Palmdale, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Palmdale, 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 average
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Palmdale | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 163,756 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1540.4 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.76% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 30.8 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 46,131 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Palmdale grew by 18.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 163,756 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Palmdale is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 25.0% of residents. That is 3.3 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 40,942 25.0% +3.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 35,616 21.7% -1.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 31,899 19.5% -0.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 17,750 10.8% -4.4 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 51.0% of the people living in Palmdale and men 49.0%.
- Women 51.0% California 49.9%
- Men 49.0% California 50.1%
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Economy
Palmdale has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Palmdale | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $80,742 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.82% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 8.4% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Palmdale is about 19% lower than in California.
Housing
| Metric | Palmdale | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $434,682 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,792 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 65.8% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Palmdale is about 20.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,792 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Palmdale spend about 56 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 233 hours, about 9.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Palmdale | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 27.9 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 55.8 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 233 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,210 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.9% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 19,648 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,967 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Palmdale is 28 minutes, longer 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
Palmdale has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Palmdale | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.9% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 3.54 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Health
Palmdale has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Palmdale | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.1 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.5% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 14.0% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Palmdale, CA Compared With Nearby Cities
How Palmdale, CA compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palmdale, CA | 163,756 | $80,742 #1/2 | $434,682 #2/2 | 27.9 min #2/2 |
| Lancaster, CA | 170,225 | $80,578 | $440,736 | 20.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Palmdale, California.
How big is Palmdale, California by population?
About 163,756 people live in Palmdale, California, in 46,131 households of 3.5 people on average. The median age is 30.8, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 7 years.
Is Palmdale, California mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Palmdale, California has 1,540 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 18 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Palmdale, California?
The median home costs 5.4 times the median household income ($434,682 against $80,742), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,792 a month takes about 27% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Palmdale, California?
Unemployment in Palmdale, California is 8.4%, 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 Palmdale, California?
14.9% of adults in Palmdale, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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