Calpine, California Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 356, Calpine'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

Calpine is a small community located in California, within Sierra County. The total population is 356. It ranks as the 1284th most populous out of 1,570 Census-designated places in California.

Age Demographics

The median age in Calpine is 14.9 years. This is 61% lower than the state median of 37.9 years. With 50.6% of the population under 18, Calpine has a notably young demographic profile, suggesting a family-oriented community.

Economy, Income & Housing

The ACS records no residents below the poverty line in Calpine. In a community this small the estimate rests on very few survey responses, so it should be read as an absence of measurement rather than a measured absence of poverty. The unemployment rate is 50.9%. This is 670% higher than the state rate of 6.6%. The median home value is $435,700. Housing costs are 41% lower than the state median of $734,700. 100.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 79% higher than the state average of 55.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

Calpine has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 96.6% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 3.4%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (96.6% vs 33.8%). The Hispanic or Latino population (3.4%) is well below the state average of 40.2%.

Education

15.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 59% lower than the state rate of 37.1%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. No surveyed resident aged 25 or older reported leaving school before earning a high school diploma, though a rate of exactly 100% reflects the limits of a small sample.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Calpine, 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.