California

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Population

39.5M

0.73% growth

Median Age

36.5


Median Household Income

$71,805

6% growth

Poverty Rate

15.1%


Number of Employees

17.5M

2.28% growth

Median Property Value

$509,400

6.68% growth

About

Economy

Health

Diversity

Education

Housing & Living

About

In 2017, California had a population of 39.5M people with a median age of 36.5 and a median household income of $71,805. Between 2016 and 2017 the population of California grew from 39.3M to 39.5M, a 0.73% increase and its median household income grew from $67,739 to $71,805, a 6% increase.

The population of California is 39.1% Hispanic or Latino, 37% White Alone, and 14.4% Asian Alone. 44.4% of the people in California speak a non-English language, and 87% are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in California are University of Southern California (15,664 degrees awarded in 2016), Ashford University (13,260 degrees), and University of California-Los Angeles (12,961 degrees).

The median property value in California is $509,400, and the homeownership rate is 54.8%. Most people in California commute by Drove Alone, and the average commute time is 28 minutes. The average car ownership in California is 2 cars per household.

California borders Arizona, Oregon, and Nevada.

Photo by Thomas Hawk

United States

Economy

The economy of California employs 17.5M people. The largest industries in California are Restaurants & Food Services (1,211,575 people), Elementary & secondary schools (1,018,422 people), and Construction (987,457 people), and the highest paying industries are Video tape & disk rental ($228,803), Internet publishing, broadcasting & web search portals ($175,139), and Securities, commodities, funds, trusts & other financial investments ($144,987).

Median household income in California is $71,805. Males in California have an average income that is 1.26 times higher than the average income of females, which is $59,658. The income inequality in California (measured using the Gini index) is 0.497, which is higher than than the national average.

Wages

Median Household Income

$71,805

2017 value

± $294

6%

1 Year Growth

± 0.628%

Households in California have a median annual income of $71,805, which is more than the median annual income of $60,336 across the entire United States. This is in comparison to a median income of $67,739 in 2016, which represents a 6% annual growth.

Look at the chart to see how the median household income in California compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Wage by Gender in Common Jobs

$75,050

Average Male Salary

± $702

$59,658

Average Female Salary

± $597

In 2017, full-time male employees in California made 1.26 times more than female employees.

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

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Wage by Race and Ethnicity in Common Jobs

Highest Average Salaries by Race & Ethnicity

  1. Asian

    $69,782 ± $1,103

  2. White

    $63,110 ± $578

  3. Two or More Races

    $51,776 ± $1,728

In 2017 the highest paid race/ethnicity of California workers was Asian. These workers were paid 1.11 times more than White workers, who made the second highest salary of any race/ethnicity.

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

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Wage Distribution

0.497

2017 Wage GINI

0.503

2016 Wage GINI

In 2017, the income inequality in California was 0.497 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 1.1% decline from 2016 to 2017, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even.

The 2017 the GINI for California was higher than than the national average of 0.479. 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.

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Income by Location

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Highest Median Household Income (Total)

  1. Santa Clara County, CA

  2. San Mateo County, CA

  3. Marin County, CA

In 2017, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in California was Santa Clara County, CA with a value of $119,035, followed by San Mateo County, CA and Marin County, CA, with respective values of $116,653 and $113,908.

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

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Poverty by Age and Gender

Females 25 - 34

Largest Demographic Living in Poverty

15.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in California (5.77M out of 38.2M people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 13.4%. 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.

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Poverty by Race and Ethnicity

Largest Race or Ethnicity Living in Poverty

  1. White

    3,183,011 ± 13,831

  2. Hispanic

    3,052,999 ± 12,948

  3. Other

    1,141,471 ± 8,290

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

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.

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Occupations

Employment by Occupations

17.5M

2017 Value

2.28%

1 Year growth

± 2.28%

From 2016 to 2017, employment in California grew at a rate of 2.28%, from 17.1M employees to 17.5M employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in California, are Miscellaneous managers (541,687 people), Cashiers (411,646 people), and Retail salespersons (389,671 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of California.

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Most Common

The most common jobs held by residents of California, by number of employees, are Miscellaneous managers (541,687 people), Cashiers (411,646 people), and Retail salespersons (389,671 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other states, California has an unusually high number of residents working as Graders & sorters, agricultural products (3.4 times higher than expected), Actors (2.81 times), and Miscellaneous agricultural workers, including animal breeders (2.5 times).

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Highest Paid

The highest paid jobs held by residents of California, by average salary, are Physicians & surgeons ($235,898), Petroleum, mining & geological engineers, including mining safety engineers ($209,383), and Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers ($189,681).

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Industries

Employment by Industries

17.5M

2017 Value

2.28%

1 Year growth

± 2.28%

From 2016 to 2017, employment in California grew at a rate of 2.28%, from 17.1M employees to 17.5M employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in California, are Restaurants & Food Services (1,211,575 people), Elementary & secondary schools (1,018,422 people), and Construction (987,457 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.

