California

State

Add Comparison

2019 Population

39.5M

0.113% 1-year decline

US Senator

Dianne Feinstein

Democratic Party

US Senator

Alex Padilla

Democratic Party

2019 Median Age

0.817% 1-year increase

2019 Poverty Rate

13.4%

6.46% 1-year decrease

2019 Median Household Income

$80,440

6.86% 1-year growth

2019 Median Property Value

$568,500

3.97% 1-year growth

2019 Employed Population

17.9M

1.37% 1-year growth

About

In 2019, California had a population of 39.5M people with a median age of 37 and a median household income of $80,440. Between 2018 and 2019 the population of California declined from 39.6M to 39.5M, a −0.113% decrease and its median household income grew from $75,277 to $80,440, a 6.86% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in California are White (Non-Hispanic) (36.3%), White (Hispanic) (23.1%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (14.6%), Other (Hispanic) (13.5%), and Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (5.5%). 44.5% of the households in California speak a non-English language at home as their primary language.

87.6% of the residents in California are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in California are University of Southern California (18,537 degrees awarded in 2020), University of California-Berkeley (14,796 degrees), and University of California-Los Angeles (14,523 degrees).

In 2019, the median property value in California was $568,500, and the homeownership rate was 54.9%. Most people in California drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 28.7 minutes. The average car ownership in California was 2 cars per household.

California borders Arizona, Nevada, and Oregon.

Photo by Thomas Hawk

United States

Diversity

California is home to a population of 39.5M people, from which 87.6% are citizens. As of 2019, 26.7% of California residents were born outside of the country (10.6M people).

In 2019, there were 1.57 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (14.4M people) in California than any other race or ethnicity. There were 9.13M White (Hispanic) and 5.79M Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

The most common foreign languages spoken in California are Spanish (10,683,661 speakers), Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) (1,273,978 speakers), and Tagalog (Incl. Filipino) (818,325 speakers).

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in California

White (Non-Hispanic)
14.4M ± 6.35k
White (Hispanic)
9.13M ± 65.5k
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
5.79M ± 19.6k

39.4%

Hispanic Population

15.6M people

39.4% of the people in California are hispanic (15.6M people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in California as a share of the total population.

Non-English Speakers

Most Common Languages

Spanish
10,683,661 speakers (28.8%)
Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese)
1,273,978 speakers (3.43%)
Tagalog (Incl. Filipino)
818,325 speakers (2.2%)

44.5% of California citizens are speakers of a non-English language, which is higher than the national average of 22%.

In 2019, the most common non-English language spoken in California was Spanish. 28.8% of the overall population of California are native Spanish speakers. 3.43% speak Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) and 2.2% speak Tagalog (Incl. Filipino), the next two most common languages.

Heritage

Foreign-Born Population

26.7%

2019 Foreign-Born Population

10.6M people

26.7%

2018 Foreign-Born Population

10.5M people

As of 2019, 26.7% of California residents (10.6M people) were born outside of the United States, which is higher than the national average of 13.7%. In 2018, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in California was 26.7%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in California compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Age by Nativity

Median Native-Born Age

± 0.1

Median Foreign-Born Age

± 0.2

In 2019, the median age of all people in California was 37. Native-born citizens, with a median age of 31, were generally younger than foreign-born citizens, with a median age of 49. But people in California are getting getting older. In 2018, the average age of all California residents was 37.

Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

Mexico
3,940,728 ± 46,243 people
Philippines
859,394 ± 22,511 people
China
690,995 ± 20,229 people

In 2019, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of California was Mexico, the natal country of 3,940,728 California residents, followed by Philippines with 859,394 and China with 690,995.

Citizenship

87.6%

2019 Citizenship

87.2%

2018 Citizenship

As of 2019, 87.6% of California residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.4%. In 2018, the percentage of US citizens in California was 87.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in California compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
507,809 ± 12,297
Gulf War (2001-)
320,701 ± 8,698
Gulf War (1990s)
185,635 ± 7,881

California has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.58 times greater than any other conflict.

COVID-19

Daily New Cases by Date

Hospitalization data for some states may be delayed or not reported.

Y-Axis

This chart shows the number of COVID-19 daily new cases by date in California, as a 7-day rolling average, compared with the four states with the most similar number of confirmed cases.

View Full Dashboard

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in California (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

View Full Dashboard

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

Y-Axis

8.45%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between May 2020 and May 2021

As of May 2021, there are 145M people employed in California. This represents a 8.45% increase in employment when compared to May 2020.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in California.

