METRO AREA
Modesto Metro
Modesto, CA · 1 counties · 557,719 residents (2025 est.) · 1,496 sq mi
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Notable rankings
#42Most foreign-born residentsof 92521.0%The short version
Modesto is home to 553,990 people. Few US metro areas rank higher on income. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 20% of adults. This skews young, with a median age of 34.9. The population is up 24% since 2000. 21% of residents were born outside the United States.
At a glance
Average income
median household income $81,468, near the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 34.9
US median: 38.9
Less educated
20% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 99%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Modesto
What changed most since 1990
- Hispanic share21.6% → 50.0% (+28.4 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
- White share70.8% → 36.3% (−34.6 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
- Adults with a bachelor's degree13.0% → 19.6% (+6.7 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
Among the 34 metro and micro areas based in California
- 17th in household income$81,468
- 25th in share with a bachelor's degree19.6%
- 18th in home value$450,100
- 12th in diversity score76.4
Section 01
Population & growth
553,990
+24%since 2000
from 446,997 in 2000
557,719 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
1,496 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024554K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56.6%(36,821)
5 to 97.1%(39,562)
10 to 148%(44,369)
15 to 197.6%(42,016)
20 to 246.7%(36,855)
25 to 3414.1%(78,385)
35 to 4413.4%(74,401)
45 to 5411.6%(64,171)
55 to 6411%(61,139)
65 to 748.2%(45,575)
75 to 843.8%(21,172)
85 and over1.7%(9,524)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$81,468
+12%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $40,101 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
53.9%
+22.7 ptssince 2009
from 31.2% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade12.4%
Information11.7%
Wholesale trade8.8%
Finance & insurance7.5%
Professional, scientific, technical6.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing4.6%
Construction4.6%
Other services3.5%
Transportation & warehousing2.7%
Public administration2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food0.9%
Education & health services0.8%
Manufacturing0.1%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$450,100
+99%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $123,900 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
5.5
−12%since 2009
from 6.2 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.
40
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic57.3%(256,001)
Black2.4%(10,621)
Hispanic / Latino31.7%(141,871)
Asian4.1%(18,234)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic36.3%(200,834)
Black2.6%(14,369)
Hispanic / Latino50%(277,207)
Asian5.9%(32,509)
Other5.2%(29,071)
76
+3%since 2009
from 74 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
32
+5%since 2020
from 31 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Mexican46%(254,678)
Central American1.6%(8,703)
Salvadoran0.8%(4,416)
Puerto Rican0.6%(3,124)
Spaniard0.4%(2,352)
Guatemalan0.4%(2,128)
South American0.3%(1,734)
Nicaraguan0.2%(1,333)
Cuban0.1%(625)
Peruvian0.1%(624)
Panamanian0.1%(439)
Colombian0.1%(424)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Honduran0.1%(381)
Ecuadorian0%(246)
Chilean0%(184)
Bolivian0%(148)
Argentine0%(92)
Dominican0%(40)
Venezuelan0%(16)
Costa Rican0%(6)
Asian origin
Asian Indian1.8%(10,062)
Filipino1.2%(6,576)
Chinese0.7%(3,662)
Cambodian0.6%(3,474)
Kazakh0.5%(2,719)
Vietnamese0.4%(1,945)
Hmong0.2%(931)
Korean0.1%(812)
Laotian0.1%(712)
Japanese0.1%(536)
Pakistani0.1%(372)
Taiwanese0%(223)
+ 7 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Fijian0.5%(2,770)
Native Hawaiian0.2%(1,158)
Chamorro0.2%(1,085)
Samoan0.2%(928)
Guamanian0.1%(685)
Tongan0.1%(378)
Ancestry
German6.7%(37,040)
English6%(33,268)
Irish6%(33,219)
Portuguese4%(22,208)
Italian3%(16,806)
American2.1%(11,868)
French1.1%(6,137)
Scottish1.1%(6,032)
Swedish1%(5,775)
Dutch1%(5,586)
Norwegian0.6%(3,557)
Arab0.6%(3,481)
+ 46 more ancestry groups with data
Polish0.5%(2,762)
Greek0.4%(2,396)
Subsaharan African0.4%(2,234)
Scotch-Irish0.4%(2,207)
Russian0.4%(2,206)
Welsh0.4%(2,166)
Danish0.3%(1,847)
Swiss0.3%(1,810)
British0.3%(1,447)
Iranian0.2%(1,027)
