Portuguese Population in California by City : 2025 Ranking & Insights

The Portuguese population in California totals 314,069, according to recent U.S. Census estimates. Leading cities include San Jose (9,981), followed by San Diego (9,259) and Los Angeles (8,929), 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 Portuguese residents are distributed across California''s urban and rural landscape.

Top 5 cities with the largest Portuguese population in California

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  • 1
    San Jose
    Portuguese population in San Jose is 9,981
    1.01% of San Jose population is Portuguese
  • 2
    San Diego
    Portuguese population in San Diego is 9,259
    0.67% of San Diego population is Portuguese
  • 3
    Los Angeles
    Portuguese population in Los Angeles is 8,929
    0.23% of Los Angeles population is Portuguese
  • 4
    Modesto
    Portuguese population in Modesto is 6,433
    2.94% of Modesto population is Portuguese
  • 5
    Fresno
    Portuguese population in Fresno is 5,130
    0.94% of Fresno population is Portuguese

Overview of Portuguese population in California

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data indicate California contains 314,069 Portuguese residents (0.8% of 39.2 million total state population), positioning the state at the 100th percentile nationally among U.S. states for Portuguese population concentrations.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: U.S. Census data records indicate California's Portuguese population of 0.8% exceeds the national average of 0.41% by a factor of 2.
  • Share of Total National Population: Official American Community Survey data indicates California's 314,069 Portuguese residents constitute 23.2% of the nation's total Portuguese population of 1.4 million, placing the state among jurisdictions with the highest demographic concentrations, with 23.2% of all American Portuguese Americans residing within state boundaries.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey document California with 2 Portuguese Americans per square mile, five and one-quarter times the national average density of 0.38 per square mile, placing the state among jurisdictions with significantly elevated demographic concentrations nationally.
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473 Cities in California Ranked by Portuguese Population

