Tuolumne County, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Tuolumne 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
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Tuolumne County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 54,498 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 23.9 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.15% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 45.1 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 22,690 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Tuolumne County declined by 2.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 54,498 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Tuolumne County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 25.7% of residents. That is 10.4 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 9,025 16.6% -5.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 10,276 18.9% -4.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 11,254 20.6% +0.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 13,998 25.7% +10.4 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 48.0% of the people living in Tuolumne County and men 52.0%.
- Women 48.0% California 49.9%
- Men 52.0% California 50.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Tuolumne County
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Economy
Tuolumne County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Tuolumne County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $77,597 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.44% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 8.2% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Tuolumne County is about 22% lower than in California.
Housing
| Metric | Tuolumne County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $347,704 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,301 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 73.9% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Tuolumne County is about 22.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,301 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Tuolumne County spend about 37 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 154 hours, about 6.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Tuolumne County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.5 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 36.9 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 154 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,767 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.7% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,062 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 741 | 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 Tuolumne County is 18 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
Tuolumne County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Tuolumne County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.8% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.25 | 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
Tuolumne County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Tuolumne County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.5 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.0% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 14.4% | 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).
Tuolumne County, CA Compared With Nearby Counties
Tuolumne County, CA is the 2nd largest of the 4 counties compared here, 54,498 residents against a local median of 46,248. Where Tuolumne County, CA breaks from the counties next to it is commute, sitting 29% below the local median of 25.9 min at 18.5 min. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $347,704 against a local median of $434,507, 20% below it. The counties themselves spread 7.1 min on commute, so Tuolumne County, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Tuolumne County, CA has the lowest commute of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuolumne County, CA | 54,498 | $77,597 #3/4 | $347,704 #4/4 | 18.5 min #1/4 |
| Calaveras County, CA | 46,248 | $77,726 | $434,507 | 30.5 min |
| Amador County, CA | 41,428 | $86,926 | $577,464 | 25.9 min |
| Madera County, CA | 161,170 | $76,645 | $403,165 | 23.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Tuolumne County, California.
What is the population of Tuolumne County, California?
About 54,498 people live in Tuolumne County, California, in 22,690 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 45.1, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 8 years.
Is Tuolumne County, California mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Tuolumne County, California has 24 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 28% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Tuolumne County, California an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 4.5 times the median household income ($347,704 against $77,597), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,301 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Tuolumne County, California?
Unemployment in Tuolumne County, California is 8.2%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in Tuolumne County, California have a college degree?
22.8% of adults in Tuolumne 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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