Lake County, California Demographics 2026

Demographic data: ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimates. Sources and methodology

Lake County, California has a population of 68,152, the 40th most populous county in California. The median household income is $60,621 and the median home value is $324,300. The poverty rate is 17.0%.

Lake County Quick Facts

Population 68,152

Median Household Income $60,62190% MOE ±$2,557

Median Home Value $324,30090% MOE ±$13,839

Poverty Rate 17.0%90% MOE ±1.6 pts

Unemployment Rate 11.1%90% MOE ±1.9 pts

Median Age 44.1 years90% MOE ±0.4 years

Homeownership Rate 72.2%90% MOE ±2.6 pts

Affordability Ratio 5.3x

Bachelor's Degree+ 17.8%90% MOE ±1.5 pts

Adults 25+ with high school education or higher 87.6%

Cities/Places 15

Population 68,152 40th of 58

Median Income $60,621 39% lower than state

Poverty Rate 17.0%

Unemployment 11.1%

How Lake County Changed

Change from the non-overlapping 2015–2019 ACS period to 2020–2024. Earlier dollar figures are adjusted to 2024 dollars; changes marked “no clear change” are within the combined 90% margins of error.

Metric	2015–2019	2020–2024	Change
Population	64,195	68,152	+6.2%
Median household income	$57,892	$60,621	No clear change (+4.7%)
Median home value¹	$270,017	$324,300	+20.1%
Median gross rent	$1,204	$1,368	+13.7%

¹ The Census Bureau changed its home-value inflation adjustment beginning with the 2022 ACS; interpret that comparison with additional caution.

Median Household Income

Lake

$60,621

$99,122

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Lake

$324,300

$734,700

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 21.1%

$25K-$50K 20.1%

$50K-$100K 28.8%

$100K+ 30.0%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

6.0%

$10K-$15K

5.5%

$15K-$20K

5.1%

$20K-$25K

4.5%

$25K-$30K

4.1%

$30K-$35K

4.2%

$35K-$40K

4.3%

$40K-$45K

4.3%

$45K-$50K

3.3%

$50K-$60K

8.1%

$60K-$75K

11.2%

$75K-$100K

9.6%

$100K-$125K

8.9%

$125K-$150K

5.5%

$150K-$200K

7.5%

$200K+

8.1%

Employment

11.1% Unemployment Rate State: 6.6%|National: 5.2%

51.6% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 72.2%

Renter 27.8%

Affordability Index Expensive

5.3x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $1,368/mo 27.1% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

21.9%

18-34

17.4%

35-54

22.5%

55-74

28.6%

75+

9.6%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

Moderate Diversity

Moderate diversity with one or two groups making up the majority.

State average: 70 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Lake County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Clearlake	16,659	$41,867	25.5%	$214,200
Hidden Valley Lake	5,872	$84,152	7.8%	$394,800
Lakeport	5,113	$68,518	12.9%	$333,800
Clearlake Riviera	4,122	$89,395	6.1%	$328,500
Kelseyville	4,011	$45,663	23.1%	N/A
Lucerne	3,435	$56,625	19.4%	$243,500
North Lakeport	2,995	$64,125	21.5%	$410,300
Nice	2,569	$52,014	16.0%	$172,800
Clearlake Oaks	2,198	$35,938	21.4%	$250,900
Middletown	1,572	N/A	8.1%	$403,900
Upper Lake	1,374	$110,417	10.5%	$361,800
Spring Valley (Lake County)	853	$48,679	23.4%	$340,200
Cobb	842	$120,250	5.2%	$392,400
Soda Bay	802	$81,806	3.9%	$358,600
Lower Lake	635	$31,652	29.0%	$327,600

Explore California Rankings

Cities by Population All cities ranked by size Richest Cities Ranked by median income Most Educated By bachelor's degree rate Most Affordable By housing affordability

Population Overview

Lake County is located in California with a total population of 68,152. It is the 40th most populous county out of 58 in California. The county encompasses 15 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Lake County is 44.1 years. This is 16% higher than the state median of 37.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Lake County is $60,621. This is 39% lower than the state median of $99,122. It is also 25% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 17.0%. This is 41% higher than the state poverty rate of 12.0%. The unemployment rate is 11.1%. This is 67% higher than the state rate of 6.6%. The median home value is $324,300. Housing costs are 56% lower than the state median of $734,700. The home-value-to-income ratio is 5.3x. 72.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 29% higher than the state average of 55.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Lake County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 64.0% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 24.6%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (64.0% vs 33.8%). The Black or African American population (2.0%) is well below the state average of 5.2%. The Asian population (1.4%) is well below the state average of 15.3%.

Education

17.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 52% 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 figures for Lake County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against California and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Lake County, California?

Lake County has a population of 68,152, making it the 40th most populous county in California.

What is the median income in Lake County?

The median household income in Lake County is $60,621 with a poverty rate of 17.0%.

How many cities are in Lake County, California?

Lake County contains 15 Census-designated places.