View Methodology
American Community Survey data [1] show Portuguese population in California present in San Jose, San Diego, and Los Angeles, 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 Portuguese population count
Rank by Portuguese Population
City
Portuguese Population
% of Total City Population
% of Total California Portuguese Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 San Jose 9,981 1.01% 3.18%
2 San Diego 9,259 0.67% 2.95%
3 Los Angeles 8,929 0.23% 2.84%
4 Modesto 6,433 2.94% 2.05%
5 Fresno 5,130 0.94% 1.63%
6 Sacramento 5,023 0.96% 1.60%
7 Turlock 4,876 6.73% 1.55%
8 4,254 0.51% 1.35%
9 4,216 6.02% 1.34%
10 3,607 2.53% 1.15%
11 3,250 5.47% 1.03%
12 3,207 2.10% 1.02%
13 2,927 3.31% 0.93%
14 2,873 3.32% 0.91%
15 2,827 0.88% 0.90%
16 2,746 2.12% 0.87%
17 2,709 2.84% 0.86%
18 2,622 1.48% 0.83%
19 2,510 1.10% 0.80%
20 2,413 1.36% 0.77%
21 2,305 2.68% 0.73%
22 2,248 1.41% 0.72%
22 2,248 0.51% 0.72%
23 2,167 2.41% 0.69%
24 2,035 1.99% 0.65%
25 1,991 0.49% 0.63%
26 1,837 1.59% 0.58%
27 1,789 5.59% 0.57%
28 1,621 1.30% 0.52%
29 1,620 1.32% 0.52%
30 1,584 2.04% 0.50%
31 1,562 0.34% 0.50%
32 1,495 2.31% 0.48%
33 1,484 0.48% 0.47%
34 1,440 1.41% 0.46%
35 1,405 3.00% 0.45%
36 1,363 1.59% 0.43%
37 1,252 2.56% 0.40%
38 1,209 0.62% 0.38%
39 1,165 1.96% 0.37%
40 1,152 1.32% 0.37%
41 1,142 1.58% 0.36%
42 1,071 6.68% 0.34%
43 1,069 1.36% 0.34%
44 1,057 2.34% 0.34%
45 1,045 0.84% 0.33%
46 1,022 1.24% 0.33%
47 1,011 8.22% 0.32%
47 1,011 1.48% 0.32%
48 988 0.82% 0.31%
49 973 2.06% 0.31%
50 969 0.60% 0.31%
51 964 1.83% 0.31%
52 956 3.72% 0.30%
53 944 12.71% 0.30%
54 937 0.84% 0.30%
55 934 0.90% 0.30%
56 927 1.58% 0.30%
57 914 3.95% 0.29%
58 906 1.18% 0.29%
59 891 4.80% 0.28%
60 877 0.94% 0.28%
61 873 0.32% 0.28%
62 871 1.68% 0.28%
63 867 1.96% 0.28%
64 858 0.40% 0.27%
65 854 5.30% 0.27%
66 830 1.61% 0.26%
67 820 1.02% 0.26%
68 813 0.47% 0.26%
69 806 0.40% 0.26%
70 801 2.96% 0.26%
71 794 0.23% 0.25%
72 789 0.68% 0.25%
73 788 0.46% 0.25%
74 719 2.96% 0.23%
75 714 0.43% 0.23%
76 706 0.86% 0.22%
77 702 1.90% 0.22%
78 680 1.81% 0.22%
79 678 0.97% 0.22%
80 677 0.21% 0.22%
81 667 1.09% 0.21%
82 666 0.60% 0.21%
83 657 2.09% 0.21%
84 649 10.61% 0.21%
85 647 1.35% 0.21%
86 646 1.49% 0.21%
87 640 4.27% 0.20%
88 633 0.42% 0.20%
89 632 0.91% 0.20%
90 630 0.69% 0.20%
91 627 0.57% 0.20%
92 626 0.35% 0.20%
93 616 0.51% 0.20%
94 614 0.40% 0.20%
95 601 2.24% 0.19%
96 600 1.75% 0.19%
97 582 0.53% 0.19%
98 581 1.31% 0.19%
99 575 0.46% 0.18%
100 573 0.86% 0.18%
101 564 0.60% 0.18%
102 557 0.40% 0.18%
103 550 0.48% 0.18%
104 543 1.66% 0.17%
105 539 0.38% 0.17%
106 538 0.88% 0.17%
107 528 0.50% 0.17%
108 525 1.72% 0.17%
109 519 0.74% 0.17%
109 519 0.64% 0.17%
110 515 0.22% 0.16%
111 506 0.59% 0.16%
112 501 2.52% 0.16%
113 486 1.13% 0.15%
114 484 0.57% 0.15%
115 483 1.62% 0.15%
116 481 0.63% 0.15%
116 481 0.38% 0.15%
117 468 4.53% 0.15%
118 465 0.85% 0.15%
119 459 0.34% 0.15%
120 457 0.55% 0.15%
121 447 1.77% 0.14%
122 446 1.79% 0.14%
123 444 0.28% 0.14%
124 443 0.66% 0.14%
125 442 0.66% 0.14%
126 433 0.70% 0.14%
127 427 1.00% 0.14%
128 425 2.25% 0.14%
129 418 0.53% 0.13%
130 411 0.47% 0.13%
131 410 3.23% 0.13%
132 409 5.22% 0.13%
133 400 1.11% 0.13%
134 385 0.26% 0.12%
135 381 0.27% 0.12%
136 379 4.59% 0.12%
