With 14,113 people, Grass Valley is a city in California. The median age is 49.6, about 11 years above the US median. 40% of homes are owner-occupied. That trails the California median by roughly 48%. 3,191 more people live here than in 2000. The poverty rate is 22.1%, above the 12.5% national rate.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $51,764, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 49.6
US median: 38.9
Average education
33% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 86%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Grass Valley
What changed most since 1990
Median age36.9 → 49.6(+12.7 years)US over the same years: +6.0 years
Poverty rate13.8% → 22.1%(+8.4 pts)US over the same years: −0.8 pts
Hispanic share3.9% → 8.6%(+4.8 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
Grass Valley's population equals 14% of Nevada County's. Its number of households without a car equals 47% of the county's. Its number of residents living in poverty equals 28% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)26%(245)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)11.5%(108)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era26.9%(253)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War7.6%(72)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II6.2%(58)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 942 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Grass Valley, decade by decade
Grass Valley population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
9,048
$50,320
$277,448
13.1%
15.9
2000
10,922
$51,338
$259,039
17.4%
27.1
2010
12,860
$50,904
$497,889
22.9%
35.9
2020
14,016
$51,484
$416,093
26.7%
47.7
2024
14,113
$51,764
$482,200
32.8%
42.5
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
