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CITY

Palmdale

California · 161,845 residents (2025 est.) · 106.064 sq mi
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#164Largest by populationof 4,896161,845
The short version

Palmdale has roughly average household income, with a median household income of $81,770. Population has grown 41% since 2000. 17% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national rate of 36%. Median home value has more than tripled since 2000, reaching $471,000. At a median age of 33.0, residents skew younger than the country as a whole.

At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 33.0
US median: 38.9
Less educated
17% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 128%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
164,634
+41%since 2000
from 116,670 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
1,552 / sq mi
+19%since 2009
from 1,307 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
33.0
+17%since 2000
from 28.2 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:161,845 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
59K89K119K149K180K1990201020202024Palmdale
2024165K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56.9%(11,382)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 98%(13,243)
US avg: 6%
10 to 149.3%(15,299)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 198.3%(13,635)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.1%(10,017)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3413.9%(22,959)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4413.3%(21,852)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.1%(18,312)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6411.9%(19,591)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 747.5%(12,273)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 842.8%(4,673)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over0.8%(1,398)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$81,770
−4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $46,941 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$29,441
+80%since 2000
from $16,384 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
53.8%
+19.7 ptssince 2009
from 34.1% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
15.7%
−0.1 ptssince 2000
from 15.8% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.429
+5%since 2010
from 0.409 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade11.8%
US avg: 9.9%
Information11.2%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade8%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance7.5%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical6.6%
US avg: 5.1%
Other services4.8%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration2.9%
US avg: 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing1.7%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.6%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.9%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.5%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.3%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.2%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$471,000
+128%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $113,600 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,802
+57%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $630 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
66.2%
−4.8 ptssince 2000
from 71.0% in 2000
33.8% rent
Vacancy rate
4.3%
−5.2 ptssince 2009
from 9.5% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
37.8%
−12.9 ptssince 2009
from 50.7% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
59.7%
−4.6 ptssince 2009
from 64.3% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
5.8
+1%since 2009
from 5.7 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
45
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Palmdale on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic41%(47,831)
Black14.1%(16,447)
Hispanic / Latino37.7%(43,991)
Asian3.7%(4,327)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic15.5%(25,478)
Black12.8%(21,015)
Hispanic / Latino63.5%(104,593)
Asian4.6%(7,618)
Other3.6%(5,930)
Diversity Score
69
−12%since 2009
from 78 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican47.1%(77,568)
Central American12%(19,822)
Salvadoran7.6%(12,563)
Guatemalan2.5%(4,165)
South American1.4%(2,381)
Honduran1.1%(1,814)
Peruvian0.6%(988)
Nicaraguan0.5%(900)
Puerto Rican0.5%(876)
Argentine0.3%(527)
Spaniard0.3%(478)
Cuban0.3%(463)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Colombian0.2%(406)
Ecuadorian0.2%(370)
Costa Rican0.1%(131)
Chilean0%(75)
Dominican0%(51)
Asian origin
Filipino2.4%(3,905)
Vietnamese0.5%(831)
Asian Indian0.4%(719)
Japanese0.3%(474)
Chinese0.2%(379)
Pakistani0.2%(358)
Korean0.2%(353)
Cambodian0.1%(222)
Sri Lankan0.1%(160)
Thai0%(52)
Taiwanese0%(43)
+ 2 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(79)
Fijian0%(78)
Chamorro0%(76)
Tongan0%(5)
Ancestry
German3.3%(5,416)
English2.8%(4,530)
Irish2.6%(4,362)
American1.9%(3,181)
Italian1.4%(2,259)
Scottish0.7%(1,087)
French0.6%(989)
Polish0.6%(958)
Portuguese0.5%(851)
Arab0.5%(826)
West Indian0.5%(763)
+ 43 more ancestry groups with data
Russian0.4%(659)
Norwegian0.4%(630)
Swedish0.4%(609)
Nigerian0.4%(596)
Hungarian0.3%(516)
Armenian0.3%(509)
Czech0.3%(486)
Danish0.3%(413)
Welsh0.2%(303)
Egyptian0.2%(300)
British0.1%(245)
Dutch0.1%(244)
Finnish0.1%(229)
Canadian0.1%(181)
Lithuanian0.1%(177)
Scotch-Irish0.1%(173)
Haitian0.1%(168)
Jamaican0.1%(150)
Jordanian0.1%(148)
Iranian0.1%(146)
Brazilian0.1%(101)
Croatian0.1%(94)
Romanian0.1%(94)
Ethiopian0.1%(93)
Syrian0.1%(88)
Austrian0.1%(86)
Greek0%(77)
Ukrainian0%(70)
Turkish0%(64)
Barbadian0%(52)
Slovene0%(47)
Moroccan0%(46)
Serbian0%(30)
Guyanese0%(21)
Belgian0%(20)
Swiss0%(15)
Lebanese0%(13)
Slovak0%(6)
Latvian0%(4)
Iraqi0%(3)
RANKED:Largest Mexican population · Largest Central American population · Largest Salvadoran population · Largest German population · Largest English population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
17.1%
+3.8 ptssince 2000
from 13.3% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
77.2%
+3.2 ptssince 2000
from 74.0% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
5.4%
+1.6 ptssince 2000
from 3.8% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
39.9 min
+8%since 2000
from 37.0 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
72.5%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 73.2% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
14.2%
−5.1 ptssince 2009
from 19.3% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.9%
−1.7 ptssince 2009
from 2.6% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
9.1%
+6.1 ptssince 2009
from 3.0% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
0.7%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 1.0% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.1%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
4.8%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 4.4% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
8.3%
−5.1 ptssince 2011
from 13.4% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
61.3%
−1.4 ptssince 2011
from 62.7% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
15.4%
+1.5 ptssince 2009
from 13.9% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
30.4%
−27.7 ptssince 2009
from 58.1% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.4%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 49.3% in 2009
Female
50.6%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 50.7% in 2009
Foreign born
25.4%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 24.8% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
4.2%
−43.9 ptssince 2009
from 48.1% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
11.8%
+1.9 ptssince 2012
from 9.9% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
8.2%
−73.0 ptssince 2013
from 81.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
93.0%
+10.5 ptssince 2017
from 82.5% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
46.1%
−12.8 ptssince 2016
from 58.9% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
48.7%
+12.3 ptssince 2016
from 36.4% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married43.3%(26,090)
Married49.8%(29,991)
Widowed2%(1,229)
Divorced4.8%(2,910)
Women 15+
Never married39.1%(25,186)
Married46.8%(30,153)
Widowed6%(3,850)
Divorced8.2%(5,301)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Palmdale, California?

Palmdale, California has about 164,634 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Palmdale, California?

The typical household in Palmdale, California earns about $81,770 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Palmdale, California expensive?

In Palmdale, California, the median home is worth about $471,000, and the typical rent is about $1,802 a month.

How educated are people in Palmdale, California?

About 17.1% of adults age 25 and over in Palmdale, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Palmdale, California?

About 15.7% of people in Palmdale, California live below the federal poverty line.

Has Palmdale, California grown since 1990?

Yes, Palmdale, California has grown since 1990. The population has added about 95,717 residents, a change of about 139 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →