Mendocino, California Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 574, Mendocino'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

Mendocino is a small community located in California, within Mendocino County. The total population is 574. It ranks as the 1186th most populous out of 1,570 Census-designated places in California.

Age Demographics

The median age in Mendocino is 69.2 years. This is 83% higher than the state median of 37.9 years. Only 7.0% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children. 15.7% 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 Mendocino is $80,833. This is 18% lower than the state median of $99,122. It is also about the same as the national median of $80,734. The ACS records no residents below the poverty line in Mendocino. In a community this small the estimate rests on very few survey responses, so it should be read as an absence of measurement rather than a measured absence of poverty. The unemployment rate is 8.1%. This is 23% higher than the state rate of 6.6%. 88.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 58% higher than the state average of 55.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

Mendocino has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 85.5% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 12.5%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (85.5% vs 33.8%). The Hispanic or Latino population (12.5%) is well below the state average of 40.2%. The Asian population (1.9%) is well below the state average of 15.3%.

Education

53.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 45% higher 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. Notably, 36.5% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Mendocino, 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.