137 376 0.62% 0.12%
138 373 1.98% 0.12%
139 363 1.70% 0.12%
140 362 3.94% 0.12%
141 361 1.10% 0.11%
142 359 0.34% 0.11%
143 356 1.34% 0.11%
143 356 0.32% 0.11%
144 355 0.83% 0.11%
145 347 0.67% 0.11%
146 345 2.78% 0.11%
147 339 2.40% 0.11%
148 331 0.59% 0.11%
149 330 4.11% 0.11%
150 328 1.00% 0.10%
150 328 0.47% 0.10%
151 327 0.55% 0.10%
152 324 0.33% 0.10%
153 321 0.31% 0.10%
154 320 0.30% 0.10%
155 317 0.62% 0.10%
156 310 0.69% 0.10%
157 308 0.18% 0.10%
158 306 5.32% 0.10%
158 306 0.50% 0.10%
159 304 0.56% 0.10%
160 301 0.47% 0.10%
161 298 1.00% 0.09%
162 297 0.93% 0.09%
163 296 2.05% 0.09%
164 295 2.58% 0.09%
165 294 1.53% 0.09%
166 292 0.32% 0.09%
167 291 1.72% 0.09%
168 288 0.21% 0.09%
169 286 3.79% 0.09%
170 283 0.86% 0.09%
170 283 0.31% 0.09%
170 283 0.95% 0.09%
171 282 1.00% 0.09%
172 275 0.72% 0.09%
173 270 1.96% 0.09%
173 270 0.62% 0.09%
174 268 0.42% 0.09%
175 267 0.29% 0.09%
176 264 0.42% 0.08%
177 260 0.12% 0.08%
178 256 0.38% 0.08%
179 255 0.15% 0.08%
180 246 4.86% 0.08%
181 244 0.33% 0.08%
182 243 0.32% 0.08%
183 242 0.76% 0.08%
184 238 1.42% 0.08%
185 236 0.21% 0.08%
186 235 0.50% 0.07%
187 233 0.85% 0.07%
188 228 0.29% 0.07%
189 227 0.23% 0.07%
190 220 1.51% 0.07%
191 219 0.37% 0.07%
192 218 1.93% 0.07%
193 217 0.28% 0.07%
193 217 3.10% 0.07%
193 217 0.11% 0.07%
193 217 0.25% 0.07%
194 214 0.82% 0.07%
195 212 1.28% 0.07%
196 210 0.80% 0.07%
197 207 0.40% 0.07%
198 205 0.43% 0.07%
199 203 0.30% 0.06%
200 200 0.32% 0.06%
201 198 0.61% 0.06%
202 196 0.27% 0.06%
203 195 1.61% 0.06%
204 194 7.02% 0.06%
205 189 0.69% 0.06%
205 189 0.23% 0.06%
206 185 0.17% 0.06%
207 178 0.57% 0.06%
208 177 0.90% 0.06%
209 176 1.40% 0.06%
210 175 0.71% 0.06%
211 171 0.93% 0.05%
211 171 0.49% 0.05%
212 170 0.33% 0.05%
212 170 0.52% 0.05%
212 170 0.35% 0.05%
213 169 0.48% 0.05%
214 166 0.65% 0.05%
215 164 0.05% 0.05%
216 163 0.21% 0.05%
217 162 0.17% 0.05%
218 160 3.22% 0.05%
219 159 0.52% 0.05%
220 158 0.22% 0.05%
221 154 3.03% 0.05%
222 152 0.58% 0.05%
223 148 0.15% 0.05%
223 148 0.49% 0.05%
224 142 1.42% 0.05%
224 142 0.42% 0.05%
225 141 0.22% 0.04%
225 141 0.07% 0.04%
226 139 0.45% 0.04%
227 136 1.32% 0.04%
228 135 0.67% 0.04%
229 134 1.78% 0.04%
229 134 1.25% 0.04%
230 133 0.24% 0.04%
231 129 0.42% 0.04%
232 127 0.56% 0.04%
232 127 0.49% 0.04%
232 127 1.70% 0.04%
233 122 0.48% 0.04%
233 122 0.81% 0.04%
234 121 0.62% 0.04%
235 120 0.55% 0.04%
235 120 1.42% 0.04%
235 120 4.47% 0.04%
236 119 0.77% 0.04%
237 115 2.14% 0.04%
237 115 0.30% 0.04%
238 114 1.01% 0.04%
239 113 0.35% 0.04%
240 111 0.66% 0.04%
240 111 0.50% 0.04%
241 110 0.22% 0.04%
241 110 0.57% 0.04%
241 110 0.38% 0.04%
242 107 0.13% 0.03%
243 105 0.12% 0.03%
244 104 0.46% 0.03%
244 104 0.81% 0.03%
245 101 0.12% 0.03%
246 100 0.24% 0.03%
247 99 1.11% 0.03%
247 99 0.09% 0.03%
247 99 0.32% 0.03%
248 96 0.33% 0.03%
248 96 2.99% 0.03%
248 96 0.58% 0.03%
249 95 0.20% 0.03%
249 95 0.75% 0.03%
249 95 1.52% 0.03%
250 93 0.18% 0.03%
250 93 0.73% 0.03%
251 91 0.67% 0.03%
252 90 0.15% 0.03%
252 90 1.21% 0.03%
253 88 0.39% 0.03%
254 87 1.04% 0.03%
255 85 0.87% 0.03%
255 85 0.32% 0.03%
255 85 0.08% 0.03%
256 84 0.20% 0.03%
256 84 0.16% 0.03%
256 84 0.93% 0.03%
257 82 0.17% 0.03%
257 82 0.74% 0.03%
258 80 0.79% 0.03%
258 80 0.13% 0.03%
258 80 0.65% 0.03%
