South Lake Tahoe, CA

Census Place

2024 Population

21,269

US Senator

Alex Padilla

Democratic Party

US Senator

Adam Schiff

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

41.1

4.58% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

9.33%

24.7% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$82,002

10.9% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$682,400

Population & Diversity

South Lake Tahoe, CA is home to a population of 21.3k people, from which 90.7% are citizens.

As of 2024, 19.2% of South Lake Tahoe, CA residents were born outside of the country (4.09k people).

In 2024, there were 4.65 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (13.1k people) in South Lake Tahoe, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 2.82k Other (Hispanic) and 1.3k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

90.7%

2024 Citizenship

89.5%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 90.7% of South Lake Tahoe, CA residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in South Lake Tahoe, CA was 89.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in South Lake Tahoe, CA

White (Non-Hispanic)
13.1k ± 864
Other (Hispanic)
2.82k ± 650
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
1.3k ± 401

26.1%

Hispanic Population

5.55k people

26.1% of the people in South Lake Tahoe, CA are hispanic (5.55k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in South Lake Tahoe, 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

4.09k people

20.3%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

4.34k people

As of 2024, 19.2% of South Lake Tahoe, CA residents (4.09k 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 South Lake Tahoe, CA was 20.3%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
287 ± 104
Gulf War (2001-)
55 ± 47
Gulf War (1990s)
54 ± 45

South Lake Tahoe, CA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 5.22 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in South Lake Tahoe, CA.

Economy

The economy of South Lake Tahoe, CA employs 12.6k people. In 2024, the largest industries in South Lake Tahoe, CA were Accommodation & Food Services (2,276 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,440 people), and Retail Trade (1,374 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($172,222), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($103,438), and Public Administration ($90,588).

Employment

Occupations

12.6k

2024 Value

± 895

3.72%

1 Year growth

± 9.75%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in South Lake Tahoe, CA grew at a rate of 3.72%, from 12.1k employees to 12.6k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in South Lake Tahoe, CA, are Management Occupations (1,456 people), Sales & Related Occupations (1,371 people), and Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (1,303 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of South Lake Tahoe, 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

12.6k

2024 Value

± 895

3.72%

1 Year growth

± 9.75%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in South Lake Tahoe, CA grew at a rate of 3.72%, from 12.1k employees to 12.6k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in South Lake Tahoe, CA, are Accommodation & Food Services (2,276 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,440 people), and Retail Trade (1,374 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of South Lake Tahoe, CA, though some of these residents may live in South Lake Tahoe, CA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$49,297

Median earning men ± $3,246

$41,964

Median earning women ± $3,947

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Manufacturing ($101,750), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($97,689), and Information ($85,293).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Information ($120,000), Public Administration ($94,500), and Construction ($90,353).

Education

The student population of South Lake Tahoe, CA in 2024 is skewed towards men, with 2,475 male students and 1,565 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in South Lake Tahoe, CA are Hispanic or Latino (189 and 42.4%), White (178 and 39.9%), Two or More Races (24 and 5.38%), and Black or African American (22 and 4.93%).

The largest universities in South Lake Tahoe, CA by number of degrees awarded are Lake Tahoe Community College (455 and 100%).

The most popular majors in South Lake Tahoe, CA are General Social Sciences (65 and 14.3%), General Forestry (42 and 9.23%), and General Education (37 and 8.13%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2024 there were 4,040 students enrolled in South Lake Tahoe, CA, 61.3% men and 38.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 1,637 records, of which 40.1% were women and 59.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Social Sciences
65 degrees awarded
Biological & Physical Sciences
34 degrees awarded
Sociology
34 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in South Lake Tahoe, CA was General Social Sciences with 65 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Lake Tahoe Community College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

455 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Lake Tahoe Community College with 455 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2024, 239 men were awarded degrees from institutions in South Lake Tahoe, CA, which is 1.11 times more than the 216 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 189 degrees mean that there were 1.06 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 178 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, 2-year ($1,116) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($15) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($1,971) 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 South Lake Tahoe, CA was $682,400 in 2024, which is 2.05 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $630,200 to $682,400, a 8.28% increase. The homeownership rate in South Lake Tahoe, CA is 51.3%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in South Lake Tahoe, CA have an average commute time of 16.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in South Lake Tahoe, CA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$682,400

Median Property Value 2024

±$35,551

$4,885

Median Property Taxes

±$453

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 South Lake Tahoe, CA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

Rent vs Own

51.3%

Homeownership

2024

64.5%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 51.3% of the housing units in South Lake Tahoe, CA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 46.1%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in South Lake Tahoe, 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.

$82,002

Median Household Income

± $8,109

9.52k

Number of Households

± 770

In 2024, the median household income of the 9.52k households in South Lake Tahoe, CA grew to $82,002 from the previous year's value of $73,940.

The following chart displays the households in South Lake Tahoe, 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 $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for South Lake Tahoe, 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 (60%)
Worked At Home (15.4%)
Carpooled (10.6%)

In 2024, 60% of workers in South Lake Tahoe, CA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (15.4%) and those who carpooled to work (10.6%).

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

16.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in South Lake Tahoe, CA have a shorter commute time (16.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.61% of the workforce in South Lake Tahoe, CA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

9.33% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in South Lake Tahoe, CA (1.97k out of 21.1k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 55 - 64, followed by Males 25 - 34 and then Females 18 - 24.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in South Lake Tahoe, CA is White, followed by Hispanic 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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