Elk Creek, California Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 36, Elk Creek'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

Elk Creek is a small community located in California, within Glenn County. The total population is 36. It ranks as the 1534th most populous out of 1,570 Census-designated places in California.

Age Demographics

The median age in Elk Creek is 59.1 years. This is 56% higher than the state median of 37.9 years. 25.0% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Elk Creek is $85,313. This is 14% lower than the state median of $99,122. It is also 6% higher than the national median of $80,734. The ACS records no residents below the poverty line in Elk Creek. 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 survey records no unemployed residents in Elk Creek, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. The median home value is $184,400. Housing costs are 75% lower than the state median of $734,700. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.2x, Elk Creek is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 100.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 79% higher than the state average of 55.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

Every resident counted in Elk Creek was recorded as White (non-Hispanic). A figure of exactly 100.0% reflects a survey sample too small to capture the community's full composition rather than a precise measurement.

Education

14.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 61% 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 Elk Creek, 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.