Modesto, CA

Census Place

2024 Population

219,215

US Senator

Alex Padilla

Democratic Party

US Senator

Adam Schiff

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

35.1

0.847% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

13.3%

2.66% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$79,891

2.56% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$442,700

Population & Diversity

Modesto, CA is home to a population of 219k people, from which 90.7% are citizens.

As of 2024, 19.2% of Modesto, CA residents were born outside of the country (42k people).

In 2024, there were 1.88 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (80.2k people) in Modesto, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 42.7k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 32.7k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

90.7%

2024 Citizenship

90.7%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 90.7% of Modesto, CA residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Modesto, CA was 90.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Modesto, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Modesto, CA

White (Non-Hispanic)
80.2k ± 1.94k
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
42.7k ± 3.19k
Other (Hispanic)
32.7k ± 2.81k

45.4%

Hispanic Population

99.6k people

45.4% of the people in Modesto, CA are hispanic (99.6k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Modesto, CA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for California.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
3,877,888 ± 45,899 people
Philippines
827,719 ± 22,100 people
China
695,724 ± 20,296 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of California was Mexico, the natal country of 3,877,888 California residents, followed by Philippines with 827,719 and China with 695,724.

Foreign-Born Population

19.2%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

42k people

18.8%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

41.2k people

As of 2024, 19.2% of Modesto, CA residents (42k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Modesto, CA was 18.8%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Modesto, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
2,304 ± 462
Vietnam
2,279 ± 297
Gulf War (1990s)
757 ± 171

Modesto, CA has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.01 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Modesto, CA.

Economy

The economy of Modesto, CA employs 95.9k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Modesto, CA were Health Care & Social Assistance (13,830 people), Manufacturing (12,417 people), and Retail Trade (12,061 people), and the highest paying industries were Management of Companies & Enterprises ($133,029), Utilities ($116,417), and Public Administration ($70,909).

Employment

Occupations

95.9k

2024 Value

± 2,728

0.242%

1 Year growth

± 4%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Modesto, CA grew at a rate of 0.242%, from 95.7k employees to 95.9k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Modesto, CA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (10,208 people), Sales & Related Occupations (8,305 people), and Management Occupations (7,866 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Modesto, CA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in California (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

95.9k

2024 Value

± 2,728

0.242%

1 Year growth

± 4%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Modesto, CA grew at a rate of 0.242%, from 95.7k employees to 95.9k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Modesto, CA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (13,830 people), Manufacturing (12,417 people), and Retail Trade (12,061 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Modesto, CA, though some of these residents may live in Modesto, CA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$52,669

Median earning men ± $1,960

$42,146

Median earning women ± $1,802

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($101,897), Information ($79,141), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($70,821).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($59,131), Public Administration ($56,745), and Construction ($53,309).

Education

The student population of Modesto, CA in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 7,383 male students and 11,422 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Modesto, CA are Hispanic or Latino (1,837 and 52.5%), White (1,193 and 34.1%), Asian (240 and 6.86%), and Black or African American (108 and 3.09%).

The largest universities in Modesto, CA by number of degrees awarded are Modesto Junior College (2,942 and 83.9%), Paul Mitchell the School-Modesto (320 and 9.13%), and North Adrian's College of Beauty Inc (131 and 3.74%).

The most popular majors in Modesto, CA are History And Language/Literature (315 and 8.99%), Biological & Physical Sciences (311 and 8.87%), and Aesthetician & Skin Care Specialist (267 and 7.62%).

The median tuition cost for a public four year colleges is $1,196 for in-state students and $9,178 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2024 there were 18,805 students enrolled in Modesto, CA, 39.3% men and 60.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 10,871 records, of which 62.1% were women and 37.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

History And Language/Literature
315 degrees awarded
Biological & Physical Sciences
311 degrees awarded
General Psychology
202 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Modesto, CA was History And Language/Literature with 315 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Modesto, CA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Modesto Junior College
2,942 degrees awarded
Paul Mitchell the School-Modesto
320 degrees awarded
North Adrian's College of Beauty Inc
131 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Modesto Junior College with 2,942 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2024, 1,038 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Modesto, CA, which is 0.421 times less than the 2,467 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Hispanic or Latino students. These 1,837 degrees mean that there were 1.54 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 1,193 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 4-year or above ($1,196) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($86) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($938) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Modesto, CA was $442,700 in 2024, which is 1.33 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $415,600 to $442,700, a 6.52% increase. The homeownership rate in Modesto, CA is 58.9%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Modesto, CA have an average commute time of 30.2 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Modesto, CA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$442,700

Median Property Value 2024

±$4,972

$42,973

Median Property Taxes

±$1,549

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Modesto, CA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Modesto, CA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

58.9%

Homeownership

2024

68.8%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 58.9% of the housing units in Modesto, CA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 58.4%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Modesto, CA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$79,891

Median Household Income

± $1,825

73k

Number of Households

± 2,231

In 2024, the median household income of the 73k households in Modesto, CA grew to $79,891 from the previous year's value of $77,899.

The following chart displays the households in Modesto, CA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Modesto, CA is from California.

0.493

2024 Wage GINI in California

0.495

2023 Wage GINI in California

In 2024, the income inequality in California was 0.493 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.424% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for California was higher than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in California in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in California across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (74.9%)
Carpooled (11.6%)
Worked At Home (8.45%)

In 2024, 74.9% of workers in Modesto, CA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (11.6%) and those who worked at home (8.45%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

30.2 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Modesto, CA have a longer commute time (30.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 8.63% of the workforce in Modesto, CA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Modesto, CA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Modesto, CA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Modesto, CA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

13.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Modesto, CA (28.9k out of 217k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Males 6 - 11.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Modesto, CA is Hispanic, followed by White and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

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