Furnace Creek, California Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 73, Furnace 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

Furnace Creek is a small community located in California, within Inyo County. The total population is 73. It ranks as the 1485th most populous out of 1,570 Census-designated places in California.

Age Demographics

The median age in Furnace Creek is 36.0 years. This is 5% lower than the state median of 37.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Furnace Creek is $47,917. 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 38.4%. This is 219% 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 survey records no unemployed residents in Furnace Creek, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. The median home value is $9,999. Housing costs are 99% lower than the state median of $734,700. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 0.2x, Furnace Creek is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 27.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 51% lower than the state average of 55.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Furnace Creek is White (non-Hispanic), making up 56.2% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 27.4%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (56.2% vs 33.8%).

Education

23.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 37% 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 Furnace 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.