Plumas County, California

County in CA, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

19,423

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

Median Age

years ∙ half population younger than 52, half older

Diversity Index

33.3%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

4.8%

foreign-born population

95.2%Native

4.8% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Plumas County is a county in California, United States.

Location

County in CA, US

Co-ordinates

DEC39.992295° N, 120.824371° W

DMS39° 59′ 32.26″ N, 120° 49′ 27.74″ W

Population Density & area

7.61/sq mi (2.94/km²)

Total Area

2,613 sq mi (6,768 km²)

Land Area

2,553 sq mi (6,612 km²) · 97.7%

Water Area

60 sq mi (156 km²) · 2.3%

Demographics & Living

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

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

51.2% male

Male 51.2%

Female 48.8%

males per 100 females

Plumas County 104.7

California 99.8

United States 98

Nativity

4.8%

foreign-born population

95.2%Native

4.8% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Plumas County 4.8%

California 27%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

years ∙ half population younger than 52, half older

Plumas County

California

37.9

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

94.8

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Plumas County 94.8

California 60.4

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Plumas County	California	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	17.2%	22%	22%
Working age (18-64)	51.3%	62.3%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	31.5%	15.7%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	94.8	60.4	64.4
Child dependency ratio	33.5	35.2	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	61.3	25.1	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

80.8%

Black

Asian

0.8%

Hispanic

10.3%

Other

7.1%

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

33.3%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Plumas County 33.3%

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 Plumas County population

	Plumas County	California	United States
Hispanic or Latino	10.3%	40.2%	19.3%
Mexican	6.6%	32.3%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0.7%	0.6%	1.8%
Cuban	0.2%	0.3%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	2.8%	7%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	89.7%	59.8%	80.7%
One race	84.4%	55.4%	76.4%
White	80.8%	33.8%	57.4%
Black or African American	1%	5.2%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	1.5%	0.3%	0.5%
Asian	0.8%	15.3%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0.3%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0.4%	0.6%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	5.3%	4.4%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

63.1% family

Family 63.1%

Non family 36.9%

% family households

Plumas County 63.1%

California 67.8%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.37

persons per household

Plumas County

2.37

California

2.84

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Plumas County population

	Plumas County	California	United States
Total households	8,054	13,548,091	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.37	2.84	2.53
Family households	5,085	9,191,176	82,990,528
Average family size	2.89	3.41	3.14
Married couple family	3,973	6,557,184	60,637,388
Other families	1,112	2,633,992	22,353,140
Male householder	413	857,732	6,572,819
Female householder	699	1,776,260	15,780,321
Non-family households	2,969	4,356,915	46,236,968
One-person households	2,363	3,289,307	37,140,836
Male householder	1,053	1,493,062	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	583	460,668	5,225,110
Female householder	1,310	1,796,245	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	927	886,142	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	606	1,067,608	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

14,921

housing units

Plumas County 14,921

California 14,644,735

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

54% occupied

Occupied 54%

Vacant 46%

vacancy rate

Plumas County 46%

California 7.5%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

84.8%

Single family houses

84.8%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

4.7%

Mobile homes

10.1%

Boat, RV, van, etc

0.5%

Median Year Built

1979

Half of houses were built before 1979, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

4.5%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

23.1%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

54.7%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

17.8%

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

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Plumas County	California	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.5	5	5.5
1–3 rooms	11.6%	21%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	64.4%	54.7%	51.6%
7+ rooms	24%	24.4%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	1.7%	5%	2.9%
1 bedroom	10.9%	13.2%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	28%	26.9%	25%
3 bedrooms	47.2%	32.8%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	12.2%	22.1%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1979	1976	1981
Total housing units	14,921	14,644,735	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

