Placer County, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Placer 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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A
Health Above averageHealthier than 89% of counties in California
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 89% of counties in California
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B
Education Around averageBetter educated than 89% of counties in California
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Placer County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 418,934 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 278.8 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.53% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.1 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 157,832 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Placer County grew by 26.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 418,934 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Placer County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.4% of residents. That is 1.5 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 78,893 18.8% -2.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 86,770 20.7% -3.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 89,568 21.4% +1.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 78,690 18.8% +3.5 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 50.7% of the people living in Placer County and men 49.3%.
- Women 50.7% California 49.9%
- Men 49.3% California 50.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Placer County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Placer County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Placer County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $115,988 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.21% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Placer County is about 17% higher than in California.
Housing
| Metric | Placer County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $676,858 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,069 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.8% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Placer County is about 27.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,069 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Placer County spend about 45 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 186 hours, about 7.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Placer County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.3 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 44.6 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 186 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,757 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 22.7% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 13,734 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,329 | 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 Placer County is 22 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
Placer County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Placer County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 39.5% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.62 | 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
Placer County has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Placer County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.3 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 11.6% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 10.9% | 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).
Placer County, CA Compared With Nearby Counties
Placer County, CA is the largest of the 5 counties compared here, 418,934 residents against a local median of 93,494. The measure that sets Placer County, CA apart most is median home price: $676,858, 31% above the local median of $515,277.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $115,988 against a local median of $88,691, 31% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 31% above the local median it puts Placer County, CA at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $285,271 on median home price, so Placer County, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Placer County, CA has the highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Placer County, CA | 418,934 | $115,988 #1/5 | $676,858 #1/5 | 22.3 min #3/5 |
| Nevada County, CA | 102,481 | $90,457 | $584,770 | 17.7 min |
| El Dorado County, CA | 192,661 | $109,313 | $453,089 | 21.5 min |
| Amador County, CA | 41,428 | $86,926 | $577,464 | 25.9 min |
| Yuba County, CA | 84,507 | $76,221 | $299,499 | 30.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Placer County, California.
How big is Placer County, California by population?
About 418,934 people live in Placer County, California, in 157,832 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 40.1, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
Is Placer County, California mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Placer County, California has 279 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 3.2 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Placer County, California?
The median home costs 5.8 times the median household income ($676,858 against $115,988), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $2,069 a month takes about 21% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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