Madera County, California Demographics 2026

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

Madera County, California has a population of 160,940, the 32nd most populous county in California. The median household income is $76,627 and the median home value is $393,200. The poverty rate is 19.2%.

Madera County Quick Facts

Population 160,940

Median Household Income $76,62790% MOE ±$3,129

Median Home Value $393,20090% MOE ±$7,593

Poverty Rate 19.2%90% MOE ±1.7 pts

Unemployment Rate 10.1%90% MOE ±1.2 pts

Median Age 34.6 years90% MOE ±0.2 years

Homeownership Rate 67.5%90% MOE ±1.5 pts

Affordability Ratio 5.1x

Bachelor's Degree+ 17.9%90% MOE ±1.1 pts

Adults 25+ with high school education or higher 73.1%

Cities/Places 17

Population 160,940 32nd of 58

Median Income $76,627 23% lower than state

Poverty Rate 19.2%

Unemployment 10.1%

How Madera 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	155,433	160,940	+3.5%
Median household income	$70,870	$76,627	+8.1%
Median home value¹	$309,154	$393,200	+27.2%
Median gross rent	$1,248	$1,390	+11.4%

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

Median Household Income

Madera

$76,627

$99,122

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Madera

$393,200

$734,700

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 15.6%

$25K-$50K 17.7%

$50K-$100K 30.6%

$100K+ 36.0%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

5.3%

$10K-$15K

3.3%

$15K-$20K

3.4%

$20K-$25K

3.7%

$25K-$30K

2.8%

$30K-$35K

3.7%

$35K-$40K

3.3%

$40K-$45K

3.4%

$45K-$50K

4.5%

$50K-$60K

6.1%

$60K-$75K

9.6%

$75K-$100K

14.9%

$100K-$125K

10.5%

$125K-$150K

6.6%

$150K-$200K

8.8%

$200K+

10.2%

Employment

10.1% Unemployment Rate State: 6.6%|National: 5.2%

56.4% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 67.5%

Renter 32.5%

Affordability Index Expensive

5.1x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $1,390/mo 21.8% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

27.1%

18-34

23.4%

35-54

24.4%

55-74

19.6%

75+

5.5%

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 Madera County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Madera	67,831	$63,933	25.6%	$359,900
Chowchilla	19,020	$66,514	19.6%	$364,000
Madera Acres	9,846	$78,457	16.2%	$346,800
Oakhurst	6,091	$82,056	5.5%	$392,600
Bonadelle Ranchos	5,465	$132,723	4.1%	$486,800
Yosemite Lakes	5,288	$97,813	7.3%	$374,000
Coarsegold	3,967	$80,861	6.2%	$350,000
Madera Ranchos	3,037	$126,583	10.0%	$492,600
North Fork	2,999	$71,619	15.1%	$382,600
Parksdale	2,885	$51,587	21.1%	$274,700
Parkwood	1,758	$61,645	20.8%	$237,500
Ahwahnee	1,453	$77,391	8.9%	$470,400
Fairmead	1,229	$46,680	32.4%	N/A
La Vina	789	$22,745	65.3%	N/A
Rolling Hills (Madera County)	575	$156,406	7.6%	$632,200
Nipinnawasee	558	$75,495	0.0%	$340,200
Bass Lake	499	$133,964	21.0%	N/A

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

Madera County is located in California with a total population of 160,940. It is the 32nd most populous county out of 58 in California. The county encompasses 17 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Madera County is 34.6 years. This is 9% lower than the state median of 37.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Madera County is $76,627. This is 23% lower than the state median of $99,122. It is also 5% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 19.2%. This is 60% higher than the state poverty rate of 12.0%. The unemployment rate is 10.1%. This is 53% higher than the state rate of 6.6%. The median home value is $393,200. Housing costs are 46% lower than the state median of $734,700. The home-value-to-income ratio is 5.1x. 67.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 21% higher than the state average of 55.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Madera County is Hispanic or Latino, making up 60.9% of the population. White (non-Hispanic) residents account for 29.9%. The Black or African American population (2.4%) is well below the state average of 5.2%. The Hispanic or Latino population is significantly higher than the state average (60.9% vs 40.2%). The Asian population (2.4%) is well below the state average of 15.3%.

Education

17.9% 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 73.1%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Madera 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 Madera County, California?

Madera County has a population of 160,940, making it the 32nd most populous county in California.

What is the median income in Madera County?

The median household income in Madera County is $76,627 with a poverty rate of 19.2%.

How many cities are in Madera County, California?

Madera County contains 17 Census-designated places.