Lake of the Woods, California Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 796, Lake of the Woods'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

Lake of the Woods is a small community located in California, within Kern County. The total population is 796. It ranks as the 1127th most populous out of 1,570 Census-designated places in California.

Age Demographics

The median age in Lake of the Woods is 51.7 years. This is 36% higher than the state median of 37.9 years. 11.9% 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 Lake of the Woods is $66,036. This is 33% lower than the state median of $99,122. It is also 18% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 11.1%. This is 8% lower than the state poverty rate of 12.0%. The unemployment rate is 23.7%. This is 258% higher than the state rate of 6.6%. The median home value is $276,300. Housing costs are 62% lower than the state median of $734,700. The home-value-to-income ratio is 4.2x. 60.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 9% higher than the state average of 55.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Lake of the Woods is White (non-Hispanic), making up 84.4% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 13.2%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (84.4% vs 33.8%). The Hispanic or Latino population (13.2%) is well below the state average of 40.2%.

Education

18.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 49% 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 80.0%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Lake of the Woods, 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.