259 78 0.21% 0.02%
259 78 0.38% 0.02%
260 76 1.12% 0.02%
261 75 0.43% 0.02%
262 74 0.10% 0.02%
262 74 0.42% 0.02%
262 74 0.25% 0.02%
263 73 4.91% 0.02%
264 72 0.15% 0.02%
264 72 0.65% 0.02%
265 71 0.18% 0.02%
266 70 4.50% 0.02%
266 70 0.19% 0.02%
267 66 0.38% 0.02%
267 66 0.27% 0.02%
267 66 0.91% 0.02%
268 65 1.26% 0.02%
268 65 2.05% 0.02%
269 64 0.07% 0.02%
270 63 0.10% 0.02%
271 61 0.11% 0.02%
271 61 0.57% 0.02%
272 60 1.61% 0.02%
272 60 0.15% 0.02%
272 60 0.11% 0.02%
272 60 0.56% 0.02%
272 60 1.16% 0.02%
273 59 0.53% 0.02%
273 59 0.34% 0.02%
273 59 1.75% 0.02%
274 58 0.53% 0.02%
274 58 0.44% 0.02%
274 58 1.09% 0.02%
275 57 0.53% 0.02%
275 57 0.16% 0.02%
275 57 0.41% 0.02%
275 57 0.44% 0.02%
276 55 0.43% 0.02%
277 53 0.20% 0.02%
278 52 0.10% 0.02%
279 49 0.72% 0.02%
279 49 0.81% 0.02%
280 48 0.19% 0.02%
280 48 3.84% 0.02%
281 47 0.28% 0.02%
282 45 0.14% 0.01%
282 45 0.07% 0.01%
282 45 0.18% 0.01%
283 43 0.09% 0.01%
283 43 0.53% 0.01%
284 42 0.08% 0.01%
284 42 0.85% 0.01%
284 42 1.24% 0.01%
285 41 0.05% 0.01%
285 41 0.19% 0.01%
286 40 0.53% 0.01%
286 40 0.11% 0.01%
286 40 0.18% 0.01%
287 39 0.14% 0.01%
287 39 0.19% 0.01%
287 39 1.58% 0.01%
288 38 0.07% 0.01%
288 38 0.08% 0.01%
289 37 0.45% 0.01%
289 37 0.52% 0.01%
290 36 0.16% 0.01%
291 35 1.67% 0.01%
291 35 0.06% 0.01%
292 34 1.41% 0.01%
292 34 0.09% 0.01%
292 34 0.29% 0.01%
292 34 0.61% 0.01%
293 33 0.06% 0.01%
294 31 1.15% 0.01%
295 30 0.03% 0.01%
295 30 0.29% 0.01%
295 30 1.97% 0.01%
296 29 0.18% 0.01%
296 29 0.25% 0.01%
297 28 0.43% 0.01%
297 28 0.38% 0.01%
297 28 0.27% 0.01%
298 27 0.38% 0.01%
298 27 0.21% 0.01%
298 27 0.22% 0.01%
298 27 4.38% 0.01%
298 27 1.27% 0.01%
299 25 0.27% 0.01%
300 24 0.48% 0.01%
300 24 0.22% 0.01%
301 23 3.28% 0.01%
301 23 0.31% 0.01%
301 23 0.27% 0.01%
302 22 0.12% 0.01%
302 22 3.39% 0.01%
302 22 0.06% 0.01%
303 21 0.93% 0.01%
303 21 0.41% 0.01%
304 20 0.08% 0.01%
304 20 0.08% 0.01%
304 20 0.09% 0.01%
304 20 0.10% 0.01%
305 19 0.04% 0.01%
305 19 0.05% 0.01%
306 18 0.22% 0.01%
306 18 1.33% 0.01%
306 18 0.08% 0.01%
306 18 0.02% 0.01%
307 17 0.04% 0.01%
307 17 0.09% 0.01%
307 17 0.49% 0.01%
308 15 0.38% 0.00%
308 15 0.11% 0.00%
308 15 0.03% 0.00%
309 14 0.02% 0.00%
309 14 1.40% 0.00%
309 14 0.20% 0.00%
309 14 0.32% 0.00%
310 12 0.19% 0.00%
310 12 0.22% 0.00%
310 12 0.46% 0.00%
310 12 0.04% 0.00%
311 11 0.09% 0.00%
312 10 0.21% 0.00%
313 9 0.19% 0.00%
314 8 0.01% 0.00%
315 7 0.05% 0.00%
316 6 0.04% 0.00%
316 6 0.12% 0.00%
316 6 0.06% 0.00%
316 6 0.10% 0.00%
317 5 0.03% 0.00%
317 5 0.02% 0.00%
318 4 0.02% 0.00%
319 3 0.37% 0.00%
319 3 0.14% 0.00%
320 0 - -
320 0 - -
320 0 - -
320 0 - -
320 0 - -
320 0 - -
320 0 - -
320 0 - -
320 0 - -
320 0 - -
320 0 - -
320 0 - -
320 0 - -
320 0 - -
320 0 - -
320 0 - -
320 0 - -
320 0 - -
320 0 - -
320 0 - -
320 0 - -
320 0 - -
320 0 - -
320 0 - -
320 0 - -
320 0 - -
320 0 - -
320 0 - -
320 0 - -
320 0 - -
320 0 - -
320 0 - -
320 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 city in California by their Portuguese population, using the most recent ACS data available.

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

How We Ranked the Data

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

Sources

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