Palmdale, California Population 2023

174,460

Palmdale is a city located in Los Angeles County California. With a 2023 population of 174,460, it is the 31st largest city in California and the 163rd largest city in the United States.Palmdale is currently growing at a rate of 0.97% annually and its population has increased by 2.96% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 169,450 in 2020. Spanning over 106 miles, Palmdale has a population density of 1,645 people per square mile.

The average household income in Palmdale is $78,339 with a poverty rate of 20.81%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Palmdale is 32.3 years, 30.6 years for males, and 34 years for females.

The city of Palmdale sits in the north of Los Angeles County, California, separated from the city of Los Angeles to the south by the San Gabriel Mountains. It's the second largest city in Los Angeles County by land area and the 33rd most populous city in California.

Diversity

About one-quarter of people in Palmdale were born outside the country. The city of Palmdale has a predominantly Hispanic/Latino demographic. Due to it being one of the last affordable areas for new single-family homes in Los Angeles County, many people of color on the lower end of the economic scale were able to purchase property, shifting the racial demographic.

Due to racial tensions in the area, minorities were redlined into the Sun Village commune, Antelope Valley’s first African-American commune, which was founded in 1938. Today, however, African-Americans are no longer the majority of Sun Village’s roughly 12,000 residents.

Population Growth

For the last 25 years, Palmdale has been rated as one of the top 25 fastest growing U.S. cities. Affordable housing developments in the 1980s and 1990s caused dramatic spikes in the population, jumping from 12,227 in 1980 to 68,842 in 1990 (a rise of 18.82%) and then to 116,670 in 2000. This has stayed relatively level since 2010.

Europeans, mainly of German and Swiss descent, first descended upon the area in 1886, naming the village “Palmenthal.” A trade route in the Antelope Valley had already existed for an estimated 11,000 years for Native Americans traveling from New Mexico and Arizona to California’s coast. The village of Palmenthal was officially established in June of 1888.

After the settlers decided to relocate slightly due to the difficult desert climate and drought, the name Palmdale was adopted.

Until the start of WWII, agriculture was the predominant industry for Palmdale. In 1953, Lockheed opened a facility in the city. The aerospace industry became the city's top employment source and has remained as such ever since.

The township of Palmdale officially became the city of Palmdale in August of 1962, becoming the first in the Antelope Valley to incorporate. In 2009, Palmdale became a charter city.

Palmdale Demographics

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

  • White: 44.37%
  • Other race: 30.91%
  • Black or African American: 12.35%
  • Two or more races: 6.28%
  • Asian: 4.13%
  • Native American: 1.65%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.32%
The current population of Palmdale, California is 174,460 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 169,450.

Palmdale, California Population 2023

Population by Race

White

Other race

Black or African American

Two or more races

Asian

Native American

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Palmdale Population by Race

Palmdale Population Pyramid 2023

Palmdale Median Age

32.3

Total

30.6

Male

34

Female

Palmdale Adults

There are 107,421 adults, (15,296 of whom are seniors) in Palmdale.

Palmdale Age Dependency

66.3

Age Dependency Ratio

16.6

Old Age Dependency Ratio

49.7

Child Dependency Ratio

Palmdale Sex Ratio

Female77,86950.82%
Male75,37149.18%

Palmdale Population by Age

Palmdale Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

3.99

Average Family Size

3.58

Average Household Size

63.9%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Palmdale Households and Families

Male

Female

Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Palmdale Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Palmdale Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

The highest rate of high school graduation is among asian people with a rate of 80.94%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 41.33%.

Palmdale Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

$37,396

Average Earnings

$45,526

Average Male

$30,392

Average Female

Palmdale Earnings by Educational Attainment

Palmdale Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Palmdale Language

52.83% of Palmdale residents speak only English, while 47.17% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 42.28% of the population.

Palmdale Language

Palmdale Poverty by Race

rate

20.81%

Overall Poverty Rate

13.33%

Male Poverty Rate

18.25%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Palmdale

The race most likely to be in poverty in Palmdale is Native, with 67.76% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Palmdale is White, with 11.09% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 3.4%. Among those working part-time, it was 14.08%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 22.49%.

Palmdale Poverty

Palmdale Poverty Rate by Education

Palmdale Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Palmdale Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

mean

median

Income by Household Type

Palmdale Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

45.4%

Overall Marriage Rate

47.2%

Male Marriage Rate

43.6%

Female Marriage Rate

Palmdale Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Palmdale 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 45-54.

Palmdale Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Palmdale Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

5,457

Number of Veterans

4,835

Male Veterans

622

Female Veterans

Palmdale Veterans by War

Palmdale Veterans by Age

count

Palmdale Veterans by Race

Palmdale Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

13.01%

Veteran Poverty Rate

30.42%

Veteran Disability Rate

Palmdale Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

59.5%

Labor Force Participation

55%

Employment Rate

7.4%

Unemployment Rate

Palmdale Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Palmdale Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Palmdale 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

57.87%

Born in Palmdale

68.03%

Native Born

22.4%

Foreign Born

10.14%

Non Citizen

12.27%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

68.03% of Palmdale residents were born in the United States, with 57.87% having been born in California. 10.14% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.

Palmdale Place of Birth

Note: data after 2020 is projected based on recent growth

Palmdale Population by Year