South African Population in California by County : 2025 Ranking & Insights

According to the latest U.S. Census estimates, the South African population in California totals 13,225. Los Angeles County contains the largest South African community with 3,296 residents, followed by Orange County (2,294), San Diego County (1,786), and others contributing to this statewide total. This demographic analysis ranks all counties in California by their South African populations, offering insights into local community distribution and broader settlement trends.

Top 5 counties with the largest South African population in California

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  • 1
    Los Angeles County
    South African population in Los Angeles County is 3,296
    0.03% of Los Angeles County population is South African
  • 2
    Orange County
    South African population in Orange County is 2,294
    0.07% of Orange County population is South African
  • 3
    San Diego County
    South African population in San Diego County is 1,786
    0.05% of San Diego County population is South African
  • 4
    Santa Clara County
    South African population in Santa Clara County is 647
    0.03% of Santa Clara County population is South African
  • 5
    Sacramento County
    South African population in Sacramento County is 525
    0.03% of Sacramento County population is South African

Overview of South African population in California

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data indicate California contains 13,225 South African residents (0.034% of 39.2 million total state population), positioning the state at the 100th percentile nationally among U.S. states for South African population concentrations.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: U.S. Census data records indicate California's South African population of 0.034% exceeds the national average of 0.025% by a factor of 1.3.
  • Share of Total National Population: Official American Community Survey data indicates California's 13,225 South African residents constitute 15.9% of the nation's total South African population of 83,184, placing the state among jurisdictions with the highest demographic concentrations, with 15.9% of all American South African Americans residing within state boundaries.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey data indicates California's density of 0.085 South African Americans per square mile exceeds the national average of 0.024 per square mile by more than triple, establishing the state as a significant concentration center for South African demographic communities.
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55 Counties in California Ranked by South African Population

View Methodology
American Community Survey data [1] show South African population in California distributed across multiple counties, led by Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Diego County, and Santa Clara County, while several other counties recorded no residents identified as Americans of South African ancestry. 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 South African population count
Rank by South African Population
County
South African Population
% of Total County Population
% of Total California South African Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Los Angeles County 3,296 0.03% 24.92%
2 Orange County 2,294 0.07% 17.35%
3 San Diego County 1,786 0.05% 13.50%
4 Santa Clara County 647 0.03% 4.89%
5 Sacramento County 525 0.03% 3.97%
6 San Francisco County 482 0.06% 3.64%
7 Ventura County 448 0.05% 3.39%
8 432 0.17% 3.27%
9 402 0.02% 3.04%
10 392 0.03% 2.96%
11 342 0.01% 2.59%
12 295 0.22% 2.23%
13 261 0.09% 1.97%
14 239 0.03% 1.81%
15 222 0.05% 1.68%
16 131 0.07% 0.99%
17 114 0.02% 0.86%
18 109 0.03% 0.82%
19 104 0.02% 0.79%
20 97 0.01% 0.73%
20 97 0.00% 0.73%
21 86 0.03% 0.65%
22 51 0.03% 0.39%
23 46 0.02% 0.35%
24 45 0.02% 0.34%
24 45 0.01% 0.34%
25 38 0.06% 0.29%
26 36 0.02% 0.27%
27 31 0.03% 0.23%
28 28 0.01% 0.21%
29 26 0.02% 0.20%
30 25 0.01% 0.19%
31 21 0.01% 0.16%
32 16 0.01% 0.12%
33 12 0.02% 0.09%
34 4 0.01% 0.03%
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 South African population, using the most recent ACS data available.

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

How We Ranked the Data

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

Sources

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