Lassen County, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Lassen County, CA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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D
Income Well below averageLeast wealthy county in California
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F
Education Well below averageAmong the 5 least educated counties in California
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Lassen County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 30,356 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 6.4 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.59% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.0 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 9,247 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Lassen County declined by 11.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 30,356 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Lassen County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 26.9% of residents. That is 3.2 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 7,014 23.1% +1.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 8,160 26.9% +3.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,154 20.3% +0.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,372 14.4% -0.9 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below California, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 36.2% of the people living in Lassen County and men 63.8%.
- Women 36.2% California 49.9%
- Men 63.8% California 50.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Lassen County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Lassen County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Lassen County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,791 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.52% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 8.3% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Lassen County is about 32% lower than in California.
Housing
| Metric | Lassen County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $225,766 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,000 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 68.2% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Lassen County is about 18.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,000 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Lassen County spend about 32 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 133 hours, about 5.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Lassen County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.0 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 31.9 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 133 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,125 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.0% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,025 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 313 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
California:
Inyo County (11.1 min), Mono County (12.0 min), Del Norte County (12.1 min).
Slowest:
Alpine County (31.3 min), San Benito County (31.2 min), Contra Costa County (31.0 min).
The average commute time in Lassen County is 16 minutes, shorter than the 23 minutes in California.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Lassen County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Lassen County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.2% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.58 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
California:
Marin County (0.5), San Francisco County (0.4), Santa Clara County (0.4).
Lowest:
Colusa County (0.2), Merced County (0.2), Glenn County (0.2).
Health
Lassen County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Lassen County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.4 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.2% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.7% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
California:
San Francisco County (0.8), San Mateo County (0.8), Santa Clara County (0.8).
Lowest:
Lake County (0.8), Imperial County (0.8), Tulare County (0.8).
Lassen County, CA Compared With Nearby Counties
How Lassen County, CA compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lassen County, CA | 30,356 | $67,791 #3/3 | $225,766 #3/3 | 16.0 min #1/3 |
| Washoe County, NV | 497,175 | $88,504 | $454,484 | 20.4 min |
| Nevada County, CA | 102,481 | $90,457 | $584,770 | 17.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lassen County, California.
How many people live in Lassen County, California?
About 30,356 people live in Lassen County, California, in 9,247 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 35.0, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
Is Lassen County, California mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Lassen County, California has 6 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 7% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Lassen County, California an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.3 times the median household income ($225,766 against $67,791), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,000 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Lassen County, California?
Unemployment in Lassen County, California is 8.3%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How common is a college degree in Lassen County, California?
11.2% of adults in Lassen County, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 9), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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