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Most Common

The most common industries in California, by number of employees, are Restaurants & Food Services (1,211,575 people), Elementary & secondary schools (1,018,422 people), and Construction (987,457 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other states, California has an unusually high number of Internet publishing, broadcasting & web search portals (3.59 times higher than expected), Support activities for agriculture & forestry (3.09 times), and Motion pictures & video industries (2.98 times) industries.

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Highest Paying

The highest paying industries in California, by average salary, are Video tape & disk rental ($228,803), Internet publishing, broadcasting & web search portals ($175,139), and Securities, commodities, funds, trusts & other financial investments ($144,987).

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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

  1. Electronics

    $196B

  2. Mixed freight

    $157B

  3. Gasoline

    $127B

In 2015, the top outbound California product (by dollars) was Electronics with $196B, followed by Mixed freight ($157B) and Gasoline ($127B).

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

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Domestic Trade Growth

$1.54T

2015 Value

$2.48T

Projected 2045 Value

61.2% growth

In 2015, total outbound California trade was $1.54T. This is expected to increase 61.2% to $2.48T by 2045.

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

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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

  1. Texas

    $63.1B

  2. Arizona

    $42.2B

  3. Washington

    $31.2B

In 2015, the top outbound California domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Texas with $63.1B, followed by Arizona with $42.2B and Washington and $31.2B.

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

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Health

92.8% of the population of California has health coverage, with 46% on employee plans, 23.7% on Medicaid, 9.61% on Medicare, 12.3% on non-group plans, and 1.21% on military or VA plans.

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

Primary care physicians in California see 1281 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1281 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1214 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 324 patients per year.

Comparing across all counties in the state, Tehama County has the highest prevalence of diabetes (10.6%). Additionally, Tulare County has the highest prevalence of adult obesity (33.4%)

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,281 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio

Primary care physicians in California see an average of 1,281 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,281 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 neighboring states.

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Behavioral Health Conditions

Data only available at the state level.

State with the Highest Prevalence

  1. West Virginia

    8.26% of the population affected

  2. Arkansas

    8.13% of the population affected

  3. 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.

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Access and Quality

Data only available at state level.

Most prevalent states

  1. Mississippi

    19.2% of adults

  2. Texas

    17.9% of adults

  3. 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.

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Health Care Spending

$7,549

Total Per Capita Spending on Personal Health Care 

$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.

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Health Care Coverage

7.16%

Uninsured

46%

Employer Coverage

23.7%

Medicaid

9.61%

Medicare

12.3%

Non-Group

1.21%

Military or VA

Between 2016 and 2017, the percent of uninsured citizens in California declined by 2.38% from 7.34% to 7.16%.

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.

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Health Risks

Data available at the county level.

Most at risk counties

  1. Tehama County

    10.6% prevalence

  2. San Joaquin County

    10.5% prevalence

  3. Alpine County

    10.3% prevalence

Tehama County has the highest prevalence of diabetes in California, at 10.6%.

The following map shows the prevalence of diabetes in California by county over multiple years.

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Diversity

California is home to a population of 39.5M people, from which 87% are citizens. As of 2017, 26.6% of California residents were born outside of the country (10.5M people).

The ethnic composition of the population of California is composed of 15.5M Hispanic or Latino residents (39.1%), 14.6M White Alone residents (37%), 5.68M Asian Alone residents (14.4%), 2.16M Black or African American Alone residents (5.47%), 1.21M Two or More Races residents (3.05%), 148k American Indian & Alaska Native Alone residents (0.374%), 138k Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander Alone residents (0.348%), and 107k Some Other Race Alone residents (0.271%).

The most common foreign languages spoken in California are Spanish (10,698,137 speakers), Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) (1,259,335 speakers), and Tagalog (Incl. Filipino) (804,825 speakers).

Age

Age by Nativity

30

Median Native-Born Age

± 0.2

47

Median Foreign-Born Age

± 0.1

In 2017, the median age of all people in California was 36.5. Native-born citizens, with a median age of 30, were generally younger than than foreign-born citizens, with a median age of 47. But people in California are getting getting older. In 2016, the average age of all California residents was 36.

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Heritage

Foreign-Born Population

26.6%

2017 Foreign-Born Population

10.5M people

26.6%

2016 Foreign-Born Population

10.4M people

As of 2017, 26.6% of California residents (10.5M people) were born outside of the United States, which is higher than the national average of 13.7%. In 2016, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in California was 26.6%, 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.

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Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

  1. Mexico

    4,079,391 ± 46,960 people

  2. Philippines

    859,594 ± 22,514 people

  3. China

    683,330 ± 20,119 people

In 2017, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of California was Mexico, the natal country of 4,079,391 California residents, followed by Philippines with 859,594 and China with 683,330.

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Citizenship

87%

2017 Citizenship

86.5%

2016 Citizenship

As of 2017, 87% of California residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.1%. In 2016, the percentage of US citizens in California was 86.5%, 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.

