City · California

Bishop, California

Bishop, city, in Inyo County, California. Bishop had 3,696 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 3.3% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 3,819 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 3,778 (±15). GEOID 0606798.

Residents, July 2025 estimate

3,696

Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 3,819 · ACS 2020-2024: 3,778 ±15

Median household income

$83,686

±$13,471 (90% margin)
California: $99,122

Median home value

$386,400

±$190,654 (90% margin)
California: $734,700

Median gross rent

$1,580

±$130 (90% margin)
California: $2,036

Where is Bishop and what county is it in?

Bishop is a city in Inyo County, California. It covers 1.9 square miles of land, 2,049 residents per square mile in 2020.

Bishop is in the Bishop, CA micropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).

Bishop (marked with a dot) in Inyo County, California. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.

Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files

How many people live in Bishop, and is it growing?

The Census Bureau estimates that 3,696 people lived in Bishop on July 1, 2025, down 3.3% since 2020, a steeper fall than California's (−0.5%). The 2020 Census counted 3,819 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 3,778 (±15).

  • July 2020→2021 −28 (3,795)
  • 2021→2022 −42 (3,753)
  • 2022→2023 −35 (3,718)
  • 2023→2024 +1 (3,719)
  • 2024→2025 −23 (3,696)
ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (counts) with the change from 2015-2019
Measure BishopInyo CountyCalifornia Change since 2015-2019
Total population 3,778 ±15 18,739 39,287,377 +33
Households 2,133 ±248 8,040 13,548,091 no clear change
Average household size 1.71 ±0.20 2.25 2.84 no clear change
Housing units 2,370 ±291 9,524 14,644,735 no clear change

Bishop's population since 2000

From 3,575 in 2000 to 3,696 in 2025: up 3.4%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Bishop as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.

  • 2000 Census 3,575
  • 2005 (estimate) 3,785
  • 2010 Census 3,879
  • 2015 (estimate) 3,780
  • 2020 Census 3,819
  • 2025 (estimate) 3,696

Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov

Who lives in Bishop?

The median resident of Bishop is 51.2 years old; 10.3% are under 18 and 28.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 77.1%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 15.5%.

Age, origin, education and moves, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Race groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanic includes any race.
Measure BishopInyo CountyCalifornia Change since 2015-2019
Median age 51.2 ±7.5 45.5 37.9 no clear change
Under 18 years 10.3% ±3.9 pts 20.2% 22.0% –
65 years and over 28.1% ±5.6 pts 24.9% 15.7% –
Male 45.5% ±4.8 pts 50.8% 49.9% –
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 15.5% ±4.9 pts 24.2% 40.2% −8.2 pts
White alone, not Hispanic 77.1% ±5.7 pts 58.0% 33.8% +10.7 pts
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic 0.0% ±1.1 pts 0.5% 5.2% –
Asian alone, not Hispanic 2.7% ±2.8 pts 1.5% 15.3% –
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic 0.1% ±0.2 pts 9.3% 0.3% –
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic 0.0% ±1.1 pts 0.1% 0.3% –
Two or more races, not Hispanic 4.2% ±4.0 pts 5.7% 4.4% –
Some other race alone, not Hispanic 0.3% ±1.6 pts 0.7% 0.6% –
Born outside the United States 6.1% ±4.4 pts 7.9% 27.0% –
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) 13.7% ±5.4 pts 19.3% 44.4% –
Civilian veterans (age 18+) 11.5% ±5.5 pts 7.9% 4.3% –
With a disability 11.2% ±5.0 pts 14.7% 11.6% –
No health insurance coverage 5.5% ±4.5 pts 7.0% 6.6% –
High school graduate or higher (age 25+) 98.4% ±1.9 pts 93.0% 84.7% –
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) 46.3% ±9.3 pts 31.5% 37.1% no clear change
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) 22.5% ±7.6 pts 12.5% 14.4% –
Lived in the same house a year earlier 81.1% ±7.4 pts 88.6% 89.2% –
Moved from another state in the past year 1.9% ±2.8 pts 1.3% 1.1% –

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov

What do households in Bishop earn?

Half of Bishop's 2,133 households earn less than $83,686 a year (±$13,471), against $73,991 in Inyo County and $99,122 in California. In 2015-2019 it was $76,385 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 9.9% of residents live below the poverty line.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates; 2015-2019 dollars adjusted with the R-CPI-U-RS
Measure BishopInyo CountyCalifornia Change since 2015-2019
Median household income $83,686 ±$13,471 $73,991 $99,122 no clear change
Mean household income $97,446 ±$17,931 $94,111 $140,436 –
Per capita income $56,574 ±$7,930 $41,767 $49,513 +$11,603
People below the poverty line 9.9% ±5.2 pts 10.9% 12.0% no clear change
Children under 18 below the poverty line 0.0% ±10.6 pts 10.2% 15.0% –
Households receiving SNAP 8.3% ±5.4 pts 8.5% 12.4% –
Households with a computer 94.9% ±5.7 pts 93.0% 96.9% –
Households with a broadband subscription 86.5% ±8.8 pts 85.1% 93.5% –

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov

What does housing cost in Bishop?

