With 21,269 people, South Lake Tahoe is a city in California. The typical home is worth $682,400, having more than tripled since 2000. Owners hold 51% of the housing stock. The average commute runs 17 minutes. There are 2,113 people per square mile. Households here earn about 17% less than in California as a whole.
At a glance
Average income
median household income $82,002, near the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 41.1
US median: 38.9
Average education
36% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 146%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about South Lake Tahoe
What changed most since 1990
Median home value (2024 dollars)$275,288 → $682,400(+148%)US over the same years: +67%
Homes owned by their occupants37.5% → 51.3%(+13.8 pts)US over the same years: +0.9 pts
White share74.3% → 61.7%(−12.6 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
South Lake Tahoe's population equals 11% of El Dorado County's. Its number of veterans equals 4.6% of the county's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 23% 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)10.4%(55)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)13.2%(70)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era55.4%(294)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War0.9%(5)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 531 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
South Lake Tahoe, decade by decade
South Lake Tahoe 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
21,586
$61,432
$275,288
17.0%
51.4
2000
23,609
$63,224
$277,438
18.6%
65.0
2010
21,403
$63,609
$556,008
21.7%
67.5
2020
21,330
$64,082
$515,965
27.4%
71.5
2024
21,269
$82,002
$682,400
35.9%
68.0
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.
