Jamaican Population in California by County : 2025 Ranking & Insights

According to the latest U.S. Census estimates, the Jamaican population in California totals 39,575. Los Angeles County contains the largest Jamaican community with 15,811 residents, followed by San Diego County (4,160), San Bernardino County (2,840), and others contributing to this statewide total. This demographic analysis ranks all counties in California by their Jamaican populations, offering insights into local community distribution and broader settlement trends.

Top 5 counties with the largest Jamaican population in California

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  • 1
    Los Angeles County
    Jamaican population in Los Angeles County is 15,811
    0.16% of Los Angeles County population is Jamaican
  • 2
    San Diego County
    Jamaican population in San Diego County is 4,160
    0.13% of San Diego County population is Jamaican
  • 3
    San Bernardino County
    Jamaican population in San Bernardino County is 2,840
    0.13% of San Bernardino County population is Jamaican
  • 4
    Riverside County
    Jamaican population in Riverside County is 2,566
    0.10% of Riverside County population is Jamaican
  • 5
    Alameda County
    Jamaican population in Alameda County is 2,520
    0.15% of Alameda County population is Jamaican

Overview of Jamaican population in California

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data indicate California contains 39,575 Jamaican residents (0.1% of 39.2 million total state population), positioning the state at the 87th percentile nationally among U.S. states for Jamaican population concentrations.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: U.S. Census surveys show California's Jamaican demographic representation of 0.1% remains below the national average of 0.37%, positioning the state below typical U.S. demographic distribution patterns.
  • Share of Total National Population: Official American Community Survey records show California hosts 39,575 Jamaican residents, representing 3.2% of the nation's total Jamaican population of 1.2 million, establishing the state as a significant demographic concentration center within national boundaries.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey document California contains 0.25 Jamaican per square mile, below the national average of 0.35 per square mile, while maintaining moderate community presence relative to national concentration standards.
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55 Counties in California Ranked by Jamaican Population

View Methodology
American Community Survey data [1] show Jamaican population in California distributed across multiple counties, led by Los Angeles County, San Diego County, San Bernardino County, and Riverside County, while several other counties recorded no residents identified as Americans of Jamaican 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 Jamaican population count
Rank by Jamaican Population
County
Jamaican Population
% of Total County Population
% of Total California Jamaican Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Los Angeles County 15,811 0.16% 39.95%
2 San Diego County 4,160 0.13% 10.51%
3 San Bernardino County 2,840 0.13% 7.18%
4 Riverside County 2,566 0.10% 6.48%
5 Alameda County 2,520 0.15% 6.37%
6 Contra Costa County 1,403 0.12% 3.55%
7 Sacramento County 1,376 0.09% 3.48%
8 1,111 0.04% 2.81%
9 937 0.05% 2.37%
10 907 0.11% 2.29%
11 881 0.20% 2.23%
12 569 0.06% 1.44%
13 558 0.07% 1.41%
14 459 0.05% 1.16%
15 300 0.05% 0.76%
16 298 0.07% 0.75%
17 289 0.03% 0.73%
18 267 0.06% 0.67%
19 254 0.12% 0.64%
20 230 0.05% 0.58%
21 228 0.03% 0.58%
22 201 0.11% 0.51%
23 178 0.13% 0.45%
24 175 0.07% 0.44%
25 159 0.10% 0.40%
26 141 0.17% 0.36%
27 123 0.04% 0.31%
28 117 0.03% 0.30%
29 107 0.04% 0.27%
30 90 0.07% 0.23%
31 62 0.03% 0.16%
32 55 0.02% 0.14%
33 50 0.03% 0.13%
34 32 0.02% 0.08%
35 30 0.03% 0.08%
36 28 0.13% 0.07%
37 17 0.00% 0.04%
38 15 0.02% 0.04%
39 11 0.03% 0.03%
40 7 0.01% 0.02%
40 7 0.01% 0.02%
41 3 0.00% 0.01%
42 2 0.00% 0.01%
43 1 0.00% 0.00%
44 0 - -
44 0 - -
44 0 - -
44 0 - -
44 0 - -
44 0 - -
44 0 - -
44 0 - -
44 0 - -
44 0 - -
44 0 - -
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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 Jamaican population, using the most recent ACS data available.

How the Census defines Jamaican 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 Jamaican 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 Jamaican alone, while others identify as Jamaican along with another race (such as Jamaican and German).
  • We’ve used the “Jamaican alone or in any combination” category unless noted otherwise, which gives a broader picture of the Jamaican population in each area.

How We Ranked the Data

This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as Jamaican 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 Jamaican .
  2. % of Total California Jamaican Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. Jamaican 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 Jamaican 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 Jamaican 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 Jamaican populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.

Sources

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