Paloma, California Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 450, Paloma'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

Paloma is a small community located in California. The total population is 450. It ranks as the 1241st most populous out of 1,570 Census-designated places in California.

Age Demographics

The median age in Paloma is 54.1 years. This is 43% higher than the state median of 37.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The ACS records no residents below the poverty line in Paloma. 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 Paloma, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. The median home value is $427,000. Housing costs are 42% lower than the state median of $734,700. 100.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 79% higher than the state average of 55.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Paloma is White (non-Hispanic), making up 55.1% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 12.9%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (55.1% vs 33.8%). The Hispanic or Latino population (12.9%) is well below the state average of 40.2%.

Education

0.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is among the lowest rates in the state, which may correlate with employment and income patterns. 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.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Paloma, 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.