Alta Sierra (Nevada County), California Demographics & Population 2026

Population Overview

Alta Sierra (Nevada County) is a small city located in California, within Nevada County. The total population is 7,361. It ranks as the 565th most populous out of 1,570 Census-designated places in California.

Age Demographics

The median age in Alta Sierra (Nevada County) is 55.0 years. This is 45% higher than the state median of 37.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Alta Sierra (Nevada County) is $105,603. This is 7% 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 6.3%. This is 48% lower than the state poverty rate of 12.0%. The unemployment rate is 3.1%. This is 54% lower than the state rate of 6.6%. The median home value is $563,700. Housing costs are 23% lower than the state median of $734,700. The home-value-to-income ratio is 5.3x. 87.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 56% higher than the state average of 55.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

Alta Sierra (Nevada County) has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 85.2% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 7.6%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (85.2% vs 33.8%). The Black or African American population (0.0%) is well below the state average of 5.2%. The Hispanic or Latino population (7.6%) is well below the state average of 40.2%. The Asian population (1.6%) is well below the state average of 15.3%.

Education

39.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 5% 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 96.7%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Alta Sierra (Nevada County), California is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against California state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 1,570 Census-designated places in California. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.