Owners occupy 58.3% of Bishop's occupied homes and renters 41.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $386,400 by its owner (±$190,654). The median renter pays $1,580 a month including utilities, and 28.7% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Home values are owners' own estimates.
Measure BishopInyo CountyCalifornia Change since 2015-2019
Median home value (owner-occupied) $386,400 ±$190,654 $348,700 $734,700 no clear change
Median gross rent $1,580 ±$130 $1,189 $2,036 +$378
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent 28.7% ±16.5 pts 27.1% 46.0% no clear change
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage $2,027 ±$567 $2,005 $2,946 –
Owner-occupied homes 58.3% ±10.5 pts 66.4% 55.9% +20.5 pts
Renter-occupied homes 41.7% ±10.5 pts 33.6% 44.1% –
Housing units 2,370 ±291 9,524 14,644,735 no clear change
Homeowner vacancy rate 1.0% ±1.6 pts 1.0% 0.8% –
Rental vacancy rate 7.5% ±6.2 pts 5.2% 4.2% –
Single-family detached homes 49.9% ±11.3 pts 61.4% 57.0% –
Mobile homes 18.9% ±8.6 pts 25.9% 3.5% –
Built 2020 or later 0.0% ±1.8 pts 0.3% 1.3% –
Built 2010 to 2019 0.3% ±0.4 pts 3.2% 6.5% –
Built 1939 or earlier 17.8% ±7.7 pts 9.8% 8.9% –
Households with no vehicle 5.2% ±5.6 pts 5.5% 7.1% –

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov

How many new homes is Bishop building?

Builders took permits for 2 new housing units in Bishop in 2025 (2 in single-family houses), 0.5 per 1,000 residents against 2.6 across California.

  • 2019 1 units
  • 2020 1 units
  • 2021 2 units
  • 2022 6 units
  • 2023 0 units
  • 2024 0 units
  • 2025 2 units

Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.

Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey

How do people in Bishop work and get to work?

55.8% of Bishop's workers drive alone and 12.5% work from home. The average trip to work takes 16.1 minutes.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (workers 16 and over)
Measure BishopInyo CountyCalifornia Change since 2015-2019
In the labor force (age 16+) 66.5% ±6.4 pts 57.3% 63.8% –
Unemployment rate 0.3% ±0.5 pts 2.5% 6.6% –
Drove alone to work 55.8% ±11.5 pts 64.7% 65.7% –
Carpooled 7.3% ±8.5 pts 14.1% 9.5% –
Public transportation 1.7% ±4.0 pts 0.7% 2.9% –
Walked 7.7% ±4.3 pts 3.6% 2.4% –
Worked from home 12.5% ±7.5 pts 11.8% 17.2% –
Mean travel time to work 16.1 min ±3.4 16.0 min 28.7 min +4.2 min

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov

What census tracts are in Bishop?

1 census tract lies mostly in Bishop, and 2 more reach into it (2020 census blocks).

Census tracts in Bishop, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
TractResidents, 2020-2024Median household incomeMedian home valueShare of tract in Bishop
Tract 4Inyo County6,061 $74,222 $235,50074%
Tract 1Inyo County3,130 $76,070 $209,5002%
Tract 2Inyo County1,820 $92,500 $591,1000%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Bishop) · Census block assignment files

How does Bishop compare with other places in California?

By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Bishop is the 5,719th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 440th-most populous of 483 in California.

Bishop ranks 636th of 1,037 places in California with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.

Bishop's rank in California (1 = highest): by population among the state's incorporated places with a 2025 estimate; by the other measures among places of 1,000+ residents with a reliable estimate
MeasureRankOf
Population, July 2025 estimate440th483
Growth 2020-2025 (PEP)325th469
Residents per square mile580th1,077
Median household income636th1,037
Per capita income304th1,073
Median home value783rd1,054
Median gross rent659th987
Poverty rate480th836
Bachelor's degree or higher272nd988
Median age143rd1,075
Owner-occupied share721st1,064
Work from home528th822
Travel time to work1,027th1,069

Bishop's figures with every place in California (CSV)

Every place in California, sortable · Compare Bishop with other places

Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed

How reliable are the figures for Bishop?

18 of the 57 figures for Bishop on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.

The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation

How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections

Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Bishop are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Bishop.