Plumas County, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Plumas 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
-
C
Income Below average
-
C
Education Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Plumas County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,423 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 7.4 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.45% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 53.8 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 8,054 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Plumas County declined by 5.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 19,423 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Plumas County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 28.5% of residents. That is 13.2 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,853 14.7% -7.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,265 16.8% -6.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,339 22.3% +2.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,530 28.5% +13.2 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 48.9% of the people living in Plumas County and men 51.1%.
- Women 48.9% California 49.9%
- Men 51.1% California 50.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Plumas County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Plumas County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Plumas County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,287 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.91% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 9.1% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Plumas County is about 32% lower than in California.
Housing
| Metric | Plumas County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $388,461 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,193 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.6% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Plumas County is about 27.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,193 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Plumas County spend about 26 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 107 hours, about 4.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Plumas County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 12.8 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 25.7 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 107 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,316 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.2% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,848 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 225 | 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 Plumas County is 13 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
Plumas County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Plumas County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.5% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.37 | 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
Plumas County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Plumas County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.0 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.6% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 12.9% | 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).
Plumas County, CA Compared With Nearby Counties
Plumas County, CA is the smallest of the 5 counties compared here, 19,423 residents against a local median of 93,494. Plumas County, CA's commute, at 12.8 min, runs 24% below the 16.9 min typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $388,461 against a local median of $331,434, 17% above it. The counties themselves spread 14.4 min on commute, so Plumas County, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Plumas County, CA has the lowest commute of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plumas County, CA | 19,423 | $67,287 #5/5 | $388,461 #2/5 | 12.8 min #1/5 |
| Nevada County, CA | 102,481 | $90,457 | $584,770 | 17.7 min |
| Lassen County, CA | 30,356 | $67,791 | $225,766 | 16.0 min |
| Butte County, CA | 207,907 | $68,302 | $363,369 | 15.8 min |
| Yuba County, CA | 84,507 | $76,221 | $299,499 | 30.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Plumas County, California.
What is the population of Plumas County, California?
About 19,423 people live in Plumas County, California, in 8,054 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 53.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 17 years.
How densely populated is Plumas County, California?
Averaged over its land area, Plumas County, California has 7 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 9% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Plumas County, California an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 5.8 times the median household income ($388,461 against $67,287), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,193 a month takes about 21% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Plumas County, California?
Unemployment in Plumas County, California is 9.1%, 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 Plumas County, California?
20.5% of adults in Plumas County, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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