CITY
Palmdale
California · 161,845 residents (2025 est.) · 106 sq mi
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Part of the Los Angeles metro area
Notable rankings
#164Largest by populationof 4,896161,845The short version
With 164,634 people, Palmdale is a city in California. 17% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. The median age is 33.0, younger than the US median of 38.9. Growth has run 41% since 2000, or 47,964 more people. The average commute runs 40 minutes. The foreign-born share is 25%.
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
164,634
+41%since 2000
from 116,670 in 2000
161,845 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
106 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024165K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56.9%(11,382)
5 to 98%(13,243)
10 to 149.3%(15,299)
15 to 198.3%(13,635)
20 to 246.1%(10,017)
25 to 3413.9%(22,959)
35 to 4413.3%(21,852)
45 to 5411.1%(18,312)
55 to 6411.9%(19,591)
65 to 747.5%(12,273)
75 to 842.8%(4,673)
85 and over0.8%(1,398)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$81,770
−4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $46,941 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
53.8%
+19.7 ptssince 2009
from 34.1% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade11.8%
Information11.2%
Wholesale trade8%
Finance & insurance7.5%
Professional, scientific, technical6.6%
Other services4.8%
Public administration2.9%
Transportation & warehousing1.7%
Arts, entertainment, food1.6%
Education & health services0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.5%
Construction0.3%
Manufacturing0.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$471,000
+128%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $113,600 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
5.8
+1%since 2009
from 5.7 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
45
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
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)
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)
Panamanian0%(79)
Chilean0%(75)
Dominican0%(51)
Venezuelan0%(8)
Bolivian0%(7)
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)
Indonesian0%(46)
Taiwanese0%(43)
+ 2 more asian origin groups with data
Nepalese0%(15)
Bangladeshi0%(10)
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.2%(278)
Samoan0%(79)
Fijian0%(78)
Chamorro0%(76)
Guamanian0%(7)
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)
Subsaharan African0.6%(1,025)
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)
French Canadian0.1%(93)
Ethiopian0.1%(93)
Syrian0.1%(88)
Austrian0.1%(86)
Greek0%(77)
Ukrainian0%(70)
Turkish0%(64)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0%(63)
Barbadian0%(52)
Slovene0%(47)
Moroccan0%(46)
Palestinian0%(43)
Serbian0%(30)
Guyanese0%(21)
Belgian0%(20)
Swiss0%(15)
Lebanese0%(13)
Slovak0%(6)
Latvian0%(4)
Iraqi0%(3)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
77.2%
+3.2 ptssince 2000
from 74.0% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
65.7%
+2.5 ptssince 2020
from 63.2% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
96.4%
+2.5 ptssince 2020
from 93.9% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
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
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
7.0%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 7.6% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
1.2%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 1.5% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
52.3%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 52.9% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
46.5%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 45.6% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
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)32.8%(1,591)
Gulf War (1990s)23%(1,113)
Vietnam era30.9%(1,498)
Korean War4.9%(238)
World War II0.2%(11)
Share of the 4,847 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
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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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CaliforniaDATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024