Fort Bidwell, California Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 190, Fort Bidwell'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

Fort Bidwell is a small community located in California, within Modoc County. The total population is 190. It ranks as the 1382nd most populous out of 1,570 Census-designated places in California.

Age Demographics

The median age in Fort Bidwell is 36.0 years. This is 5% lower than the state median of 37.9 years. 22.6% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The poverty rate stands at 17.3%. This is 44% higher than the state poverty rate of 12.0%. The unemployment rate is 2.5%. This is 62% lower than the state rate of 6.6%. The median home value is $168,100. Housing costs are 77% lower than the state median of $734,700. 67.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 20% higher than the state average of 55.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

Fort Bidwell is a highly diverse community where no single racial or ethnic group constitutes a majority of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 12.1%. The Hispanic or Latino population (12.1%) is well below the state average of 40.2%.

Education

24.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 33% lower 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 87.6%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Fort Bidwell, 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.