Pepperdine University, California Demographics & Population 2026

Population Overview

Pepperdine University is a small community located in California, within Los Angeles County. The total population is 3,087. It ranks as the 788th most populous out of 1,570 Census-designated places in California.

Age Demographics

The median age in Pepperdine University is 20.2 years. This is 47% lower than the state median of 37.9 years. Only 5.8% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Pepperdine University is $199,432. This is 101% higher than the state median of $99,122. It is also 147% higher than the national median of $80,734. The ACS records no residents below the poverty line in Pepperdine University. 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 11.2%. This is 70% higher than the state rate of 6.6%. The median home value is $979,700. Housing costs are 33% higher than the state median of $734,700. The home-value-to-income ratio is 4.9x. 57.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 3% higher than the state average of 55.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

Pepperdine University is a highly diverse community where no single racial or ethnic group constitutes a majority of the population. Asian residents account for 22.8%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (10.9% vs 5.2%). The Hispanic or Latino population (17.0%) is well below the state average of 40.2%.

Education

90.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Pepperdine University in the top 10% of all cities in the state for educational attainment. This is 144% 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, 63.7% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Pepperdine University, 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.