Census-designated place · California
Lake California, California
Lake California, census-designated place, in Tehama County, California. Lake California had 3,377 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 3,808 (±558). GEOID 0639460.
Residents, 2020 Census
3,377
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 3,808 ±558
Median household income
$92,051
±$16,332 (90% margin)
California: $99,122
Median home value
$352,800
±$13,496 (90% margin)
California: $734,700
Median gross rent
$1,606
±$263 (90% margin)
California: $2,036
Where is Lake California and what county is it in?
Lake California is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Tehama County, California. It covers 6.3 square miles of land, 535 residents per square mile in 2020.
Lake California is in the Red Bluff, CA micropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Lake California, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 3,377 residents in Lake California, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 3,808 (±558).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Lake California is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Lake California | Tehama County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 3,808 ±558 | 65,167 | no clear change |
| Households | 1,420 ±183 | 24,788 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.68 ±0.23 | 2.58 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 1,449 ±187 | 27,527 | no clear change |
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 Lake California?
The median resident of Lake California is 42.4 years old; 19.1% are under 18 and 19.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 69.5%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 16.4%.
| Measure | Lake California | Tehama County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.4 ±5.5 | 40.0 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 19.1% ±3.5 pts | 24.1% | – |
| 65 years and over | 19.6% ±4.8 pts | 20.1% | – |
| Male | 55.5% ±6.2 pts | 49.7% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 7.1% ±5.0 pts | 29.1% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 69.5% ±12.9 pts | 61.4% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.1 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.1 pts | 1.7% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.1 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 16.4% ±10.1 pts | 4.7% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 7.0% ±7.0 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 2.2% ±1.6 pts | 11.1% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.0% ±1.0 pts | 21.2% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 7.7% ±3.5 pts | 6.9% | – |
| With a disability | 11.2% ±2.8 pts | 18.0% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.5% ±2.3 pts | 6.6% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 95.9% ±3.2 pts | 87.2% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 38.4% ±11.8 pts | 19.3% | +16.6 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 4.0% ±2.5 pts | 5.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 96.0% ±3.0 pts | 93.9% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±1.1 pts | 0.5% | – |
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 Lake California earn?
Half of Lake California's 1,420 households earn less than $92,051 a year (±$16,332), against $63,784 in Tehama County and $99,122 in California. In 2015-2019 it was $82,534 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Lake California | Tehama County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $92,051 ±$16,332 | $63,784 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $94,291 ±$13,097 | $93,910 | – |
| Per capita income | $37,173 ±$4,689 | $36,168 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 9.7% ±6.7 pts | 15.6% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 5.2% ±8.2 pts | 20.9% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 5.6% ±3.7 pts | 13.9% | – |
| Households with a computer | 95.8% ±5.0 pts | 94.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 94.8% ±4.8 pts | 88.0% | – |
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 Lake California?
Owners occupy 81.5% of Lake California's occupied homes and renters 18.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $352,800 by its owner (±$13,496). The median renter pays $1,606 a month including utilities, and 66.2% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Lake California | Tehama County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $352,800 ±$13,496 | $339,600 | +$100,631 |
| Median gross rent | $1,606 ±$263 | $1,184 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 66.2% ±21.1 pts | 46.9% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,360 ±$155 | $1,872 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 81.5% ±7.5 pts | 67.1% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 18.5% ±7.5 pts | 32.9% | – |
| Housing units | 1,449 ±187 | 27,527 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 1.9% ±2.9 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±14.9 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 88.5% ±5.6 pts | 68.7% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.6% ±0.9 pts | 16.9% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.6% ±1.3 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 9.3% ±5.7 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.0% ±2.9 pts | 8.2% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 2.9% ±2.8 pts | 6.1% | – |
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 do people in Lake California work and get to work?
73.9% of Lake California's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 28.4 minutes.
| Measure | Lake California | Tehama County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 62.4% ±6.9 pts | 53.7% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% ±3.5 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 73.9% ±12.5 pts | 76.6% | – |
| Carpooled | 17.4% ±11.2 pts | 10.0% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±2.3 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±2.3 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Worked from home | 7.5% ±5.2 pts | 11.1% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 28.4 min ±3.9 | 23.4 min | −11.2 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 Lake California?
No census tract lies mostly in Lake California; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 2.01Tehama County | 4,390 | $95,076 |
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 Lake California) · Census block assignment files
How does Lake California compare with other places in California?
Lake California ranks 533rd of 1,037 places in California with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population (ACS 2020-2024) | 719th | 1,076 |
| Residents per square mile | 867th | 1,077 |
| Median household income | 533rd | 1,037 |
| Per capita income | 654th | 1,073 |
| Median home value | 842nd | 1,054 |
| Median gross rent | 644th | 987 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 383rd | 988 |
| Median age | 406th | 1,075 |
| Owner-occupied share | 225th | 1,064 |
| Travel time to work | 490th | 1,069 |
Lake California's figures with every place in California (CSV)
Every place in California, sortable · Compare Lake California 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 Lake California?
23 of the 57 figures for Lake California 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 Lake California 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' school search.