Alpine County, California Demographics 2026

Demographic data: ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimates. Sources and methodology

Alpine County, California has a population of 1,616, the 58th most populous county in California. The median household income is $105,521 and the median home value is $590,200. The poverty rate is 10.0%.

Alpine County Quick Facts

Population 1,61690% MOE ±239

Median Household Income $105,52190% MOE ±$8,542

Median Home Value $590,20090% MOE ±$75,193

Poverty Rate 10.0%90% MOE ±2.9 pts

Unemployment Rate 4.4%90% MOE ±3.5 pts

Median Age 39.8 years90% MOE ±3.7 years

Homeownership Rate 78.2%90% MOE ±7.3 pts

Affordability Ratio 5.6x

Bachelor's Degree+ 41.1%90% MOE ±7.8 pts

Adults 25+ with high school education or higher 96.3%

Cities/Places 4

Population 1,616 58th of 58

Median Income $105,521 6% higher than state

Poverty Rate 10.0%

Unemployment 4.4%

How Alpine County Changed

Change from the non-overlapping 2015–2019 ACS period to 2020–2024. Earlier dollar figures are adjusted to 2024 dollars; changes marked “no clear change” are within the combined 90% margins of error.

Metric	2015–2019	2020–2024	Change
Population	1,039	1,616	+55.5%
Median household income	$78,458	$105,521	+34.5%
Median home value¹	$449,578	$590,200	+31.3%

¹ The Census Bureau changed its home-value inflation adjustment beginning with the 2022 ACS; interpret that comparison with additional caution.

Median Household Income

Alpine

$105,521

$99,122

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Alpine

$590,200

$734,700

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 11.9%

$25K-$50K 15.2%

$50K-$100K 17.5%

$100K+ 55.4%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

3.5%

$10K-$15K

3.2%

$15K-$20K

2.8%

$20K-$25K

2.5%

$25K-$30K

4.1%

$30K-$35K

7.1%

$35K-$40K

0.5%

$40K-$45K

0.5%

$45K-$50K

3.0%

$50K-$60K

1.4%

$60K-$75K

11.5%

$75K-$100K

4.6%

$100K-$125K

13.8%

$125K-$150K

6.0%

$150K-$200K

18.2%

$200K+

17.5%

Employment

4.4% Unemployment Rate State: 6.6%|National: 5.2%

61.4% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 78.2%

Renter 21.8%

Affordability Index Expensive

5.6x home value to income ratio

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

19.9%

18-34

23.8%

35-54

18.9%

55-74

32.7%

75+

4.8%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

High Diversity

A diverse community with significant representation from multiple racial and ethnic groups.

State average: 70 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Alpine County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Mesa Vista	445	$118,125	0.0%	$781,300
Alpine Village	210	$78,750	5.2%	$607,100
Bear Valley (Alpine County)	120	N/A	0.0%	$470,000
Markleeville	110	N/A	6.4%	$583,300

Explore California Rankings

Cities by Population All cities ranked by size Richest Cities Ranked by median income Most Educated By bachelor's degree rate Most Affordable By housing affordability

Population Overview

Alpine County is located in California with a total population of 1,616. It is the 58th most populous county out of 58 in California. The county encompasses 4 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Alpine County is 39.8 years. This is 5% higher than the state median of 37.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Alpine County is $105,521. This is 6% higher than the state median of $99,122. It is also 31% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 10.0%. This is 17% lower than the state poverty rate of 12.0%. The unemployment rate is 4.4%. This is 33% lower than the state rate of 6.6%. The median home value is $590,200. Housing costs are 20% lower than the state median of $734,700. The home-value-to-income ratio is 5.6x. 78.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 40% higher than the state average of 55.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Alpine County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 57.1% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 13.4%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (57.1% vs 33.8%). The Hispanic or Latino population (13.4%) is well below the state average of 40.2%. The Asian population (2.2%) is well below the state average of 15.3%.

Education

41.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 11% higher than the state rate of 37.1%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 96.3%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Alpine County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against California and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Alpine County, California?

Alpine County has a population of 1,616, making it the 58th most populous county in California.

What is the median income in Alpine County?

The median household income in Alpine County is $105,521 with a poverty rate of 10.0%.

How many cities are in Alpine County, California?

Alpine County contains 4 Census-designated places.