Blue Lake, California Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 982, Blue Lake's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Blue Lake is a small community located in California, within Humboldt County. The total population is 982. It ranks as the 1068th most populous out of 1,570 Census-designated places in California.

Age Demographics

The median age in Blue Lake is 61.0 years. This is 61% higher than the state median of 37.9 years. Only 8.8% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Blue Lake is $53,594. This is 46% lower than the state median of $99,122. It is also 34% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 16.1%. This is 34% higher than the state poverty rate of 12.0%. The unemployment rate is 10.0%. This is 51% higher than the state rate of 6.6%. The median home value is $445,200. Housing costs are 39% lower than the state median of $734,700. The home-value-to-income ratio of 8.3x suggests that housing affordability is a significant concern for many residents. 54.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 3% lower than the state average of 55.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

Blue Lake has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 89.3% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 2.6%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (89.3% vs 33.8%). The Hispanic or Latino population (2.6%) is well below the state average of 40.2%.

Education

38.8% 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 95.1%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Blue Lake, 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.