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METRO AREA · 1990 CENSUS

Modesto Metro

Modesto, CA · 1 counties · 370,522 residents · 1,496 sq mi
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The short version

Modesto is a metro area of 370,522 people. About 13% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The typical home is worth $123,000. The population has fallen 17% since 2000. Households earn $29,793 at the median, near the US median.

At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $30,130
Younger
median age 30.7
US median: 33.0
Less educated
13% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
Less affordable
home values up 31%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
370,522
−17%vs 2000
vs 446,997 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
248 / sq mi
−17%vs 2000
vs 299 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
30.7
−3%vs 2000
vs 31.7 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
1,496 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
352K407K462K517K572K19902000201020202024Modesto
2024554K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 59.1%(33,734)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 99.1%(33,853)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 148.1%(30,020)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 196.9%(25,675)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 246.9%(25,538)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3417.6%(65,091)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4414.6%(54,017)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 549.6%(35,548)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 647.2%(26,793)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 746.4%(23,746)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 843.5%(12,921)
US avg: 4%
85 and over1%(3,586)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$29,793
−2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $40,101 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$12,731
−25%vs 2000
vs $16,913 in 2000
US average: $14,340
Poverty rate
14.1%
−1.9 ptsvs 2000
vs 16.0% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$123,000
+31%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $123,900 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$482
+4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $611 in 2000
US average: $450
Owner-occupied
60.7%
−1.2 ptsvs 2000
vs 61.9% in 2000
39.3% rent
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%
1990
White, non-Hispanic80.4%(297,925)
Black1.6%(6,039)
Hispanic / Latino21.6%(80,041)
Asian5.1%(18,856)
Other12.9%(47,702)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

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)
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
Mien0%(169)
Sri Lankan0%(146)
Burmese0%(72)
Thai0%(70)
Nepalese0%(67)
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)
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)
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)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
13.0%
−1.1 ptsvs 2000
vs 14.1% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
68.4%
−2.0 ptsvs 2000
vs 70.4% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Graduate degree
3.9%
−0.5 ptsvs 2000
vs 4.4% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
22.1 min
+18%vs 2000
vs 18.6 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
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

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
5.6%
−12.2 ptssince 2013
from 17.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
49.1%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 48.7% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
10.6%
−0.7 ptssince 2020
from 11.3% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
15.1%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 14.8% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
33.9%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 34.0% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
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)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)18.9%(3,202)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era32.1%(5,444)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4.7%(793)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.2%(202)
US avg: 1%

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
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

Stanislaus CountyCENTRAL557,719
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 Modesto
Head to head

Compare Modesto side by side

MODESTO VS
Harrisburg
Income$81,484+174%
Home value$254,698+107%
Population617,427+11%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MODESTO VS
Huntsville
Income$85,881+188%
Home value$295,284+140%
Population556,444same
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MODESTO VS
Fayetteville
Income$82,242+176%
Home value$307,983+150%
Population622,177+12%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MODESTO VS
Pensacola
Income$76,743+158%
Home value$284,678+131%
Population544,949−2%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Modesto, CA?

Modesto, CA has about 370,522 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in Modesto, CA?

The typical household in Modesto, CA earns about $29,793 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 $123,000, and the typical rent is about $482 a month.

How educated are people in Modesto, CA?

About 13.0% 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 14.1% of people in Modesto, CA live below the federal poverty line.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →