Inyo County, California

County in CA, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

18,739

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

45.5

years ∙ half population younger than 45.5, half older

Diversity Index

59.3%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

7.9%

foreign-born population

92.1%Native

7.9% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Inyo County is a county in California, United States.

Location

County in CA, US

Co-ordinates

DEC36.562160° N, 117.404209° W

DMS36° 33′ 43.78″ N, 117° 24′ 15.15″ W

Population Density & area

1.84/sq mi (0.71/km²)

Total Area

10,227 sq mi (26,488 km²)

Land Area

10,197 sq mi (26,411 km²) · 99.71%

Water Area

30 sq mi (77 km²) · 0.29%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

50.8% male

Male 50.8%

Female 49.2%

males per 100 females

Inyo County 103.1

California 99.8

United States 98

Nativity

7.9%

foreign-born population

92.1%Native

7.9% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Inyo County 7.9%

California 27%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

45.5

years ∙ half population younger than 45.5, half older

Inyo County

45.5

California

37.9

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

82.2

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Inyo County 82.2

California 60.4

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Inyo County	California	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	20.2%	22%	22%
Working age (18-64)	54.9%	62.3%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	24.9%	15.7%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	82.2	60.4	64.4
Child dependency ratio	36.8	35.2	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	45.5	25.1	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

58%

Black

0.5%

Asian

1.5%

Hispanic

24.2%

Other

15.8%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

59.3%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Inyo County 59.3%

California 69.6%

United States 61.4%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Inyo County population

	Inyo County	California	United States
Hispanic or Latino	24.2%	40.2%	19.3%
Mexican	18.6%	32.3%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0.8%	0.6%	1.8%
Cuban	0.2%	0.3%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	4.5%	7%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	75.8%	59.8%	80.7%
One race	70.1%	55.4%	76.4%
White	58%	33.8%	57.4%
Black or African American	0.5%	5.2%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	9.3%	0.3%	0.5%
Asian	1.5%	15.3%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0.1%	0.3%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0.7%	0.6%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	5.7%	4.4%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

55.7% family

Family 55.7%

Non family 44.3%

% family households

Inyo County 55.7%

California 67.8%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.25

persons per household

Inyo County

2.25

California

2.84

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Inyo County population

	Inyo County	California	United States
Total households	8,040	13,548,091	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.25	2.84	2.53
Family households	4,478	9,191,176	82,990,528
Average family size	3.06	3.41	3.14
Married couple family	3,303	6,557,184	60,637,388
Other families	1,175	2,633,992	22,353,140
Male householder	278	857,732	6,572,819
Female householder	897	1,776,260	15,780,321
Non-family households	3,562	4,356,915	46,236,968
One-person households	3,100	3,289,307	37,140,836
Male householder	1,330	1,493,062	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	693	460,668	5,225,110
Female householder	1,770	1,796,245	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	765	886,142	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	462	1,067,608	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

9,524

housing units

Inyo County 9,524

California 14,644,735

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

84.4% occupied

Occupied 84.4%

Vacant 15.6%

vacancy rate

Inyo County 15.6%

California 7.5%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

62.2%

Single family houses

62.2%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

9.5%

Mobile homes

25.9%

Boat, RV, van, etc

2.5%

Median Year Built

1976

Half of houses were built before 1976, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

9.8%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

31.4%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

45.7%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

13%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Inyo County	California	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.2	5	5.5
1–3 rooms	18.2%	21%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	60.1%	54.7%	51.6%
7+ rooms	21.8%	24.4%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	5.1%	5%	2.9%
1 bedroom	10.8%	13.2%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	29.6%	26.9%	25%
3 bedrooms	43.1%	32.8%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	11.5%	22.1%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1976	1976	1981
Total housing units	9,524	14,644,735	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

66.4% owners

Renter-occupied 33.6%

Owner-occupied 66.4%

homeownership rate

Inyo County 66.4%

California 55.9%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.42

Owner-occupied

1.91

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Inyo County 2.42

California 2.95

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Inyo County	California	United States
Total occupied units	8,040	13,548,091	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	23%	23.4%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	39.7%	41.2%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	17.8%	17%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	19.5%	18.5%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	97.3%	91.8%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	1.5%	5%	2.2%
1.51 or more	1.2%	3.2%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	5.5%	7.1%	8.4%
1 vehicle	34.5%	30.7%	33.1%
2 vehicles	33.2%	36.3%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	26.8%	25.8%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	39.8%	64.4%	51.4%
Electricity	17.9%	29.5%	41.3%
Solar	0.7%	1.2%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	6.1%	0.2%	3.9%
All other fuels	35%	1.6%	2%
No fuel used	0.5%	3%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	1.9%	0.4%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	2%	1.2%	0.8%
No telephone service available	2.3%	0.9%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$348,700

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Inyo County

$348,700

California

$734,700

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

26.2%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

26.2%

Owners without a mortgage

22.1%

Renters

35.5%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Inyo County	California	United States
Property value
Median Value	$348,700	$734,700	$332,700
Under $100,000	21.2%	4.2%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	13.8%	2.7%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	9.8%	4.3%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	24.3%	17.1%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	30%	42.1%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	0.8%	29.6%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	39%	67.4%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	61%	32.6%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$2,005	$2,946	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$598	$829	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$1,189	$2,036	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

31.5%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Inyo County 31.5%

California 37.1%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Inyo County 7%

California 15.2%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

3,840

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

7.5%

K–12

72.6%

College / Undergraduate

16.9%

Graduate / Professional

3.1%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

22%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Inyo County

22%

California

46.8%

United States

40.9%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Inyo County	California	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	3,840	9,917,839	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	7.5%	5%	5.7%
K–12	72.6%	64.9%	67.6%
Kindergarten	3.8%	4.9%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	26.8%	18.7%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	18.3%	19.9%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	23.6%	21.5%	21.7%
College or graduate school	20%	30.1%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	16.9%	24.3%	21%
Graduate, professional school	3.1%	5.8%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	22%	46.8%	40.9%
School type
Public school	84.6%	85%	82%
Private school	15.4%	15%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

13,770

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

2.3%

9th-12th, no diploma

4.7%

HS graduate

27.3%

Some college no degree

27.1%

Associates degree

7.1%

Bachelors degree

19%

Graduate or professional degree

12.5%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

54.4% · 45.6%

9th-12th, no diploma

63.6% · 36.4%

HS graduate

56.6% · 43.4%

Some college no degree

47.8% · 52.2%

Associates degree

39.3% · 60.7%

Bachelors degree

50.7% · 49.3%

Graduate or professional degree

41.3% · 58.7%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Inyo County	California	United States
Population (25+)	13,770	27,073,960	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	2.3%	8.7%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	4.7%	6.5%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	27.3%	20.5%	26%
Some college, no degree	27.1%	19.3%	19.1%
Associate's degree	7.1%	7.9%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	31.5%	37.1%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	19%	22.7%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	12.5%	14.4%	14.1%
High School or higher	93%	84.7%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$58,696

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$26,081

HS graduate

$45,647

Some college or associates

$51,705

Bachelors degree

$69,525

Graduate or professional degree

$83,697

Poverty Rate

4.5%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

17.4%

HS graduate

12.9%

Some college or associates

14.8%

Bachelors degree or higher

4.5%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Inyo County	California	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$58,696	$56,395	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$26,081	$32,480	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$45,647	$41,382	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$51,705	$50,157	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$69,525	$80,933	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$83,697	$111,188	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	17.4%	20%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	12.9%	13.9%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	14.8%	10.1%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	4.5%	5%	4.5%

Insights for Inyo County, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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