Fort Jones, California Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 562, Fort Jones'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 Jones is a small community located in California, within Siskiyou County. The total population is 562. It ranks as the 1191st most populous out of 1,570 Census-designated places in California.

Age Demographics

The median age in Fort Jones is 39.9 years. This is 5% higher than the state median of 37.9 years. With 29.7% of the population under 18, Fort Jones has a notably young demographic profile, suggesting a family-oriented community.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Fort Jones is $47,375. This is 52% lower than the state median of $99,122. It is also 41% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 30.1%. This is 150% higher than the state poverty rate of 12.0%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The unemployment rate is 4.5%. This is 32% lower than the state rate of 6.6%. The median home value is $228,700. Housing costs are 69% lower than the state median of $734,700. The home-value-to-income ratio is 4.8x. 54.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 3% lower than the state average of 55.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Fort Jones is White (non-Hispanic), making up 76.2% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 10.3%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (76.2% vs 33.8%). The Hispanic or Latino population (10.3%) is well below the state average of 40.2%.

Education

11.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 69% 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 93.0%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Fort Jones, 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.