Soda Bay, California Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 802, Soda Bay'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

Soda Bay is a small community located in California, within Lake County. The total population is 802. It ranks as the 1122nd most populous out of 1,570 Census-designated places in California.

Age Demographics

The median age in Soda Bay is 55.3 years. This is 46% higher than the state median of 37.9 years. Only 7.1% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children. 11.5% 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 Soda Bay is $81,806. This is 17% lower than the state median of $99,122. It is also 1% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 3.9%. This is 68% lower than the state poverty rate of 12.0%. This exceptionally low poverty rate indicates strong economic prosperity across the community. The unemployment rate is 0.2%. This is 97% lower than the state rate of 6.6%. The median home value is $358,600. Housing costs are 51% lower than the state median of $734,700. The home-value-to-income ratio is 4.4x. 90.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 62% higher than the state average of 55.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Soda Bay is White (non-Hispanic), making up 69.1% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 15.3%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (69.1% vs 33.8%). The Black or African American population (0.1%) is well below the state average of 5.2%. The Hispanic or Latino population (15.3%) is well below the state average of 40.2%. The Asian population (1.9%) is well below the state average of 15.3%.

Education

36.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 2% 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 91.3%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Soda Bay, 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.