Fresno, California Population 2023

549,242

Fresno is a city located in Fresno County California. Fresno has a 2023 population of 549,242. It is also the county seat of Fresno County.Fresno is currently growing at a rate of 0.43% annually and its population has increased by 1.31% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 542,159 in 2020.

The average household income in Fresno is $77,982 with a poverty rate of 22.9%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Fresno is 31.7 years, 31.1 years for males, and 32.4 years for females.

Fresno is about 200 miles north of Los Angeles and 170 miles south of Sacramento. The greater Metropolitan Fresno area has a population estimated at 1.1 million. There are several well-known neighborhoods in Fresno, including Tower District, which is the city's hub for community events and the center of the city's LGBT and Hipster communities, and the West Side, which is culturally diverse and the center of Fresno's African American community with large Asian-American and Mexican-American populations.

Fresno Diversity

Fresno has one of the largest urban populations in the United States. Fresno has a long history of Armenian immigrants as well. The first Armenians to move to the region were brothers Garabed and Hagop Seropian in 1881, with the Armenian population reaching 360 in Fresno by 1894. This number continued to grow with early immigrants heavily involved in agriculture and farming. By 1930, Armenians owned about 40% of the raisin acreage in the county. Many Anglicized their names due to widespread bigotry, and fear of immigrant land ownership caused the passage of laws to restrict their right to buy land. Today, there are about 40,000 Armenians in Fresno.

Fresno Population Growth

Between July 2012 and July 2013, Fresno County's population grew just over 1%, which is the county's highest growth rate in three years. Fresno is growing faster than the state of California as a whole, and quicker than other counties. The growth in the area is attributed to a growing Hispanic population, which makes up the first-time majority in Fresno. Between 2000 and 2010, the city of Fresno grew a whopping 41% as more Californians move inland to get away from the high cost of living on the coast.

The San Joaquin Valley area was first inhabited by the Yokuts people who traded with other tribes of Native Americans in the state. The County of Fresno was created after the California Gold Rush in 1856, and it was named for the ash trees along the river (Fresno is Spanish for ash tree). Within a few years, several settlements were established for settlers and traders.

The Central Pacific Railroad established a station close to Easterby's (a large wheat farm) in 1872 for the new Southern Pacific line. A store followed, and the town of Fresno Station -- later Fresno -- was formed. Many residents from nearby settlements moved to the new community, and Fresno was incorporated in 1885.

Before World War II, there were many ethnic neighborhoods in the city, such as Little Italy, Little Armenia, and German Town. The population in 1940 was 94% white, 2.7% Asian and 3.3% black.

During the second half of the 20th century, Fresno's population boomed, becoming one of the 100 largest cities in the country in 1960 with a population of 134,000. It hit 47th in 1990 and 37th place in 2000 with a population of 428,000.

Fresno Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Fresno was:

  • White: 49.95%
  • Two or more races: 14.47%
  • Asian: 14.25%
  • Other race: 13.09%
  • Black or African American: 6.82%
  • Native American: 1.25%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.17%
Land Area (mi²)
114.7 sq mi
Density (mi²)
4,787.50/sq mi
Growth Rate
0.43% (2,371)
Growth Since 2020
1.31% (7,083)
The current population of Fresno, California is 549,242 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 542,159.

Fresno, California Population 2023

Population by Race

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White

Two or more races

Asian

Other race

Black or African American

Native American

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Fresno Population by Race

Fresno Population Pyramid 2023

Fresno Median Age

31.7

Total

31.1

Male

32.4

Female

Fresno Adults

There are 386,766 adults, (62,229 of whom are seniors) in Fresno.

Fresno Age Dependency

66

Age Dependency Ratio

19.2

Old Age Dependency Ratio

46.8

Child Dependency Ratio

Fresno Sex Ratio

Female270,68850.25%
Male267,99049.75%

Fresno Population by Age

Fresno Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

3.69

Average Family Size

3.03

Average Household Size

47.6%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Fresno Households and Families

Male

Female

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Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Fresno Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Fresno Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

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The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 83.54%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among white people with a rate of 32.34%.

Fresno Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

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$36,847

Average Earnings

$41,031

Average Male

$32,595

Average Female

Fresno Earnings by Educational Attainment

Fresno Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Fresno Language

56.95% of Fresno residents speak only English, while 43.05% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 29.66% of the population.

Fresno Language

Fresno Poverty by Race

rate

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22.9%

Overall Poverty Rate

21.35%

Male Poverty Rate

24.43%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Fresno

The race most likely to be in poverty in Fresno is Black, with 41.07% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Fresno is White, with 15.28% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 4.67%. Among those working part-time, it was 23.08%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 33.42%.

Fresno Poverty

rate

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Fresno Poverty Rate by Education

rate

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Fresno Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Fresno Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

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mean

median

Income by Household Type

Fresno Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

40.0%

Overall Marriage Rate

41.6%

Male Marriage Rate

38.5%

Female Marriage Rate

Fresno Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Fresno Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is 55-64, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.

Fresno Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Fresno Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

19,167

Number of Veterans

17,622

Male Veterans

1,545

Female Veterans

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Fresno Veterans by War

count

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Fresno Veterans by Age

count

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Fresno Veterans by Race

Fresno Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

11.98%

Veteran Poverty Rate

39.35%

Veteran Disability Rate

Fresno Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

61.9%

Labor Force Participation

56%

Employment Rate

9.3%

Unemployment Rate

Fresno Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Fresno Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Fresno Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

69.23%

Born in Fresno

80.12%

Native Born

18.81%

Foreign Born

8.92%

Non Citizen

9.89%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

80.12% of Fresno residents were born in the United States, with 69.23% having been born in California. 8.92% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.

Fresno Place of Birth

Note: data after 2021 is projected based on recent change

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Fresno Population by Year