74.6% owners

Renter-occupied 25.4%

Owner-occupied 74.6%

homeownership rate

Plumas County 74.6%

California 55.9%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.28

Owner-occupied

2.61

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Plumas County 2.28

California 2.95

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Plumas County	California	United States
Total occupied units	8,054	13,548,091	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	21.1%	23.4%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	38.2%	41.2%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	19.4%	17%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	21.3%	18.5%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	97.6%	91.8%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	1.7%	5%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0.7%	3.2%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	6.6%	7.1%	8.4%
1 vehicle	27.3%	30.7%	33.1%
2 vehicles	39.8%	36.3%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	26.4%	25.8%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	30.4%	64.4%	51.4%
Electricity	10.4%	29.5%	41.3%
Solar	0.1%	1.2%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	17.8%	0.2%	3.9%
All other fuels	41%	1.6%	2%
No fuel used	0.3%	3%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.4%	0.4%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.8%	1.2%	0.8%
No telephone service available	1.6%	0.9%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$360,200

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Plumas County

$360,200

California

$734,700

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

42%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

42%

Owners without a mortgage

22.1%

Renters

45.1%

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

	Plumas County	California	United States
Property value
Median Value	$360,200	$734,700	$332,700
Under $100,000	6.5%	4.2%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	11.3%	2.7%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	17.8%	4.3%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	41.6%	17.1%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	19.7%	42.1%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	3.2%	29.6%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	49.7%	67.4%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	50.3%	32.6%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,874	$2,946	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$651	$829	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$1,194	$2,036	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

22.5%

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

Plumas County 22.5%

California 37.1%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

6.3%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Plumas County 6.3%

California 15.2%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

3,560

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

K–12

69.6%

College / Undergraduate

22.8%

Graduate / Professional

1.6%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

49.6%

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

Plumas County

49.6%

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

	Plumas County	California	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	3,560	9,917,839	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	6%	5%	5.7%
K–12	69.6%	64.9%	67.6%
Kindergarten	6.3%	4.9%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	23.9%	18.7%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	22.4%	19.9%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	16.9%	21.5%	21.7%
College or graduate school	24.4%	30.1%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	22.8%	24.3%	21%
Graduate, professional school	1.6%	5.8%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	49.6%	46.8%	40.9%
School type
Public school	87.3%	85%	82%
Private school	12.7%	15%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

15,180

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

2.8%

9th-12th, no diploma

3.5%

HS graduate

29.2%

Some college no degree

29.2%

Associates degree

12.8%

Bachelors degree

14.3%

Graduate or professional degree

8.2%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

44.1% · 55.9%

9th-12th, no diploma

57.7% · 42.3%

HS graduate

51.3% · 48.7%

Some college no degree

50.2% · 49.8%

Associates degree

44.9% · 55.1%

Bachelors degree

52.5% · 47.5%

Graduate or professional degree

43% · 57%

Educational Attainment Overview

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

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Plumas County	California	United States
Population (25+)	15,180	27,073,960	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	2.8%	8.7%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	3.5%	6.5%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	29.2%	20.5%	26%
Some college, no degree	29.2%	19.3%	19.1%
Associate's degree	12.8%	7.9%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	22.5%	37.1%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	14.3%	22.7%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	8.2%	14.4%	14.1%
High School or higher	93.7%	84.7%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$44,689

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$—

HS graduate

$35,739

Some college or associates

$42,675

Bachelors degree

$64,063

Graduate or professional degree

$65,438

Poverty Rate

9.7%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

13.7%

HS graduate

7.3%

Some college or associates

11.4%

Bachelors degree or higher

9.7%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Plumas County	California	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$44,689	$56,395	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$—	$32,480	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$35,739	$41,382	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$42,675	$50,157	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$64,063	$80,933	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$65,438	$111,188	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	13.7%	20%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	7.3%	13.9%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	11.4%	10.1%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	9.7%	5%	4.5%

Insights for Plumas 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.

Cite this page

Citation style

Url to be used as reference

This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal or tax advice. We recommend that you consult with a qualified professional such as a lawyer or accountant before making a decision. Many of the products and services featured here are from our affiliate partners. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links. Read advertiser disclosure.