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CITY

Poway

California · 49,180 residents (2025 est.) · 39.1 sq mi
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Part of the San Diego metro area
The short version

With 48,713 people, Poway is a city in California. Home values have more than tripled since 2000, reaching $1,034,800. 54% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, against 36% nationally. Households here earn about 50% more than in California as a whole. Median household income runs $148,359, well clear of the $82,259 US median. Few US cities rank higher on income.

At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $148,359, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 41.2
US median: 38.9
More educated
54% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 108%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Poway

What changed most since 1990

  • White share85.4% → 57.8% (−27.6 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
  • Median home value (2024 dollars)$526,575 → $1,034,800 (+97%)US over the same years: +67%

Among the 57 cities and towns in the San Diego metro

  • 10th in household income$148,359
  • 10th in share with a bachelor's degree54.2%
  • 11th in home value$1,034,800
  • 20th in diversity score75.9
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
48,713
+1%since 2000
from 48,044 in 2000
49,180 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
1,247 / sq mi
+1%since 2000
from 1,229 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
41.2
+12%since 2000
from 36.9 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
39.1 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
43K45K47K49K51K19902000201020202024Poway
202449K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56.3%(3,048)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 97.1%(3,455)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.3%(3,083)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.1%(2,994)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 243.9%(1,880)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3411.4%(5,538)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4414%(6,843)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412.7%(6,209)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6413.2%(6,411)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7412.1%(5,888)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.1%(2,505)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.8%(859)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$148,359
+14%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $71,708 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$63,948
+115%since 2000
from $29,788 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
75.9%
+14.5 ptssince 2009
from 61.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
5.6%
+1.4 ptssince 2000
from 4.3% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.425
+1%since 2010
from 0.420 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade12.4%
US avg: 9.9%
Information7.6%
US avg: 10.8%
Other services5.6%
US avg: 6.7%
Wholesale trade4.9%
US avg: 6.9%
Public administration3.8%
US avg: 4.8%
Finance & insurance3.4%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical2.5%
US avg: 5.1%
Arts, entertainment, food2.3%
US avg: 1.9%
Transportation & warehousing1.5%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services0.9%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.5%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.5%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$1,034,800
+108%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $272,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$2,301
+39%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $910 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
75.2%
−2.5 ptssince 2000
from 77.7% in 2000
24.8% rent
Vacancy rate
3.0%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 3.5% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.93 people
−2%since 2009
from 3.00 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
26.4%
−10.5 ptssince 2009
from 36.9% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
51.3%
+5.8 ptssince 2009
from 45.6% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
7.0
+4%since 2009
from 6.7 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
60
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic77.2%(37,092)
Black1.6%(752)
Hispanic / Latino10.4%(4,974)
Asian7.3%(3,530)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic57.8%(28,177)
Black2.7%(1,329)
Hispanic / Latino18.8%(9,178)
Asian12.3%(5,999)
Other8.3%(4,030)
Diversity Score
76
+35%since 2009
from 56 in 2009
1990 – 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
Mexican15.5%(7,538)
Puerto Rican0.6%(274)
Peruvian0.3%(145)
Spaniard0.3%(145)
Guatemalan0.3%(124)
Dominican0.2%(100)
Ecuadorian0.1%(72)
Cuban0.1%(54)
Venezuelan0.1%(48)
Costa Rican0.1%(46)
+ 4 more hispanic origin groups with data
Nicaraguan0.1%(28)
Honduran0%(21)
Colombian0%(13)
Argentine0%(10)
Asian origin
Filipino3.9%(1,890)
Chinese2.3%(1,118)
Vietnamese1.9%(935)
Asian Indian1.8%(860)
Japanese1.1%(549)
Korean0.5%(267)
Taiwanese0.2%(84)
Laotian0.1%(54)
Pakistani0.1%(52)
Sri Lankan0.1%(26)
Thai0%(24)
Cambodian0%(20)
+ 1 more asian origin group with data
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.1%(69)
Chamorro0%(11)
Ancestry
English13.2%(6,419)
German12.4%(6,026)
Irish10.8%(5,245)
Italian5.4%(2,654)
American4.1%(2,016)
Scottish2.8%(1,342)
Polish2.5%(1,201)
Norwegian2.1%(1,039)
French1.8%(889)
Arab1.6%(793)
Russian1.5%(712)
Swedish1.4%(703)
+ 40 more ancestry groups with data
Iranian1.3%(614)
Dutch1.2%(579)
Welsh1%(479)
Lebanese0.7%(351)
Greek0.6%(311)
Scotch-Irish0.6%(303)
British0.6%(297)
Czech0.5%(228)
Ukrainian0.5%(228)
Danish0.4%(198)
Swiss0.3%(164)
Moroccan0.3%(151)
Bulgarian0.2%(117)
West Indian0.2%(116)
Austrian0.2%(112)
Portuguese0.2%(112)
Canadian0.2%(111)
Finnish0.2%(102)
Armenian0.2%(95)
Hungarian0.2%(95)
Brazilian0.2%(79)
Israeli0.2%(75)
Jamaican0.1%(72)
Ethiopian0.1%(63)
Palestinian0.1%(53)
Lithuanian0.1%(50)
Kenyan0.1%(47)
Nigerian0.1%(42)
Australian0.1%(37)
Macedonian0.1%(26)
Turkish0.1%(25)
Serbian0%(23)
Syrian0%(22)
Romanian0%(21)
Latvian0%(18)
Slovak0%(18)
Croatian0%(13)
Belgian0%(4)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
54.2%
+14.9 ptssince 2000
from 39.3% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
94.1%
+1.0 ptssince 2000
from 93.1% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
23.2%
+9.0 ptssince 2000
from 14.2% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
25.3 min
+45%since 2000
from 17.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
64.8%
−13.9 ptssince 2009
from 78.7% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
6.7%
−4.0 ptssince 2009
from 10.8% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.5%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 1.1% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
23.9%
+18.5 ptssince 2009
from 5.5% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
2.3%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 1.8% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.5%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.5% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
2.7%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 3.6% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.2%
−1.1 ptssince 2011
from 6.2% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
63.9%
−3.7 ptssince 2011
from 67.6% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
73.9%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 72.2% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
14.0%
+2.3 ptssince 2009
from 11.7% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
61.6%
+13.7 ptssince 2009
from 47.9% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
51.5%
+1.5 ptssince 2009
from 50.0% in 2009
Female
48.5%
−1.5 ptssince 2009
from 50.0% in 2009
Foreign born
18.0%
+3.1 ptssince 2009
from 15.0% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
8.2%
−6.1 ptssince 2009
from 14.3% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
9.3%
+0.8 ptssince 2012
from 8.5% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
3.3%
−4.9 ptssince 2013
from 8.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
95.6%
+3.1 ptssince 2017
from 92.5% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
98.7%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 97.9% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
91.6%
+3.6 ptssince 2020
from 88.0% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
75.2%
−0.7 ptssince 2016
from 75.9% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
10.0%
−0.9 ptssince 2016
from 10.9% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married30.3%(5,974)
Married61.5%(12,102)
Widowed2.5%(484)
Divorced5.7%(1,131)
Women 15+
Never married22.8%(4,435)
Married60%(11,665)
Widowed7.4%(1,435)
Divorced9.8%(1,901)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
3.3%
−4.9 ptssince 2013
from 8.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
63.8%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 62.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
14.9%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 15.0% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
18.7%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 17.8% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
13.1%
−0.8 ptssince 2020
from 13.9% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.9%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 3.0% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
78.4%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 78.2% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
31.5%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 31.2% 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%(998)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)25.8%(785)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era40.2%(1,221)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War2.8%(85)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.9%(57)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 3,041 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

Poway, decade by decade

Poway population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
199043,516$127,808$526,57534.4%32.7
200048,044$130,627$496,94739.3%48.3
201047,811$139,951$871,77445.3%60.8
202048,841$139,787$868,18350.4%74.2
202448,713$148,359$1,034,80054.2%75.9

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.

Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare Poway to nearby cities

POWAY VS
Ramona
Income$107,427−28%
Home value$766,400−26%
Population22,634−54%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
POWAY VS
Santee
Income$113,394−24%
Home value$727,200−30%
Population58,205+18%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
POWAY VS
Escondido
Income$91,967−38%
Home value$714,500−31%
Population146,030+197%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
POWAY VS
Lakeside CDP (San Diego County)
Income$96,447−35%
Home value$634,400−39%
Population22,447−54%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Poway, California?

Poway, California has about 48,713 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Poway, California?

The typical household in Poway, California earns about $148,359 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Poway, California expensive?

In Poway, California, the median home is worth about $1,034,800, and the typical rent is about $2,301 a month.

How educated are people in Poway, California?

About 54.2% of adults age 25 and over in Poway, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Poway, California?

About 5.6% of people in Poway, California live below the federal poverty line.

Has Poway, California grown since 1990?

Yes, Poway, California has grown since 1990. The population has added about 5,197 residents, a change of about 12 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 →