Needles, CA

Census Place

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2024 Population
4,872
US Senator
Alex Padilla
Democratic Party
US Senator
Adam Schiff
Democratic Party
2024 Median Age
49.5
0.202% 1-year decrease
2024 Poverty Rate
29.7%
2.23% 1-year increase
2024 Median Household Income
$38,243
4.1% 1-year decline
2024 Median Property Value
$157,200
17% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
1,541
6.28% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Needles, CA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

97.9% of the residents in Needles, CA are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Needles, CA was $157,200, and the homeownership rate was 52.1%.

Most people in Needles, CA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 18.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Needles, CA was 2 cars per household.

United StatesCaliforniaSan Bernardino County, CARiverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CAMohave County South--Lake Havasu City PUMA, AZSan Bernardino County (Northeast)--Twentynine Palms & Barstow Cities PUMA, CA

Population & Diversity

Needles, CA is home to a population of 4.87k people, from which 97.9% are citizens. As of 2024, 4.23% of Needles, CA residents were born outside of the country (206 people).

In 2024, there were 3.53 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (2.55k people) in Needles, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 723 White (Hispanic) and 625 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.9%
2024 Citizenship
98.6%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.9% of Needles, CA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Needles, CA was 98.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Needles, CA
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    2.55k ± 419
  2. White (Hispanic)
    723 ± 263
  3. Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
    625 ± 382
35%
Hispanic Population
1.71k people

In 2024, there were 3.53 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (2.55k people) in Needles, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 723 White (Hispanic) and 625 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

35% of the people in Needles, CA are hispanic (1.71k people).

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

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for California.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    3,862,617 ± 45,816 people
  2. Philippines
    824,246 ± 22,054 people
  3. China
    687,951 ± 20,184 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of California was Mexico, the natal country of 3,862,617 California residents, followed by Philippines with 824,246 and China with 687,951.

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Foreign-Born Population

4.23%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
206 people
3.26%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
159 people

As of 2024, 4.23% of Needles, CA residents (206 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 Needles, CA was 3.26%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    86 ± 41
  2. Korea
    36 ± 57
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    33 ± 41

Needles, CA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.39 times greater than any other conflict.

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

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Economy

The economy of Needles, CA employs 1.54k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Needles, CA were Transportation & Warehousing (190 people), Public Administration (176 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (148 people), and the highest paying industries were Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($166,094), Public Administration ($98,750), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($86,319).

Employment

Occupations

1.54k
2024 Value
± 298
6.28%
1 Year growth
± 25.2%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Needles, CA grew at a rate of 6.28%, from 1.45k employees to 1.54k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Needles, CA, are Transportation Occupations (184 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (147 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (145 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Needles, CA.

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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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

1.54k
2024 Value
± 298
6.28%
1 Year growth
± 25.2%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Needles, CA grew at a rate of 6.28%, from 1.45k employees to 1.54k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Needles, CA, are Transportation & Warehousing (190 people), Public Administration (176 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (148 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Needles, CA, though some of these residents may live in Needles, CA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$50,012
Median earning men ± $8,623
$29,911
Median earning women ± $10,576

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($250,001), Public Administration ($99,196), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($86,354).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($166,094), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($54,375), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($39,107).

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Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.
Y-Axis
2.57%
Year-over-year growth
Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 17.9M people employed in California. This represents a 2.57% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 14%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in California.

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Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in California went to Kamala Harris with 58.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (38.3%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.25%).

Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff are the senators currently representing the state of California. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

California is currently represented by 52 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Voting results are not available for Needles, CA. Showing the available data for California.
2024 Election Results
  1. Kamala Harris (58.5%)
    Democratic Party
  2. Donald J. Trump (38.3%)
    Republican Party
  3. Robert Kennedy (1.25%)
    Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in California went to Kamala Harris with 58.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (38.3%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.25%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in California for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

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Senator Elections

US Senators from California

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for California.
Alex Padilla
Senator from California3
Assumed office on January 20, 2021
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Kamala Harris, who had become Vice President of the United States.
Adam Schiff
Senator from California1
Assumed office on December 8, 2024
Elected to the seat to succeed Laphonza Butler, who had been appointed to the seat following the death of Dianne Feinstein.

Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff are the senators currently representing California.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in California over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Needles, CA was $157,200 in 2024, which is 0.472 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $134,400 to $157,200, a 17% increase. The homeownership rate in Needles, CA is 52.1%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Needles, CA have an average commute time of 18.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Needles, CA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$157,200
Median Property Value 2024
±$13,364
$1,156
Median Property Taxes
±$273

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 Needles, CA the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

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

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Rent vs Own

52.1%
Homeownership
2024
79.3%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 52.1% of the housing units in Needles, CA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 54.8%.

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

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$38,243
Median Household Income
± $10,232
2.22k
Number of Households
± 403

In 2024, the median household income of the 2.22k households in Needles, CA declined from $38,243 from the previous year's value of $39,876.

The following chart displays the households in Needles, 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 $15k - $20k range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Needles, CA is from California.
0.495
2023 Wage GINI in California
0.498
2022 Wage GINI in California

In 2023, the income inequality in California was 0.495 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.573% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for California was higher than than the national average of 0.476. 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.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (79.3%)
  2. Carpooled (13.1%)
  3. Worked At Home (5.87%)

In 2024, 79.3% of workers in Needles, CA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (13.1%) and those who worked at home (5.87%).

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.

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Commute Time

18.9 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Needles, CA have a shorter commute time (18.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.69% of the workforce in Needles, CA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

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

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

29.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Needles, CA (1.45k out of 4.86k 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 Males 55 - 64, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Males 65 - 74.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Needles, 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.

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Health

88.7% of the population of Needles, CA has health coverage, with 22.9% on employee plans, 38.9% on Medicaid, 15.7% on Medicare, 9.91% on non-group plans, and 1.27% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in California see 1,233 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,233 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1076 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 213 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.2% were men and 48.8% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 19.6% under 18 years, 11.3% between 18 and 34 years, 46.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 22.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.2% were men and 48.8% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

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Uninsured People

11.3%
Uninsured
22.9%
Employer Coverage
38.9%
Medicaid
15.7%
Medicare
9.91%
Non-Group
1.27%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Needles, CA grew by 29.3% from 8.73% to 11.3%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Needles, CA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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