Sacramento is a city located in Sacramento County California. Sacramento has a 2024 population of 526,669. It is also the county seat of Sacramento County. Sacramento is currently growing at a rate of 0.05% annually and its population has increased by 0.22% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 525,528 in 2020.
The average household income in Sacramento is $102,258 with a poverty rate of 14.79%. The median age in Sacramento is 35.2 years: 34.5 years for males, and 36 years for females.
Sacramento is the capital of the state of California and the seat of government for Sacramento County.
At the 2010 census, the population of Sacramento was 466,488. This population is estimated to have recently grown to just over 501,000 residents. The urban Sacramento area has a population of 1.44 million while the Sacramento metropolitan area -- which includes seven counties -- has an estimated population of 2.66 million. This is the fourth largest metro area in California after Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego, and the 27th largest in the United States.
In 2002, the Civil Rights Project at Harvard University named Sacramento as America's Most Diverse City. Sacramento has one of the highest LGBT populations per capita, ranking 7th among major U.S. cities and third in California. About 10% of the population identifies as gay, lesbian, or bisexual.
The non-Hispanic white population of Sacramento has been in decline since the 1940s. In 1940, 94% of the population was white. By 1990, the non-Hispanic white population had declined to 53%, which now stands at 34.5%. Meanwhile, the Asian community began exploding in the 1980s, followed by the Hispanic population in the 1990s.
According to recent state figures, the Sacramento area will see some of the most substantial population growth in California in coming years. State demographers project California's Hispanic population will become the largest ethnic group sometime in 2014. In 2010, the Hispanic population was 38% while the white population was 40%. These figures will be reversed by 2020.
The state as a whole experienced the highest population growth rate in 2013 in more than a decade, growing more than 38 million people.
Sacramento is projected to grow by 54% to 2.2 million by 2060.
The Spanish explorer Gabriel Moraga discovered the Sacramento Valley and Sacramento River sometime between 1799 or 1932 and gave the area its name after saying the "air was like champagne," thus christening the valley and river after the Catholic sacrament of the Eucharist.
Settlers arrived in 1839 to establish a trading colony. By 1848, gold was discovered in the area, rapidly increasing its population. Despite a cholera epidemic, floods and fires, the new city grew and quickly hit 10,000 people.
During the 1840s and '50s, when China was at war with France and Great Britain, many Chinese immigrants made their way to America. Many settled first in San Francisco but some eventually found their way to Sacramento. Sacramento's Chinatown was situated on I Street and experienced many fires, discrimination and prejudicial legislation, including the Chinese Exclusion Act that was not repealed until the 1940s.
In 1920, Sacramento became a charter city, making it exempt from many regulations and laws passed by the California legislature. In the 1980s and '90s, several local military bases closed and the agriculture business began to decline. Despite this, Sacramento has continued to experience healthy population growth recently, adding 164,000 people from 2000 to 2007.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Sacramento was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
---|---|---|
White | 205,913 | 39.33% |
Asian | 102,179 | 19.51% |
Two or more races | 68,713 | 13.12% |
Other race | 67,063 | 12.81% |
Black or African American | 65,978 | 12.6% |
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 9,486 | 1.81% |
Native American | 4,268 | 0.82% |
White
Asian
Two or more races
Other race
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Native American
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
---|---|---|---|---|
All | 196,524 | 2.62 | 50.7 | 49.3 |
Non Family | 80,614 | 1.34 | 37.7 | 62.3 |
Married | 75,795 | 3.47 | 68.1 | 31.9 |
Female | 27,070 | 3.56 | 42.8 | 57.2 |
Male | 13,045 | 3.58 | 46.1 | 53.9 |
3.37
Average Family Size
2.62
Average Household Size
50.7%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
9th to 12th Grade | 21,788 | 6.07% |
Associates Degree | 29,871 | 8.32% |
Bachelors Degree | 81,609 | 22.72% |
Graduate Degree | 47,134 | 13.12% |
High School Graduate | 72,440 | 20.17% |
Less Than 9th Grade | 26,924 | 7.5% |
Some College | 79,425 | 22.11% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
---|---|---|---|
White | 130,111 | 122,669 | 62,311 |
