Mendocino County, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Mendocino 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.
-
B
Health Around average
-
D
Income Well below average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Mendocino County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 90,240 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 23.3 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.41% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.9 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 34,836 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Mendocino County declined by 1.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 90,240 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Mendocino County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 21.8% of residents. That is 6.5 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 16,331 18.1% -3.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 17,459 19.3% -4.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 18,410 20.4% +0.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 19,654 21.8% +6.5 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 50.4% of the people living in Mendocino County and men 49.6%.
- Women 50.4% California 49.9%
- Men 49.6% California 50.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Mendocino County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Mendocino County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Mendocino County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $68,620 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.02% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 9.0% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Mendocino County is about 31% lower than in California.
Housing
| Metric | Mendocino County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $513,099 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,317 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 61.7% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Mendocino County is about 32.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,317 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Mendocino County spend about 30 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 126 hours, about 5.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Mendocino County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.1 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 30.3 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 126 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,910 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.2% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,096 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 376 | 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 Mendocino County is 15 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
Mendocino County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Mendocino County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.3% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.52 | 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
Mendocino County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Mendocino County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.2 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.2% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 15.5% | 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).
Mendocino County, CA Compared With Nearby Counties
Mendocino County, CA is the 2nd largest of the 5 counties compared here, 90,240 residents against a local median of 48,320. Where Mendocino County, CA breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 40% above the local median of $365,764 at $513,099.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 15.1 min against a local median of 19.6 min, 23% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 23% below the local median it puts Mendocino County, CA at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $471,551 on median home price, so Mendocino County, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Mendocino County, CA has the 2nd highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mendocino County, CA | 90,240 | $68,620 #3/5 | $513,099 #2/5 | 15.1 min #1/5 |
| Lake County, CA | 68,148 | $60,936 | $355,339 | 23.9 min |
| Sonoma County, CA | 485,012 | $105,553 | $667,194 | 20.5 min |
| Glenn County, CA | 28,492 | $66,909 | $376,190 | 18.8 min |
| Colusa County, CA | 21,984 | $75,609 | $195,643 | 18.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Mendocino County, California.
How many people live in Mendocino County, California?
About 90,240 people live in Mendocino County, California, in 34,836 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 42.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Mendocino County, California urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Mendocino County, California has 23 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 27% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Mendocino County, California?
The median home costs 7.5 times the median household income ($513,099 against $68,620), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,317 a month takes about 23% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Mendocino County, California?
Unemployment in Mendocino County, California is 9.0%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in Mendocino County, California have a college degree?
22.3% of adults in Mendocino County, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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