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Race and Ethnicity

Most Common

  1. Hispanic or Latino

    15.5M ± 98.1k

  2. White Alone

    14.6M ± 7.79k

  3. Asian Alone

    5.68M ± 18.8k

In 2017, there were 1.06 times more Hispanic or Latino residents (15.5M people) in California than any other race or ethnicity. There were 14.6M White Alone and 5.68M Asian Alone residents, the second and third most common racial or ethnic groups.

The following bar chart shows the 8 races and ethnicities represented in California as a share of the total population.

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Non-English Speakers

Most Common Languages

  1. Spanish

    10,698,137 speakers (28.9%)

  2. Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese)

    1,259,335 speakers (3.4%)

  3. Tagalog (Incl. Filipino)

    804,825 speakers (2.17%)

44.4% of California citizens are speakers of a non-English language, which is higher than the national average of 21.8%. In 2017, the most common non-English language spoken in California was Spanish. 28.9% of the overall population of California are native Spanish speakers. 3.4% speak Chinese (Incl. Mandarin, Cantonese) and 2.17% speak Spanish, the next two most common languages.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

  1. Vietnam

    537,498 ± 9,956

  2. Gulf War (2001-)

    305,805 ± 9,705

  3. Gulf War (1990s)

    193,952 ± 8,006

California has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.76 times greater than any other conflict.

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Education

In 2016, universities in California awarded 594,854 degrees. The student population of California is skewed towards women, with 1,241,639 male students and 1,512,878 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in California are White (188,686 and 33.9%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (187,480 and 33.7%), Asian (88,745 and 16%), and Black or African American (34,117 and 6.13%).

The largest universities in California by number of degrees awarded are University of Southern California (15,664 and 2.63%), Ashford University (13,260 and 2.23%), and University of California-Los Angeles (12,961 and 2.18%).

The most popular majors in California are General Business Administration & Management (51,606 and 8.68%), Liberal Arts & Sciences (51,542 and 8.66%), and General Psychology (21,400 and 3.6%).

The median tuition costs in California are $28,950 for private four year colleges, and $5,472 and $16,632 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Concentrations

Most Common

  1. General Business Administration & Management

    25,412 degrees awarded

  2. General Psychology

    13,370 degrees awarded

  3. General Biological Sciences

    7,559 degrees awarded

In 2015, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in California was General Business Administration & Management with 25,412 degrees awarded.

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

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Universities

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

  1. University of Southern California

    15,664 degrees awarded

  2. Ashford University

    13,260 degrees awarded

  3. University of California-Los Angeles

    12,961 degrees awarded

$5,472

Median In-State Public

$28,950

Median Private

In 2016, the California institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Southern California with 15,664 degrees awarded.

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Student Gender for Common Institutions

247,060

Degrees Awarded to Men

347,794

Degrees Awarded to Women

In 2016, 247,060 men were awarded degrees from institutions in California, which is 0.71 times less than the 347,794 female students who received degrees in the same year.

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

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Student Race and Ethnicity

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

  1. White

    188,686 degrees awarded

  2. Hispanic or Latino

    187,480 degrees awarded

  3. Asian

    88,745 degrees awarded

In 2016 the majority of degrees awarded at institutions in California were to White students. These 188,686 degrees mean that there were 1.01 times more White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 187,480 degrees awarded.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in California was $509,400 in 2017, which is 2.34 times larger than the national average of $217,600. Between 2016 and 2017 the median property value increased from $477,500 to $509,400, a 6.68% increase. The homeownership rate in California is 54.8%, which is lower than the national average of 63.9%. People in California have an average commute time of 28 minutes, and they commute by Drove Alone. Car ownership in California is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Income

Household Income

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

$71,805

Median Household Income

± $294

13M

Number of Households

± 57,642

In 2017, the median household income of the 13M households in California grew to $71,805 from the previous year's value of $67,739.

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 $75k - $100k range.

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Housing

Property Value

$509,400

2017 Median

± $2,199

$477,500

2016 Median

± $1,663

In 2017, the median property value in California grew to to $509,400 from the previous year's value of $477,500.

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.

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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.

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Rent vs Own

54.8%

2017 Homeownership

53.6%

2016 Homeownership

In 2017, 54.8% of the housing units in California were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 53.6%.

This percentage of owner-occupation is lower than the national average of 63.9%. This chart shows the ownership percentage in California compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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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 3 cars.

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Commute Time

28 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in California have a longer commute time (28 minutes) than the normal US worker (25.5 minutes). Additionally, 4.19% 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.

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Commuter Transportation

Most Common Method of Travel

  1. Drove Alone

    73.9%

  2. Carpooled

    10%

  3. Worked At Home

    5.97%

In 2017, the most common method of travel for workers in California was Drove Alone (73.9%), followed by those who Carpooled (10%) and those who Worked At Home (5.97%).

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.

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