Ethiopian Population in California by County : 2025 Ranking & Insights

According to the latest U.S. Census estimates, the Ethiopian population in California totals 36,797. Los Angeles County contains the largest Ethiopian community with 9,777 residents, followed by Alameda County (6,900), San Diego County (4,378), and others contributing to this statewide total. This demographic analysis ranks all counties in California by their Ethiopian populations, offering insights into local community distribution and broader settlement trends.

Top 5 counties with the largest Ethiopian population in California

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  • 1
    Los Angeles County
    Ethiopian population in Los Angeles County is 9,777
    0.10% of Los Angeles County population is Ethiopian
  • 2
    Alameda County
    Ethiopian population in Alameda County is 6,900
    0.42% of Alameda County population is Ethiopian
  • 3
    San Diego County
    Ethiopian population in San Diego County is 4,378
    0.13% of San Diego County population is Ethiopian
  • 4
    Santa Clara County
    Ethiopian population in Santa Clara County is 3,860
    0.20% of Santa Clara County population is Ethiopian
  • 5
    Sacramento County
    Ethiopian population in Sacramento County is 2,914
    0.18% of Sacramento County population is Ethiopian

Overview of Ethiopian population in California

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data indicate California contains 36,797 Ethiopian residents (0.094% of 39.2 million total state population), positioning the state at the 95th percentile nationally among U.S. states for Ethiopian population concentrations.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: U.S. Census surveys show California's Ethiopian demographic representation of 0.094% remains below the national average of 0.11%, positioning the state below typical U.S. demographic distribution patterns.
  • Share of Total National Population: Official American Community Survey data indicates California's 36,797 Ethiopian residents constitute 10.1% of the nation's total Ethiopian population of 364,645, placing the state among jurisdictions with the highest demographic concentrations, with 10.1% of all American Ethiopian Americans residing within state boundaries.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey data indicates California's density of 0.24 Ethiopian Americans per square mile exceeds the national average of 0.1 per square mile by two and one-quarter times, establishing the state as a significant concentration center for Ethiopian demographic communities.
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55 Counties in California Ranked by Ethiopian Population

View Methodology
American Community Survey data [1] show Ethiopian population in California distributed across multiple counties, led by Los Angeles County, Alameda County, San Diego County, and Santa Clara County, while several other counties recorded no residents identified as Americans of Ethiopian birth or descent. The table below provides broader statistics, including total population figures, density measures, and demographic distributions based on current ACS data for all counties included in this analysis*.
counties in California ranked by Ethiopian population count
Rank by Ethiopian Population
County
Ethiopian Population
% of Total County Population
% of Total California Ethiopian Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Los Angeles County 9,777 0.10% 26.57%
2 Alameda County 6,900 0.42% 18.75%
3 San Diego County 4,378 0.13% 11.90%
4 Santa Clara County 3,860 0.20% 10.49%
5 Sacramento County 2,914 0.18% 7.92%
6 San Francisco County 1,545 0.18% 4.20%
7 Orange County 1,541 0.05% 4.19%
8 1,161 0.10% 3.16%
9 875 0.04% 2.38%
10 543 0.02% 1.48%
11 518 0.09% 1.41%
12 484 0.11% 1.32%
13 331 0.04% 0.90%
14 274 0.06% 0.74%
15 270 0.06% 0.73%
16 228 0.02% 0.62%
17 192 0.04% 0.52%
18 144 0.02% 0.39%
19 120 0.02% 0.33%
20 114 0.04% 0.31%
21 96 0.02% 0.26%
22 87 0.03% 0.24%
23 79 0.01% 0.21%
24 59 0.14% 0.16%
25 58 0.01% 0.16%
26 49 0.05% 0.13%
27 48 0.06% 0.13%
28 35 0.02% 0.10%
28 35 0.01% 0.10%
29 32 0.02% 0.09%
30 25 0.01% 0.07%
31 9 0.01% 0.02%
32 7 0.01% 0.02%
33 5 0.00% 0.01%
34 2 0.00% 0.01%
34 2 0.00% 0.01%
35 0 - -
35 0 - -
35 0 - -
35 0 - -
35 0 - -
35 0 - -
35 0 - -
35 0 - -
35 0 - -
35 0 - -
35 0 - -
35 0 - -
35 0 - -
35 0 - -
35 0 - -
35 0 - -
35 0 - -
35 0 - -
35 0 - -
Need the complete table? Full rankings and the underlying data sets for California and other locations are available for purchase or license.

Methodology

This ranking list is based on data from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The ACS is one of the most reliable sources for understanding population trends across different locations, and it provides estimates for various racial and ethnic groups at city, county, state and all geography levels down to the Census block group.
This list ranks county in California by their Ethiopian population, using the most recent ACS data available.

How the Census defines Ethiopian population

The U.S. Census Bureau allows people to self-identify their ancestry, meaning individuals can write upto ancestries when responding to the survey. In this ranking, we include everyone who identifies as having Ethiopian ancestry, whether alone or in combination with another ancestry.
Here are a few important things to know about how ancestry is reported:
  • Some people identify as Ethiopian alone, while others identify as Ethiopian along with another race (such as Ethiopian and German).
  • We’ve used the “Ethiopian alone or in any combination” category unless noted otherwise, which gives a broader picture of the Ethiopian population in each area.

How We Ranked the Data

This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as Ethiopian alone or in combination in county. To provide additional context, we’ve also included two key percentages:
  1. % of Total County Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as Ethiopian .
  2. % of Total California Ethiopian Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. Ethiopian population lives in that state.
To keep things simple, all population numbers have been rounded to the nearest whole number, and percentages are rounded to one decimal place. Because of rounding, some percentages may not add up to exactly 100%.

Things to Keep in Mind

Like all survey-based data, ACS estimates come with some limitations. Here are a few things to be aware of:
  • In places with very small Ethiopian populations, the numbers may not be reported at all due to privacy protections or sampling variability in the survey.
  • Since the ACS is based on a sample, the numbers are estimates, not exact counts. That means they may slightly differ from other sources like the decennial U.S. Census.
  • County that don’t have any reported Ethiopian population are not included in the ranking but are listed separately below for reference.
This ranking is meant to provide a clear, data-driven look at where Ethiopian populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.

Sources

  1. 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.
  2. 2023.