X-icon-big

Sign In

Don't have an account? Subscribe Now


Forgot your password?

California real estate and demographic information

Top Ten Most Expensive CA Cities

Name
1 Rolling Hills
2 Beverly Hills
3 Rancho Santa Fe
4 Malibu
5 Belvedere
6 Portola Valley
7 Atherton
8 Hillsborough
9 Tiburon
10 Ross
House value by city
highest
lowest

California Information

Population 37,691,912

About California

California Demographics Information

California, the nation's most populous state with 36.5 million residents, is in many ways a microcosm of the United States. With the most diverse population, comprising more than 65 ethnicities and speaking more than 200 different languages, California claims the highest percentage of foreign-born residents (26%), including its former governor, former actor and bodybuilder, Arnold Schwarzenegger, an Austrian.

California Economy and Industry

The Golden State also boasts the largest economy of any single state, representing 13% of the entire United States gross domestic product. Only seven countries in the world have economies larger than California's. The state's enormous economic engine is driven by four major industries: manufacturing, including high tech, aerospace and defense products; agriculture, including an almost infinite variety of crops, vineyards, and food processing; tourism, fueled by the state's scenic attractions and ideal climate; and entertainment. In each of these areas, California is #1 in the nation.

California Real Estate and Incomes

Diverse describes the income of California's residents as well as their heritage. California's real estate is in great demand, and consequently it has the highest median home value, $426,200 in 2009. Nearly 90 of Forbes' Magazines 400 wealthiest Americans live in California, a whopping 23 percent, yet the San Joaquin Valley, home to many impoverished migrant workers, has been called one of the most economically depressed regions of the country, on a par with Appalachia. Due to these extremes of wealth and poverty, California's per capita income ranks just 13th in the U.S.

California Climate and Topography

Extremes of climate and topography also characterize California's 155,959 square miles of land area. It is the only state with an extensive seacoast, high mountains and deserts. Just 80 miles apart within California are the highest point in the contiguous 48 states (Mount Whitney at 14,494 feet) and the lowest point in the U.S. (Death Valley at 282 feet below sea level). Despite its distinction as the state with the highest recorded temperature in U.S. history, 134F (also at Death Valley), California's central coast enjoys the most equable average temperatures in the country, varying just 10F between summer and winter. Southern California is indeed quite sunny and dry, true to its reputation, with Los Angeles and San Diego each averaging close to a foot of rainfall annually; yet Northern California's major city, San Francisco, is famously foggy, receiving 50% more precipitation.

California Tourism

California's dramatic topography and scenery have made it the top travel destination in the U.S. for a number of years, and its beaches, mountains, and preserves like Monterey Bay and Yosemite National Park bring in millions of outdoor adventurers, wildlife enthusiasts, surfers and skiers. Many more visitors come to see California's urban attractions, from Disneyland and Hollywood in Los Angeles area to the historic cable cars, Fishermans' Wharf and Golden Gate Bridge of San Francisco.

Living in California

In many ways California offers its residents an outstanding quality of life, with a strong and diverse job market, mild climate, top-notch public university system, and numerous natural amenities. Problems do exist, though. California is frequently plagued by natural and weather-related disasters, including earthquakes, wildfires and landslides. The cost of living, at least in the major metropolitan areas, is very high, and the inner cities have been beset in recent years by growing rates of violent crime fueled largely by youth gangs. Since 2000, state politics have been in upheaval, after an energy crisis and budget shortfall prompted Californians to recall Governor Gray Davis in 2003, just 13 months after electing him.

