What is the poverty rate in California?
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The poverty rate was about 11.4% of California’s population as of 2025. The poverty rate is the percentage of people whose household income falls below the poverty threshold set by the government. It measures the percentage of people in households that don’t earn enough to pay for basic needs like food, housing, and healthcare. In 2025, 4.4 million people in California were considered in poverty.
11.4%
of the population (2025)
4.4M
people living under the poverty line (2025)
The state's poverty rate was 11.4% in 2025, the lowest based on data from the American Community Survey dating back to 2010. It was 0.4 percentage points lower than the previous year. California's poverty rate hit a peak in 2012 of 17%.
In 2025, 11.4% of California's population were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate, 2010–2025
While the poverty rate shows the overall trend, the total number matters because many aid programs and funding decisions are based on how many people are in poverty, not just the percentage. In 2025, 4.4M people living in California were in poverty — down 30.5% from the 2013 peak of 6.33M.
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In 2025, 4.4M people in California were in poverty.
People living under poverty line, 2010–2025
Poverty doesn’t affect all groups equally. Rates vary widely by demographic group, family type and location.
What is the child poverty rate in California?
From 2015 to 2025, the poverty rate for children under 18 in California decreased from 21.2% to 13.8%. During the same period, the poverty rate for adults under 65 years decreased from 14.3% to 10.4%. For those older than 65, the poverty rate increased from 9.9% to 11.9%.
In 2025, 13.8% of children in California were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate by age group, 2015–2025
How does poverty differ by race in California?
Among racial or ethnic groups in California during 2025, five had a higher poverty rate than the state’s overall rate: American Indian and Alaska Native; Black or African American; Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race); Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander; and some other race
Three had a lower than average poverty rate: Asian, two or more races, White alone, not Hispanic or Latino.
Over the previous ten years, the poverty rate for the American Indian and Alaska Native population shifted the most, decreasing from 22.6% in 2015 to 13.4% in 2025.
In California, the poverty rate for the American Indian and Alaska Native population decreased from 22.6% in 2015 to 13.4% in 2025.
Poverty rate by race or ethnicity, 2015–2025
What counties in California have the highest and lowest poverty rates?
In 2020–2024, the poverty rate among California counties ranged from 4.4% in Sierra County to 20.7% in Trinity County. The poverty rate in the state’s largest county — Los Angeles County — was 13.7%
In 2020-2024, the poverty rate among California counties ranged from 4.4% to 20.7%.
Poverty rate
Poverty rate, by county (2024)
| 1. | Trinity County | 20.7% |
| 2. | Imperial County | 19.5% |
| 3. | Madera County | 19.2% |
| 4. | Butte County | 19.2% |
| 5. | Kern County | 19.1% |
| 6. | Merced County | 19.1% |
| 7. | Humboldt County | 18.7% |
| 8. | Fresno County | 18.3% |
| 9. | Tulare County | 17.9% |
| 10. | Modoc County | 17.9% |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
