Marshallese Population in California by City : 2025 Ranking & Insights

The Marshallese population in California totals 2,774, according to recent U.S. Census estimates. Leading cities include Sacramento (753), followed by San Diego (312) and San Marcos (178), each hosting visible segments of the community. While these urban centers anchor much of the population, the statewide total points to a broader presence in unincorporated areas and smaller towns beyond major city boundaries. The analysis below explores how Marshallese residents are distributed across California''s urban and rural landscape.

Top 5 cities with the largest Marshallese population in California

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  • 1
    Sacramento
    Marshallese population in Sacramento is 753
    0.14% of Sacramento population is Marshallese
  • 2
    San Diego
    Marshallese population in San Diego is 312
    0.02% of San Diego population is Marshallese
  • 3
    San Marcos
    Marshallese population in San Marcos is 178
    0.19% of San Marcos population is Marshallese
  • 4
    La Mesa
    Marshallese population in La Mesa is 61
    0.10% of La Mesa population is Marshallese
  • 5
    Oceanside
    Marshallese population in Oceanside is 53
    0.03% of Oceanside population is Marshallese

Overview of Marshallese population in California

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data indicate California contains 2,774 Marshallese residents (less than 0.01% of 39.2 million total state population), positioning the state at the 93rd percentile nationally among U.S. states for Marshallese population concentrations.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: U.S. Census surveys show California's Marshallese demographic representation of less than 0.01% remains below the national average of 0.013%, positioning the state below typical U.S. demographic distribution patterns.
  • Share of Total National Population: Official American Community Survey records show California hosts 2,774 Marshallese residents, representing 6.6% of the nation's total Marshallese population of 42,123, 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 data show California maintains 0.018 Marshallese Americans per square mile compared to the national average of 0.012, indicating higher demographic concentration relative to national averages.
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473 Cities in California Ranked by Marshallese Population

View Methodology
American Community Survey data [1] show Marshallese population in California present in Sacramento, San Diego, and San Marcos, along with several other incorporated cities reporting non-zero populations. The table below provides broader statistics, including total population figures, density measures, and demographic distributions based on current ACS data for all incorporated cities included in this analysis*.
cities in California ranked by Marshallese population count
Rank by Marshallese Population
City
Marshallese Population
% of Total City Population
% of Total California Marshallese Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Sacramento 753 0.14% 27.14%
2 San Diego 312 0.02% 11.25%
3 San Marcos 178 0.19% 6.42%
4 La Mesa 61 0.10% 2.20%
5 Oceanside 53 0.03% 1.91%
6 Merced 49 0.05% 1.77%
7 Costa Mesa 31 0.03% 1.12%
8 25 0.06% 0.90%
9 18 0.01% 0.65%
10 15 0.12% 0.54%
10 15 0.00% 0.54%
11 13 0.01% 0.47%
11 13 0.00% 0.47%
12 12 0.01% 0.43%
13 7 0.01% 0.25%
14 6 0.01% 0.22%
14 6 0.00% 0.22%
15 5 0.00% 0.18%
15 5 0.00% 0.18%
16 1 0.00% 0.04%
16 1 0.00% 0.04%
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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 city in California by their Marshallese population, using the most recent ACS data available.

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

How We Ranked the Data

This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as Marshallese alone or in combination in city. To provide additional context, we’ve also included two key percentages:
  1. % of Total City Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as Marshallese .
  2. % of Total California Marshallese Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. Marshallese 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 Marshallese 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.
  • City that don’t have any reported Marshallese 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 Marshallese populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.

Sources

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