CALIFORNIA INFORMATION DETAIL
POPULATION 37,691,912
NUMBER OF HOMES AND APARTMENTS 12,577,498
CALIFORNIA HOME OWNERSHIP
% OWNER OCCUPIED 57.84%
% RENTER OCCUPIED 41.82%
% VACANT 6.68%
TYPE OF CALIFORNIA HOMES
SINGLE FAMILY DETACHED 58.17%
ROWHOUSES AND ATTACHED HOMES 7.05%
SMALL APARTMENT BUILDINGS 8.10%
COMPLEXES OF HIGH RISE APARTMENTS 22.67%
MOBILE HOMES 3.89%
OTHER 0.12%
SIZE OF CALIFORNIA HOMES
NO BEDROOM 3.50%
1 BEDROOM 14.19%
2 BEDROOMS 28.26%
3 BEDROOMS 33.48%
4 BEDROOMS 16.38%
5 OR MORE BEDROOMS 4.20%
AGE OF CALIFORNIA HOMES
NEWER HOMES (2000 OR LATER) 11.26%
ESTABLISHED, BUT NOT OLD HOMES (1970-1999) 44.48%
WELL-ESTABLISHED, OLD HOMES (1940-1969) 34.64%
HISTORIC (1939 OR BEFORE) 9.61%
CALIFORNIA REAL ESTATE INFORMATION DETAILS
MEDIAN HOME VALUE $336,970
MEDIAN RENTAL PRICE $1,220
HOME VALUE RANGE
$0 - $49,000 3.30%
$49,001 - $98,000 3.55%
$98,001 - $196,000 10.66%
$196,001 - $294,000 14.24%
$294,001 - $392,000 15.48%
$392,001 - $491,000 12.86%
$491,001 - $736,000 21.62%
$736,001 - $981,000 9.65%
> $981,000 8.65%
PEOPLE OF CALIFORNIA DETAILS
POPULATION DISTRIBUTION
UNDER 5 YEARS 6.79%
5 TO 17 18.16%
18 TO 24 10.53%
25 TO 34 14.27%
35 TO 54 28.01%
55 TO 64 10.84%
65 YEARS AND OVER 11.31%
EDUCATION ATTAINMENT OF ADULTS
HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES 80.82%
COLLEGE GRADUATED 30.23%
MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME $61,632
PER CAPITA INCOME $29,634
INDIVIDUALS BELOW POVERTY LEVEL 14.39%
INDUSTRIES PEOPLE WORK IN Healthcare (11.92%)
Retail (11.03%)
Manufacturing (10.21%)
Education (8.61%)
Professional, scientific, and technical services (7.60%)
Accommodation (6.89%)
Construction (6.55%)
Other (5.29%)
Public Service (4.70%)
Administration (4.67%)
Finance (4.32%)
Transportation (3.94%)
Wholesale (3.28%)
Information Technology (2.94%)
Arts (2.53%)
Real estate (2.43%)
Agriculture (2.07%)
ATTENDING COLLEGE 6.89%
RACIAL MAKEUP
WHITE 57.59%
BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN 6.17%
AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE 0.97%
ASIAN 13.05%
NATIVE HAWAIIAN AND OTHER PACIFIC ISLANDERS 0.39%
SOME OTHER RACE ALONE 16.96%
TWO OR MORE RACES 4.87%
HISPANIC OR LATINO (OF ANY RACE) 37.62%
ETHNICITIES PRESENT Other groups (58.39%)
Unclassified (6.49%)
German (5.93%)
Irish (4.40%)
English (4.25%)
Italian (3.05%)
FOREIGN BORN 27.16%
LANGUAGES SPOKEN English (56.76%)
Spanish (28.57%)
Chinese (2.94%)
Tagalog (2.19%)
Vietnamese (1.44%)
Korean (1.08%)

California Real Estate Agents

Find the best California Realtors® today

Get matched with a pre-screened, customer-rated real estate agent or Realtor and receive up to $2,000 or more when you buy or sell.

Levy-quote

Get the Ultimate Realtor…

We screen Realtors according to rigorous sales and service benchmarks, and we constantly survey our customers to make sure that Realtors in our elite network are meeting your highest standards. We guarantee it.†

…Plus a Cash Award

How much cash could I get?

$

$

$

Select an option below. You'll hear from us within 1 business hour.

California Realtors

Find a Realtor® and get up to $2,000 Cash Back.

How it works

  1. Fill out our quick form
  2. Get matched with a top California Realtor
  3. Get your Cash Award when you buy or sell

Ready to find a Realtor?

I want to: