San Clemente, CA

City in Orange County, CA, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

63,273

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

Median Age

45.6

years ∙ half population younger than 45.6, half older

Diversity Index

45.3%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

11.2%

foreign-born population

88.8%Native

11.2% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

San Clemente is a city within Orange County, California, United States.

Location

City in Orange County, CA, US

Co-ordinates

DEC33.449143° N, 117.613120° W

DMS33° 26′ 56.91″ N, 117° 36′ 47.23″ W

Population Density & area

3,439/sq mi (1,332/km²)

Total Area

19.1 sq mi (49.4 km²)

Land Area

18.4 sq mi (47.5 km²) · 96.1%

Water Area

0.7 sq mi (1.9 km²) · 3.9%

Demographics & Living

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

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

51.6% male

Male 51.6%

Female 48.4%

males per 100 females

San Clemente 106.8

Orange County 98.2

California 99.8

Nativity

11.2%

foreign-born population

88.8%Native

11.2% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

San Clemente 11.2%

Orange County 30.4%

California 27%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

45.6

years ∙ half population younger than 45.6, half older

San Clemente

45.6

Orange County

39.4

California

37.9

Dependency ratio

dependents per 100 working-age adults

San Clemente 73

Orange County 59.4

California 60.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	San Clemente	Orange County	California
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	20.8%	21%	22%
Working age (18-64)	57.8%	62.7%	62.3%
Senior (65+)	21.4%	16.3%	15.7%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	73	59.4	60.4
Child dependency ratio	36	33.5	35.2
Old-age dependency ratio	37	25.9	25.1

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

71.6%

Black

0.9%

Asian

4.4%

Hispanic

17%

Other

6.1%

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

45.3%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

San Clemente 45.3%

Orange County 69.5%

California 69.6%

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 San Clemente population

	San Clemente	Orange County	California
Hispanic or Latino	17%	34.2%	40.2%
Mexican	11.3%	28.3%	32.3%
Puerto Rican	0.8%	0.4%	0.6%
Cuban	0.3%	0.3%	0.3%
Other Hispanic / Latino	4.5%	5.2%	7%
Not Hispanic or Latino	83%	65.8%	59.8%
One race	77.4%	61.5%	55.4%
White	71.6%	36.9%	33.8%
Black or African American	0.9%	1.5%	5.2%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.1%	0.1%	0.3%
Asian	4.4%	22.2%	15.3%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0.2%	0.3%	0.3%
Some Other Race	0.2%	0.5%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	5.6%	4.3%	4.4%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

69.2% family

Family 69.2%

Non family 30.8%

% family households

San Clemente 69.2%

Orange County 70.5%

California 67.8%

Average household size

2.58

persons per household

San Clemente

2.58

Orange County

2.87

California

2.84

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of San Clemente population

	San Clemente	Orange County	California
Total households	24,350	1,082,960	13,548,091
Average houshold size	2.58	2.87	2.84
Family households	16,848	763,105	9,191,176
Average family size	3.07	3.38	3.41
Married couple family	14,537	574,860	6,557,184
Other families	2,311	188,245	2,633,992
Male householder	691	62,815	857,732
Female householder	1,620	125,430	1,776,260
Non-family households	7,502	319,855	4,356,915
One-person households	5,449	235,585	3,289,307
Male householder	1,998	101,242	1,493,062
Senior (65+) living alone	668	31,567	460,668
Female householder	3,451	134,343	1,796,245
Senior (65+) living alone	2,222	69,277	886,142
Other living arrangements	2,053	84,270	1,067,608

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

27,058

housing units

San Clemente 27,058

Orange County 1,146,169

California 14,644,735

Occupancy status

90% occupied

Occupied 90%

Vacant 10%

vacancy rate

San Clemente 10%

Orange County 5.5%

California 7.5%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

67.9%

Single family houses

67.9%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

30.6%

Mobile homes

1.5%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1983

Half of houses were built before 1983, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

1.2%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

21.8%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

51.4%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

25.5%

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

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	San Clemente	Orange County	California
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.5	5.1	5
1–3 rooms	13.8%	20%	21%
4–6 rooms	48.8%	53.9%	54.7%
7+ rooms	37.3%	26.1%	24.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	2.4%	3.8%	5%
1 bedroom	9.2%	12.6%	13.2%
2 bedrooms	26.6%	27.7%	26.9%
3 bedrooms	30.7%	29.3%	32.8%
4+ bedrooms	31.2%	26.5%	22.1%
At a glance
Median year built	1983	1977	1976
Total housing units	27,058	1,146,169	14,644,735

