 47.6 per square mile (18.4/km2), of which 295 (84.3%) were owner-occupied, and 55 (15.7%) were occupied by renters.