Hispanic | 88,312 | 66,706 | 19,927 |
Asian | 72,009 | 59,070 | 27,647 |
Black | 43,325 | 39,310 | 10,851 |
Other Race | 41,170 | 28,746 | 6,597 |
2+ Races | 37,199 | 32,676 | 13,394 |
Islander | 6,633 | 5,019 | 1,274 |
Native American | 2,902 | 2,479 | 579 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 94.28%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among white people with a rate of 47.89%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
---|---|---|---|
Bachelors Degree | $66,876 | $73,418 | $61,463 |
Graduate Degree | $88,291 | $93,646 | $83,689 |
High School Graduate | $36,574 | $42,532 | $30,692 |
Less Than 9th Grade | $31,190 | $35,520 | $21,748 |
Overall | $50,443 | $53,505 | $46,784 |
Some College | $43,266 | $47,875 | $39,030 |
$50,443
Average Earnings
$53,505
Average Male
$46,784
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
63.95% of Sacramento residents speak only English, while 36.05% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 16.89% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
---|---|---|---|
Hispanic | 151,775 | 24,290 | 16% |
White | 158,768 | 18,166 | 11.44% |
Asian | 101,484 | 14,401 | 14.19% |
Black | 64,286 | 12,663 | 19.7% |
Other | 65,911 | 11,265 | 17.09% |
Multiple | 68,051 | 10,040 | 14.75% |
Islander | 9,436 | 1,394 | 14.77% |
Native | 4,228 | 682 | 16.13% |
14.79%
Overall Poverty Rate
13.76%
Male Poverty Rate
15.79%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Sacramento is Black, with 19.7% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Sacramento is White, with 11.44% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.57%. Among those working part-time, it was 18.25%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 25.24%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Less Than 9th Grade | 24.56% |
High School | 18.4% |
Some College | 12.99% |
Bachelors or Greater | 4.8% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Female Unemployed | 29.78% |
Male Unemployed | 29.44% |
Female Employed | 7.76% |
Male Employed | 6.01% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
---|---|---|
Families | $92,595 | $116,333 |
Households | $78,954 | $102,258 |
Married Families | $112,830 | $137,851 |
Non Families | $57,766 | $76,333 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
40.7%
Overall Marriage Rate
42.8%
Male Marriage Rate
38.8%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
20,482
Number of Veterans
18,401
Male Veterans
2,081
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
---|---|
Vietnam | 7,153 |
Second Gulf War | 5,230 |
First Gulf War | 3,451 |
Korea | 1,253 |
World War II | 449 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
---|---|
65 to 74 | 5,277 |
75+ | 4,863 |
35 to 54 | 4,583 |
55 to 64 | 3,010 |
18 to 34 | 2,749 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
---|---|---|
White | 11,131 | 6.49% |
Black | 3,464 | 6.95% |
Hispanic | 3,409 | 3.16% |
Asian | 2,278 | 2.82% |
2+ Races | 2,209 | 4.97% |
Other Race | 1,156 | 2.28% |
Native American | 156 | 4.81% |
Islander | 88 | 1.19% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
10.07%
Veteran Poverty Rate
30.01%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
64.6%
Labor Force Participation
60.4%
Employment Rate
6.3%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
61.93%
Born in Sacramento
78.69%
Native Born
21.31%
Foreign Born
8.69%
Non Citizen
12.61%
Naturalized
78.69% of Sacramento residents were born in the United States, with 61.93% having been born in California. 8.69% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
---|---|---|---|
2029 | 528,096 | 286 | 0.05% |
2028 | 527,810 | 285 | 0.05% |
2027 | 527,525 | 285 | 0.05% |
2026 | 527,240 | 286 | 0.05% |
2025 | 526,954 | 285 | 0.05% |
2024 | 526,669 | 285 | 0.05% |
2023 | 526,384 | 1,087 | 0.21% |
2022 | 525,297 | -205 | -0.04% |
2021 | 525,502 | -26 | 0% |
2020 | 525,528 | 15,780 | 3.1% |
2019 | 509,748 | 5,563 | 1.1% |
2018 | 504,185 | 5,799 | 1.16% |
2017 | 498,386 | 6,102 | 1.24% |
2016 | 492,284 | 5,543 | 1.14% |
2015 | 486,741 | 5,457 | 1.13% |
2014 | 481,284 | 4,639 | 0.97% |
2013 | 476,645 | 3,215 | 0.68% |
2012 | 473,430 | 2,642 | 0.56% |
2011 | 470,788 | 3,542 | 0.76% |
2010 | 467,246 | 0 | 0% |
2000 | 407,018 | 37,653 | 10.19% |
1990 | 369,365 | 93,624 | 33.95% |
1980 | 275,741 | 18,636 | 7.25% |
1970 | 257,105 | 65,438 | 34.14% |
1960 | 191,667 | 54,095 | 39.32% |
1950 | 137,572 | 31,614 | 29.84% |
1940 | 105,958 | 12,208 | 13.02% |
1930 | 93,750 | 27,842 | 42.24% |
1920 | 65,908 | 21,212 | 47.46% |
1910 | 44,696 | 15,414 | 52.64% |
1900 | 29,282 | 2,896 | 10.98% |
1890 | 26,386 | 4,966 | 23.18% |
1880 | 21,420 | 5,137 | 31.55% |
1870 | 16,283 | 2,498 | 18.12% |
1860 | 13,785 | 6,965 | 102.13% |
1850 | 6,820 | -521,276 | -98.71% |