Ukrainian0.2%(941)
French Canadian0.1%(787)
Nigerian0.1%(589)
West Indian0.1%(530)
Finnish0.1%(516)
Ethiopian0.1%(474)
Syrian0.1%(453)
Brazilian0.1%(435)
Canadian0.1%(412)
Austrian0.1%(395)
Czech0.1%(391)
Armenian0.1%(388)
Palestinian0.1%(362)
Lebanese0.1%(318)
Hungarian0.1%(304)
Jamaican0.1%(302)
Croatian0%(248)
Romanian0%(205)
Belgian0%(173)
Iraqi0%(172)
Slovak0%(154)
Jordanian0%(152)
Egyptian0%(146)
Australian0%(130)
Ghanaian0%(128)
Lithuanian0%(126)
Turkish0%(90)
Israeli0%(85)
Serbian0%(48)
Bulgarian0%(47)
Haitian0%(42)
Barbadian0%(36)
Kenyan0%(35)
Latvian0%(28)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0%(16)
Moroccan0%(8)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
79.9%
+9.5 ptssince 2000
from 70.4% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
68.6%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 66.9% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
95.7%
+3.3 ptssince 2020
from 92.4% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married40.6%(87,116)
Married49.5%(106,366)
Widowed2.5%(5,347)
Divorced7.4%(15,984)
Women 15+
Never married33.7%(73,607)
Married47.3%(103,362)
Widowed8%(17,538)
Divorced11%(23,918)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
10.6%
−0.7 ptssince 2020
from 11.3% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
1.1%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 1.4% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
58.3%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 58.9% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
45.4%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 45.2% 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)26.9%(4,557)
Gulf War (1990s)18.9%(3,202)
Vietnam era32.1%(5,444)
Korean War4.7%(793)
World War II1.2%(202)
Share of the 16,935 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
Modesto, decade by decade
| Year | Population | Median household income | Median home value | Bachelor's degree+ | Diversity score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 370,522 | $71,505 | $295,208 | 13.0% | 56.2 |
| 2000 | 446,997 | $73,050 | $225,703 | 14.1% | 70.9 |
| 2010 | 514,453 | $73,502 | $410,280 | 16.3% | 75.2 |
| 2020 | 552,878 | $76,205 | $380,701 | 17.7% | 77.7 |
| 2024 | 553,990 | $81,468 | $450,100 | 19.6% | 76.4 |
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.
In this metro
Largest cities
ModestoCENTRAL219,652Turlock72,864Ceres48,982Patterson26,587Riverbank26,557Oakdale23,246Salida13,900Newman12,453Waterford9,258Hughson8,051West Modesto5,978Keyes5,577Denair4,914Bret Harte4,757Bystrom4,143Empire3,429East Oakdale2,269Diablo Grande1,948Del Rio1,508Parklawn1,478Rouse1,462Grayson1,182Riverdale Park1,137Orange Blossom1,062Airport903Hickman844Westley572Cowan497Crows Landing335Valley Home328
The 30 most populous of 33 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.
What's inside
1 component county
Drill deeper
Metros similar to Modesto
Harrisburg
Pop 617,427
Huntsville
Pop 556,444
Fayetteville
Pop 622,177
Pensacola
Pop 544,949
Places similar to ModestoHead to head
Compare Modesto side by side
MODESTO VS
Harrisburg
Income$81,484same
Home value$254,698−43%
Population617,427+11%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MODESTO VS
Huntsville
Income$85,881+5%
Home value$295,284−34%
Population556,444same
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MODESTO VS
Fayetteville
Income$82,242+1%
Home value$307,983−32%
Population622,177+12%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MODESTO VS
Pensacola
Income$76,743−6%
Home value$284,678−37%
Population544,949−2%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Modesto, CA?
Modesto, CA has about 553,990 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Modesto, CA?
The typical household in Modesto, CA earns about $81,468 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Modesto, CA expensive?
In Modesto, CA, the median home is worth about $450,100, and the typical rent is about $1,623 a month.
How educated are people in Modesto, CA?
About 19.6% of adults age 25 and over in Modesto, CA hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Modesto, CA?
About 13.5% of people in Modesto, CA live below the federal poverty line.
Has Modesto, CA grown since 1990?
Yes, Modesto, CA has grown since 1990. The population has added about 183,468 residents, a change of about 50 percent over that period.
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024