Wasco, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Wasco, 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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C
Health Below average
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F
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Wasco | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 24,001 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2556.8 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 3.03% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 32.7 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 5,713 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Wasco grew by 27.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 24,001 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Wasco is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 28.5% of residents. That is 4.8 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 6,343 26.4% +4.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 6,842 28.5% +4.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,947 16.4% -3.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,835 7.6% -7.6 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 37.2% of the people living in Wasco and men 62.8%.
- Women 37.2% California 49.9%
- Men 62.8% California 50.1%
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100% of everyone living in Wasco
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Economy
Wasco has a the economy index of F, which means it scores poorly in the economy.
| Metric | Wasco | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $49,208 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.94% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.9% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Wasco is about 50% lower than in California.
Housing
| Metric | Wasco | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $290,280 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,091 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 55.7% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Wasco is about 22.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,091 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Wasco spend about 42 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 177 hours, about 7.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Wasco | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.2 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 42.4 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 177 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,474 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 2.5% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,598 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,310 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Wasco is 21 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
Wasco has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Wasco | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 5.0% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 3.52 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Health
Wasco has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Wasco | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.9 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 28.3% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.3% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Wasco, California.
How many people live in Wasco, California?
About 24,001 people live in Wasco, California, in 5,713 households of 3.5 people on average. The median age is 32.7, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Wasco, California urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Wasco, California has 2,557 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 30 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Wasco, California?
The median home costs 5.9 times the median household income ($290,280 against $49,208), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,091 a month takes about 27% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Wasco, California?
Unemployment in Wasco, California is 6.9%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in Wasco, California have a college degree?
5.0% of adults in Wasco, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 20), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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