Rail Road Flat, California Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 498, Rail Road Flat'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

Rail Road Flat is a small community located in California, within Calaveras County. The total population is 498. It ranks as the 1214th most populous out of 1,570 Census-designated places in California.

Age Demographics

The median age in Rail Road Flat is 44.5 years. This is 17% higher than the state median of 37.9 years. With 28.1% of the population under 18, Rail Road Flat has a notably young demographic profile, suggesting a family-oriented community.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Rail Road Flat is $87,951. This is 11% lower than the state median of $99,122. It is also 9% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 13.1%. This is 9% higher than the state poverty rate of 12.0%. The survey records no unemployed residents in Rail Road Flat, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. The median home value is $426,100. Housing costs are 42% lower than the state median of $734,700. The home-value-to-income ratio is 4.8x. 83.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 50% higher than the state average of 55.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Rail Road Flat is White (non-Hispanic), making up 84.5% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 4.8%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (84.5% vs 33.8%). The Hispanic or Latino population (4.8%) is well below the state average of 40.2%.

Education

14.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 62% 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 95.1%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Rail Road Flat, 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.