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

66.5% owners

Renter-occupied 33.5%

Owner-occupied 66.5%

homeownership rate

San Clemente 66.5%

Orange County 56.4%

California 55.9%

Average household size

2.69

Owner-occupied

2.35

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

San Clemente 2.69

Orange County 2.9

California 2.95

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	San Clemente	Orange County	California
Total occupied units	24,350	1,082,960	13,548,091
Year moved in
2020 or later	21.4%	23.8%	23.4%
2010 to 2019	39.8%	40.4%	41.2%
2000 to 2009	20.6%	16.2%	17%
1999 or earlier	18.2%	19.5%	18.5%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	97.2%	91.1%	91.8%
1.01 to 1.50	1.2%	5.3%	5%
1.51 or more	1.6%	3.5%	3.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	3.1%	4.8%	7.1%
1 vehicle	24.4%	28.1%	30.7%
2 vehicles	45.5%	40.3%	36.3%
3 or more vehicles	27.1%	26.8%	25.8%
House heating fuel used
Gas	75.3%	68.7%	64.4%
Electricity	19.9%	26.8%	29.5%
Solar	1.7%	0.8%	1.2%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0%	0.1%	0.2%
All other fuels	0.2%	0.2%	1.6%
No fuel used	2.7%	3.3%	3%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.4%	0.3%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	1%	1.4%	1.2%
No telephone service available	1%	0.9%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$1,398,400

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

San Clemente

$1,398,400

Orange County

$962,600

California

$734,700

Housing Cost Burden

37.2%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

37.2%

Owners without a mortgage

17.4%

Renters

56%

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

	San Clemente	Orange County	California
Property value
Median Value	$1,398,400	$962,600	$734,700
Under $100,000	2.2%	3.1%	4.2%
$100,000 - $200,000	1%	2%	2.7%
$200,000 - $300,000	0.4%	1.5%	4.3%
$300,000 - $500,000	1.5%	5.7%	17.1%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	21.3%	41.7%	42.1%
$1,000,000 and more	73.6%	46%	29.6%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	73.3%	67%	67.4%
Without a mortgage	26.7%	33%	32.6%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$3,976	$3,385	$2,946
Without a mortgage	$1,063	$902	$829
Gross rent
Median rent	$2,460	$2,434	$2,036

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

53.8%

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

San Clemente 53.8%

Orange County 44.1%

California 37.1%

Adults without a high school diploma

5.6%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

San Clemente 5.6%

Orange County 12.9%

California 15.2%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

15,348

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

5.9%

K–12

71.1%

College / Undergraduate

18.8%

Graduate / Professional

4.2%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

44.1%

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

San Clemente

44.1%

Orange County

55.8%

California

46.8%

Enrollment & school type

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

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	San Clemente	Orange County	California
Total enrolled (age 3+)	15,348	813,401	9,917,839
Nursery / preschool	5.9%	5.6%	5%
K–12	71.1%	61%	64.9%
Kindergarten	4.3%	4.7%	4.9%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	16.5%	16.8%	18.7%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	26.1%	19.1%	19.9%
High School: Grades 9–12	24.2%	20.4%	21.5%
College or graduate school	23%	33.4%	30.1%
College, undergraduate	18.8%	26.8%	24.3%
Graduate, professional school	4.2%	6.6%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	44.1%	55.8%	46.8%
School type
Public school	77.3%	83.8%	85%
Private school	22.7%	16.2%	15%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

46,090

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

3.1%

9th-12th, no diploma

2.5%

HS graduate

13%

Some college no degree

19.5%

Associates degree

8.2%

Bachelors degree

33%

Graduate or professional degree

20.8%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

46.8% · 53.2%

9th-12th, no diploma

60.4% · 39.6%

HS graduate

49.5% · 50.5%

Some college no degree

48.9% · 51.1%

Associates degree

40.7% · 59.3%

Bachelors degree

49.7% · 50.3%

Graduate or professional degree

52.6% · 47.4%

Educational Attainment Overview

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

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	San Clemente	Orange County	California
Population (25+)	46,090	2,217,917	27,073,960
Less than 9th grade	3.1%	7.3%	8.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	2.5%	5.6%	6.5%
High school diploma or GED	13%	17.4%	20.5%
Some college, no degree	19.5%	18%	19.3%
Associate's degree	8.2%	7.6%	7.9%
Bachelor's degree or higher	53.8%	44.1%	37.1%
Bachelor's degree	33%	27.7%	22.7%
Graduate or professional	20.8%	16.3%	14.4%
High School or higher	94.4%	87.1%	84.7%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$82,985

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$42,377

HS graduate

$49,781

Some college or associates

$56,071

Bachelors degree

$103,013

Graduate or professional degree

$118,576

Poverty Rate

2.8%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

18%

HS graduate

10.9%

Some college or associates

7.3%

Bachelors degree or higher

2.8%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	San Clemente	Orange County	California
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$82,985	$61,106	$56,395
Less than high school graduate	$42,377	$33,772	$32,480
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$49,781	$41,655	$41,382
Some college or associate's degree	$56,071	$52,300	$50,157
Bachelor's degree	$103,013	$84,064	$80,933
Graduate or professional degree	$118,576	$110,601	$111,188
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	18%	16%	20%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	10.9%	12.2%	13.9%
Some college or associate's degree	7.3%	8.4%	10.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher	2.8%	4.8%	5%

Insights for San Clemente, 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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