Happy Camp, California Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 539, Happy Camp'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

Happy Camp is a small community located in California, within Siskiyou County. The total population is 539. It ranks as the 1200th most populous out of 1,570 Census-designated places in California.

Age Demographics

The median age in Happy Camp is 57.6 years. This is 52% higher than the state median of 37.9 years. 13.5% 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 Happy Camp is $41,375. This is 58% lower than the state median of $99,122. It is also 49% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 16.1%. This is 34% higher than the state poverty rate of 12.0%. The unemployment rate is 24.0%. This is 264% higher than the state rate of 6.6%. The median home value is $166,400. Housing costs are 77% lower than the state median of $734,700. The home-value-to-income ratio is 4.0x. 63.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 13% higher than the state average of 55.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Happy Camp is White (non-Hispanic), making up 52.5% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 13.9%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (52.5% vs 33.8%). The Hispanic or Latino population (13.9%) is well below the state average of 40.2%.

Education

20.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 44% 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 90.2%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Happy Camp, 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.