Pajaro Dunes, California Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 143, Pajaro Dunes'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

Pajaro Dunes is a small community located in California, within Santa Cruz County. The total population is 143. It ranks as the 1422nd most populous out of 1,570 Census-designated places in California.

Age Demographics

The median age in Pajaro Dunes is 73.2 years. This is 93% higher than the state median of 37.9 years. 37.8% 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 Pajaro Dunes is $112,500. This is 13% higher than the state median of $99,122. It is also 39% higher than the national median of $80,734. The ACS records no residents below the poverty line in Pajaro Dunes. 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 survey records no unemployed residents in Pajaro Dunes, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. The median home value is $1,750,000. Housing costs are 138% higher than the state median of $734,700. The home-value-to-income ratio of 15.6x suggests that housing affordability is a significant concern for many residents. 100.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 79% higher than the state average of 55.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

Every resident counted in Pajaro Dunes was recorded as White (non-Hispanic). A figure of exactly 100.0% reflects a survey sample too small to capture the community's full composition rather than a precise measurement.

Education

66.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Pajaro Dunes in the top 10% of all cities in the state for educational attainment. This is 79% 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, 31.5% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Pajaro Dunes, 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.