Plumas County, California

CA · FIPS 06063 Republican

Located in California, Plumas County has a population of 19,423 residents and a median age of 52.0 years, making it the #1,914 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 10.6%. The median home value is $360,200, and the median household income is $66,031, which is 12% below the national median.

19,423
Population
#1,914 of 3,222
$66,031
Median Income
-12.1% #1,536 of 3,222
52.0 years
Median Age
+33.7% #137 of 3,222
10.6%
Poverty Rate
-15.9% #922 of 3,222

Demographics

Plumas County has a population of 19,423, making it the #1,914 most populous county in the US. The median age is 52.0 years, which is 33.7% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

95.2%
Native Born
4.8%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Plumas County is $66,031, ranking #1,536 out of 3,222 counties — 12.1% below the national median. The poverty rate is 10.6% and unemployment stands at 9.1%.

Income#1,536
$66,031
-12.1%
vs nation
52th percentile
Per Capita#537
$43,235
+4.8%
vs nation
83th percentile
Poverty#922
10.6%
-15.9%
vs nation
71th percentile
Unemployment#3,038
9.1%
+72.3%
vs nation
6th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Plumas County is $360,200 (+27.8% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,194/mo and the homeownership rate is 74.6%.

Home Value#384
$360,200
+27.8%
vs nation
88th percentile
Rent#543
$1,194
+2.7%
vs nation
83th percentile
Homeownership#1,602
74.6%
+15.8%
vs nation
50th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Plumas County, 22.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 33.1% below the national average, ranking #1,571 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
22.5% −33.1% vs nation
Rank #1,571 of 3,222
51th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Plumas County is 78.2 years. 15.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#605
78.2
+4.0%
vs nation
80th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#632
15.4%
-21.3%
vs nation
80th percentile
Diabetes#288
8.5%
-23.6%
vs nation
91th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#587
33.4%
-10.5%
vs nation
81th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,312
6.0
+6.3%
vs nation
27th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,685
4.5
+0.7%
vs nation
46th percentile
Uninsured Rate#517
6.2%
-41.0%
vs nation
84th percentile
Physical Inactivity#234
19.3%
-26.8%
vs nation
93th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,242
13.3%
-7.7%
vs nation
61th percentile

Substance Use

13.3% of adults in Plumas County smoke , 29.1% are obese , and 23.7% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 29.2 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#325
13.3%
-25.9%
vs nation
90th percentile
Adult Obesity#148
29.1%
-23.2%
vs nation
95th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,786
23.7%
+19.0%
vs nation
11th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,122
29.2
-9.7%
vs nation
47th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 22.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 22.5 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,856
22.4
+13.8%
vs nation
28th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#795
13.6
-24.1%
vs nation
68th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,866
22.5
+11.2%
vs nation
34th percentile

Families & Children

18.2% of children in Plumas County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 11.7 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#583
11.7
-46.3%
vs nation
81th percentile
Child Poverty#1,621
18.2%
-4.2%
vs nation
48th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Plumas County is 72.9%. The mean commute time is 22.7 min, which is 17.9% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
72.9% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
22.7 min −17.9% vs nation
Rank #2,405 of 3,222
25th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Plumas County voted Republican with a margin of 17.0%. The vote was 39.9% Dem / 56.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 0.2 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +17.0%
39.9% 56.9%
Dem 10,067 votes Rep
2020 REP +16.8%
40.5% 57.3%
Dem 11,256 votes Rep
2016 REP +21.0%
36.5% 57.5%
Dem 8,830 votes Rep
2012 REP +17.2%
40.2% 57.4%
Dem 9,128 votes Rep
2008 REP +11.9%
42.8% 54.7%
Dem 11,028 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Plumas County, California

Plumas County, California has a total population of 19,423, making it the 1,914th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Plumas County is 52.0 years, which is 33.7% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Plumas County is $66,031, which ranks #1,536 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 12.1% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 10.6%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 9.1%.

The median home value in Plumas County is $360,200, 27.8% above the national median. Renters in Plumas County pay a median gross rent of $1,194 per month. The homeownership rate is 74.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Plumas County, 22.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 33.1% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.2% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 22.7 min.

Plumas County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 80.8% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (10.3%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).

All data for Plumas County, California comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.