METRO AREA · 2020 ACS
Modesto Metro
Modesto, CA · 1 counties · 552,878 residents · 1,496 sq mi
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The short version
With 552,878 people, Modesto is a metro area. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 18% of adults. This skews young, with a median age of 35.5. The population is up 24% since 2000. 20% of residents were born outside the United States. The typical home is worth $314,100, having more than doubled since 2000.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Younger
median age 35.5
US median: 38.8
Less educated
18% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 69%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01
Population & growth
Land area
1,496 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024554K
Age distribution, 2020
Under 56.4%(35,390)
5 to 97.2%(39,989)
10 to 147.9%(43,844)
15 to 197.5%(41,518)
20 to 246.6%(36,307)
25 to 3413.7%(75,697)
35 to 4413%(72,124)
45 to 5411.7%(64,718)
55 to 6411.7%(64,858)
65 to 748.5%(46,752)
75 to 844.1%(22,693)
85 and over1.6%(8,988)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$62,873
+4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $40,101 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
41.7%
+10.5 ptssince 2009
from 31.2% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information12.2%
Retail trade11.9%
Wholesale trade8.6%
Finance & insurance7%
Professional, scientific, technical6.1%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing5.2%
Construction5.2%
Transportation & warehousing3.2%
Other services3%
Public administration1.8%
Arts, entertainment, food0.9%
Education & health services0.9%
Manufacturing0%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$314,100
+69%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $123,900 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
5.0
−20%since 2009
from 6.2 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.
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%
2020
White, non-Hispanic37.6%(207,908)
Black2.6%(14,302)
Hispanic / Latino48.1%(265,978)
Asian6%(33,169)
Other3.6%(20,178)
31
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
Mexican43.2%(235,992)
Central American1.4%(7,655)
Salvadoran0.7%(3,762)
Puerto Rican0.7%(3,755)
Spaniard0.4%(2,118)
South American0.3%(1,765)
Nicaraguan0.3%(1,709)
Guatemalan0.3%(1,674)
Peruvian0.1%(687)
Cuban0.1%(483)
Colombian0.1%(447)
Honduran0.1%(351)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Argentine0.1%(315)
Dominican0%(177)
Chilean0%(140)
Costa Rican0%(103)
Bolivian0%(80)
Ecuadorian0%(71)
Panamanian0%(43)
Uruguayan0%(25)
Asian origin
Asian Indian1.6%(8,986)
Filipino1.2%(6,634)
Cambodian0.6%(3,283)
Chinese0.6%(3,182)
Vietnamese0.4%(2,214)
Laotian0.2%(1,146)
Japanese0.2%(890)
Korean0.2%(888)
Pakistani0.2%(868)
Hmong0.1%(494)
Sri Lankan0%(161)
Burmese0%(121)
+ 6 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Fijian0.5%(2,667)
Native Hawaiian0.3%(1,599)
Samoan0.1%(563)
Chamorro0.1%(405)
Tongan0%(92)
Ancestry
German7.1%(39,008)
Irish6.2%(33,732)
English5.9%(32,034)
Portuguese4%(22,062)
Italian3.7%(20,236)
American3.1%(16,781)
French1.3%(7,086)
Swedish1.3%(7,081)
Dutch1.1%(6,016)
Norwegian1%(5,277)
Scottish0.9%(4,781)
Polish0.5%(2,932)
+ 46 more ancestry groups with data
Scotch-Irish0.5%(2,875)
Subsaharan African0.5%(2,561)
Danish0.4%(2,359)
Greek0.4%(2,311)
Welsh0.4%(2,308)
Russian0.4%(2,265)
Iranian0.4%(2,108)
Swiss0.4%(1,978)
British0.3%(1,861)
French Canadian0.2%(1,097)
Armenian0.1%(807)
Canadian0.1%(603)
Hungarian0.1%(585)
West Indian0.1%(572)
Finnish0.1%(523)
Iraqi0.1%(514)
Syrian0.1%(476)
Austrian0.1%(470)
Jamaican0.1%(450)
Czech0.1%(446)
Arab0.1%(409)
Nigerian0.1%(365)
Romanian0.1%(361)
Ethiopian0.1%(348)
Ukrainian0.1%(337)
Lebanese0%(221)
Turkish0%(217)
Belgian0%(211)
Croatian0%(168)
Australian0%(164)
Brazilian0%(157)
Slovak0%(119)
Moroccan0%(114)
Jordanian0%(110)
Palestinian0%(97)
Serbian0%(90)
Egyptian0%(72)
Lithuanian0%(67)
Cape Verdean0%(43)
Ghanaian0%(39)
Israeli0%(27)
Latvian0%(27)
Barbadian0%(18)
Kenyan0%(14)
Slovene0%(9)
Haitian0%(3)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
79.8%
+9.4 ptssince 2000
from 70.4% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
66.9%
US average: 73.3%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
92.4%
US average: 91.9%
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
Direct-purchase
11.3%
US average: 13.7%
VA health care
1.4%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
58.9%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
45.2%
US average: 35.2%
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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)21.4%(4,283)
Gulf War (1990s)14.1%(2,833)
Vietnam era35.9%(7,198)
Korean War6.7%(1,346)
World War II2%(398)
Share of the 20,043 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
Drill deeper
Metros similar to Modesto
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Pop 617,427
Huntsville
Pop 556,444
Fayetteville
Pop 622,177
Pensacola
Pop 544,949
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MODESTO VS
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Home value$254,698−19%
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MODESTO VS
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MODESTO VS
Fayetteville
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MODESTO VS
Pensacola
Income$76,743+22%
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Population544,949−2%
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Modesto, CA?
Modesto, CA has about 552,878 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Modesto, CA?
The typical household in Modesto, CA earns about $62,873 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 $314,100, and the typical rent is about $1,210 a month.
How educated are people in Modesto, CA?
About 17.7% 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 182,356 residents, a change of about 49 percent over that period.
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024