View Full Dashboard

Community Mobility

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

This chart presents movement trends over time in the state of California across different categories of places such as retail and recreation, groceries and pharmacies, parks, transit stations, workplaces, and residential.

View Full Dashboard

Economy

Median household income in California is $80,440. In 2019, the county with the highest Median Household Income in California was San Mateo County, CA with a value of $138,500, followed by Santa Clara County, CA and San Francisco County, CA, with respective values of $133,076 and $123,859.

Males in California have an average income that is 1.26 times higher than the average income of females, which is $64,688. The income inequality in California (measured using the Gini index) is 0.497, which is higher than than the national average.

The economy of California employs 17.9M people. The largest industries in California are Restaurants & Food Services (1,202,516 people), Construction (1,099,855 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (1,010,372 people), and the highest paying industries are Internet publishing, broadcasting & web search portals ($200,613), Software publishing ($159,364), and Securities, commodities, funds, trusts & other financial investments ($149,218).

Wages

Median Household Income

$80,440

2019 value

± $313

6.86%

1 Year Growth

± 0.537%

Households in California have a median annual income of $80,440, which is more than the median annual income of $65,712 across the entire United States. This is in comparison to a median income of $75,277 in 2018, which represents a 6.86% annual growth.

The following chart shows how the median household income in California compares to that of its neighboring and parent geographies.

Wage by Sex in Common Jobs

$81,539

Average Male Salary in California

± $777

$64,688

Average Female Salary in California

± $649

In 2019, full-time male employees in California made 1.26 times more than female employees.

This chart shows the sex-based wage disparity in the 5 most common occupations in California by number of full-time employees.

Wage by Race and Ethnicity in Common Jobs

Highest Average Salaries by Race & Ethnicity in California

Asian
$78,217 ± $1,221
White
$67,399 ± $624
Two or More Races
$58,533 ± $1,947

In 2019 the highest paid race/ethnicity of California workers was Asian. These workers were paid 1.16 times more than White workers, who made the second highest salary of any race/ethnicity in California.

This chart shows the race- and ethnicity-based wage disparities in the 5 most common occupations in California by number of full-time employees.

Wage Distribution

0.497

2019 Wage GINI in California

0.499

2018 Wage GINI in California

In 2019, the income inequality in California was 0.497 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.308% decline from 2018 to 2019, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for California was higher than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in California in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in California across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

In 2019, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in California was San Mateo County, CA with a value of $138,500, followed by Santa Clara County, CA and San Francisco County, CA, with respective values of $133,076 and $123,859.

The following map shows all of the counties in California colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Poverty by Age and Sex

Females 25 - 34

Largest Demographic Living in Poverty

13.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in California (5.15M out of 38.5M people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.3%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 35 - 44.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Poverty by Race and Ethnicity

Largest Race or Ethnicity Living in Poverty

White
2,814,013 ± 13,479
Hispanic
2,660,658 ± 12,718
Other
1,006,009 ± 8,044

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in California is White, followed by Hispanic and Other.

Occupations

Employment by Occupations

17.9M

2019 Value

1.37%

1 Year growth

± 1.37%

From 2018 to 2019, employment in California grew at a rate of 1.37%, from 17.7M employees to 17.9M employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in California, are Other managers (478,313 people), Cashiers (408,939 people), and Retail salespersons (374,853 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of California.

Most Common

The most common jobs held by residents of California, by number of employees, are Other managers (478,313 people), Cashiers (408,939 people), and Retail salespersons (374,853 people).

Most Specialized

Compared to other states, California has an unusually high number of residents working as Graders & sorters, agricultural products (3.25 times higher than expected), Actors (3.17 times), and Miscellaneous agricultural workers, including animal breeders (2.66 times).

Highest Paid

The highest paid jobs held by residents of California, by average salary, are Surgeons ($349,534), Physicians ($246,893), and Nurse anesthetists ($237,137).

Industries

Employment by Industries

17.9M

2019 Value

1.37%

1 Year growth

± 1.37%

From 2018 to 2019, employment in California grew at a rate of 1.37%, from 17.7M employees to 17.9M employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in California, are Restaurants & Food Services (1,202,516 people), Construction (1,099,855 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (1,010,372 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of California, though some of these residents may live in California and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Most Common

The most common industries in California, by number of employees, are Restaurants & Food Services (1,202,516 people), Construction (1,099,855 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (1,010,372 people).

Most Specialized

Compared to other states, California has an unusually high number of Internet publishing, broadcasting & web search portals (3.4 times higher than expected), Support activities for agriculture & forestry (3.33 times), and Motion pictures & video industries (3 times) industries.

Highest Paying

The highest paying industries in California, by average salary, are Internet publishing, broadcasting & web search portals ($200,613), Software publishing ($159,364), and Securities, commodities, funds, trusts & other financial investments ($149,218).

Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from California to other states, or from other states to California.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

In 2020, the top outbound California product (by dollars) was Electronics with $407B, followed by Pharmaceuticals ($158B) and Mixed freight ($149B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound California products.

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for California.

$2.26T

2020 Value in California

$4.61T

Projected 2050 Value in California

104% growth

In 2020, total outbound California trade was $2.26T. This is expected to increase 104% to $4.61T by 2050.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound California trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from California to other states, or from other states to California.

Most Common Trade Partners

Texas
$83.5B
Arizona
$44.4B
Ohio
$43.3B

In 2020, the top outbound California domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Texas with $83.5B, followed by Arizona with $44.4B and Ohio and $43.3B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that California shares with each state (excluding itself).

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in California went to Joseph R Biden Jr. with 63.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (34.3%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.07%). The most partisan county was San Francisco County, CA with 85.3% of the vote going to Joseph R Biden Jr. running for the Democratic Party.

Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla are the senators currently representing the state of California. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

California is currently represented by 53 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

2020 Election Results

Joseph R Biden Jr. (63.5%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (34.3%)
Republican Party
Jo Jorgensen (1.07%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in California went to Joseph R Biden Jr. with 63.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (34.3%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.07%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in California for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Presidential Popular Vote by County

Joseph R Biden Jr.

Popular Vote for California

63.5% for the Democratic Party

Most Partisan Counties in California

San Francisco County, CA
85.3% for Joseph R Biden Jr. (Democratic Party)
Marin County, CA
82.3% for Joseph R Biden Jr. (Democratic Party)
Alameda County, CA
80.2% for Joseph R Biden Jr. (Democratic Party)

In the 2020 presidential election, the most partisan county in California was San Francisco County, CA with 85.3% of the vote going to Joseph R Biden Jr. running for the Democratic Party.

The following map shows the counties in California colored by their party leaning.

US Senators from California

Dianne Feinstein

Senator from California

Assumed office on November 10, 1992
Elected to the seat to succeed John Seymour (California politician)|John Seymour, who had been appointed to the seat after Pete Wilson was elected Governor of California.

Alex Padilla

Senator from California

Assumed office on January 20, 2021
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Kamala Harris, who had become Vice President of the United States.

Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla are the senators currently representing California.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in California over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representatives from California

California is currently represented by 53 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for California have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2020, universities in California awarded 714,628 degrees. The student population of California is skewed towards women, with 1,133,744 male students and 1,533,146 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in California are Hispanic or Latino (262,606 and 39.5%), followed by White (193,919 and 29.2%), Asian (106,394 and 16%), and Black or African American (34,839 and 5.24%).

The largest universities in California by number of degrees awarded are University of Southern California (18,537 and 2.59%), University of California-Berkeley (14,796 and 2.07%), and University of California-Los Angeles (14,523 and 2.03%).

The most popular majors in California are Liberal Arts & Sciences (94,556 and 13.2%), General Business Administration & Management (56,831 and 7.95%), and General Psychology (27,163 and 3.8%).

The median tuition costs in California are $32,400 for private four year colleges, and $5,742 and $17,622 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
27,457 degree-majorss awarded
General Psychology
13,973 degree-majorss awarded
General Biological Sciences
8,604 degree-majorss awarded

In 2020, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in California was General Business Administration & Management with 27,457 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in California according to their major.

Universities

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

University of Southern California
18,537 degrees awarded
University of California-Berkeley
14,796 degrees awarded
University of California-Los Angeles
14,523 degrees awarded

$5,742

Median In-State Public

$32,400

Median Private

In 2020, the California institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Southern California with 18,537 degrees awarded.

Student Sex for Common Institutions

289,998

Degrees Awarded to Men

424,630

Degrees Awarded to Women

In 2020, 289,998 men were awarded degrees from institutions in California, which is 0.683 times less than the 424,630 female students who received degrees in the same year.

This chart displays the sex disparity between the top 5 institutions in California by degrees awarded.

Student Race and Ethnicity

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

Hispanic or Latino
262,606 degrees awarded
White
193,919 degrees awarded
Asian
106,394 degrees awarded

In 2020 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions in California was Hispanic or Latino students. These 262,606 degrees mean that there were 1.35 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 193,919 degrees awarded.

Housing & Living

The median property value in California was $568,500 in 2019, which is 2.36 times larger than the national average of $240,500. Between 2018 and 2019 the median property value increased from $546,800 to $568,500, a 3.97% increase. The homeownership rate in California is 54.9%, which is lower than the national average of 64.1%. People in California have an average commute time of 28.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in California is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property Value

$568,500

2019 Median

± $2,502

$546,800

2018 Median

± $2,008

In 2019, the median property value in California grew to to $568,500 from the previous year's value of $546,800.

The following charts display, first, the property values in California compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies and, second, owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property value buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In California the largest share of households have a property value in the $500k - $750k range.

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$80,440

Median Household Income

± $313

13.2M

Number of Households

± 59,968

In 2019, the median household income of the 13.2M households in California grew to $80,440 from the previous year's value of $75,277.

The following chart displays the households in California distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

Property Taxes

$3k+

Average Range

This chart shows the households in California distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In California the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

Rent vs Own

54.9%

2019 Homeownership

54.8%

2018 Homeownership

In 2019, 54.9% of the housing units in California were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 54.8%.

This percentage of owner-occupation is lower than the national average of 64.1%. This chart shows the ownership percentage in California compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Commute Time

28.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in California have a longer commute time (28.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26 minutes). Additionally, 4.62% of the workforce in California have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in California compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2019

Drove Alone (73.5%)
Carpooled (9.83%)
Worked At Home (6.34%)

In 2019, 73.5% of workers in California drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.83%) and those who worked at home (6.34%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Transportation

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in California distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in California have 2 cars, followed by false.

Health

92.3% of the population of California has health coverage, with 46.8% on employee plans, 22.6% on Medicaid, 10.1% on Medicare, 11.6% on non-group plans, and 1.14% on military or VA plans.

Per capita personal health care spending in California was $7,549 in 2014. This is a 4.04% increase from the previous year ($7,256).

Primary care physicians in California see 1254 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.555% decrease from the previous year (1261 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1149 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 268 patients per year.

Comparing across all counties in the state, Amador County has the highest prevalence of diabetes (17%). Additionally, Colusa County has the highest prevalence of adult obesity (39%)

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,254 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in California

Primary care physicians in California see an average of 1,254 patients per year. This represents a 0.555% decrease from the previous year (1,261 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in California in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Behavioral Health Conditions

Data only available at the state level.

State with the Highest Prevalence

West Virginia
8.26% of the population affected
Arkansas
8.13% of the population affected
New Hampshire
7.98% of the population affected

In 2016, West Virginia had the highest prevalence of adults with major depressive episode, with 8.26% of the population affected. The second highest is Arkansas (8.13%), followed by New Hampshire (7.98%).

The following map shows the percent of individuals with major depressive episode by state over multiple years.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Access and Quality

Data only available at state level.

Most prevalent states

Mississippi
19.2% of adults
Texas
17.9% of adults
Louisiana
17.6% of adults

In 2016, Mississippi had the highest prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost, at 19.2%. It is followed by Texas (17.9%) and Louisiana (17.6%).

The following map shows the prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost by state over multiple years.

Health Care Spending

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

$7,549

Total Per Capita Spending on Personal Health Care in California

$4,735

Per Enrollee Private Health Insurance Spending on Personal Health Care

$5,368

Per Enrollee Medicaid Spending on Personal Health Care

$11,833

Per Enrollee Medicare Spending on Personal Health Care

Between 2013 and 2014, all personal health care spending per capita in California (including private, Medicare, and Medicaid) grew 4.04%, from $7,256 to $7,549.

The following chart shows how this spending changed over time in comparison to Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance spending, per enrollee.

Health Care Coverage

7.7%

Uninsured

46.8%

Employer Coverage

22.6%

Medicaid

10.1%

Medicare

11.6%

Non-Group

1.14%

Military or VA

Between 2018 and 2019, the percent of uninsured citizens in California grew by 6.42% from 7.23% to 7.7%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in California changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.