State
County
Land Area
62.1 sq mi
Density
3,457.0/sq mi
2020 Growth Rate
-0.25%
Growth Since 2010
2.28%
Rank in State
Rank in Country
Metro Population
4,726,810
San Bernardino is a city located in California. With a 2020 population of 214,706, it is the 20th largest city in California and the 107th largest city in the United States. San Bernardino is currently declining at a rate of -0.25% annually but its population has increased by 2.28% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 209,924 in 2010. San Bernardino reached it's highest population of 216,902 in 2017. Spanning over 62 miles, San Bernardino has a population density of 3,457 people per square mile.
The average household income in San Bernardino is $60,409 with a poverty rate of 25.99%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to $1,059 per month, and the median house value is $249,400. The median age in San Bernardino is 29.9 years, 29.6 years for males, and 30.2 years for females. For every 100 females there are 98.0 males.
This city plays a vital role within the diplomatic missions of the Inland Empire. It also has numerous attractions that draw in visitors and residents.
The city’s top employer according to its annual financial report taken in 2010 is California State University at San Bernardino, which employs over 2,500 residents. Other top employers include the City of San Bernardino and the Community Hospital of San Bernardino.
The city of San Bernardino, despite suffering from hardships such as bankruptcy and terrorist attacks, has seen continuous population growth since the census taken in 1880. At times, it has even seen a percentage growth of over 100%. The city surpassed 100,000 inhabitants by the time of the 1970 census. In 2010, it saw another milestone, exceeding over 200,000 people. Today, its population has grown about 3% since the last poll taken in 2010. While comparing this to previous census data shows that some slowdown has occurred, the city is continuing to become more populous.
The city of San Bernardino was incorporated as a city in 1857. Before this, however, a Spanish settlement by the name of Politana was established in 1810. However, it was destroyed by local tribesmen following earthquakes that struck the San Bernardino Valley. Politana was rebuilt, and in 1819, missionaries returned to establish San Bernardino de Sena Estancia.
The present location of the city was mostly settled during the 1850s after California was designated as a state. It is considered to be one of the oldest cities in California. The town of San Bernardino was established in 1851, with the county being developed just two years later. It was incorporated as a city in 1857.
It was during the 1860s when San Bernardino saw a surge in its population. A gold rush began nearby when gold was discovered. The city was also a hub for trade in the southern region of the state. The city continued to grow throughout the century after a hotel was built along a spring that was believed to have healing properties. Water from the springs was bottled and shipped to Los Angeles, further boosting the city’s economy.
During the 20th century, many events occurred, including the development of Norton Air Force Base during World War II, the founding of McDonald’s chain of restaurants, and the Panorama Fire that destroyed hundreds of San Bernardino homes. The air force base was closed during the 1990s and later became the San Bernardino International Airport.
The 2000s brought another wildfire that destroyed more than 1,000 homes in the city. Some additional hardships also occurred, including the city’s filing of bankruptcy in 2012, with the city bouncing back after five years, as well as the 2015 terrorist attack. Today, the city has many attractions including the largest outdoor amphitheater in the nation, a baseball team, and the ADU Fox Theatre. The city’s economy is reliant on the government, retail and service industries.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of San Bernardino was:
2019 and 2020 population is estimated by projecting the raw 2018 numbers.
Year | Total Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | 4,726,810 | 38,090 | 0.81% |
2020 | 4,688,720 | 38,090 | 0.81% |
2019 | 4,650,630 | 38,090 | 0.82% |
2018 | 4,612,540 | 46,630 | 1.01% |
2017 | 4,565,910 | 53,870 | 1.18% |
2016 | 4,512,040 | 50,810 | 1.13% |
2015 | 4,461,230 | 45,890 | 1.03% |
2014 | 4,415,340 | 45,850 | 1.04% |
2013 | 4,369,490 | 34,770 | 0.80% |
2012 | 4,334,720 | 39,820 | 0.92% |
2011 | 4,294,900 | 52,480 | 1.22% |
2010 | 4,242,420 | 0.00% |
Race | Population | Percentage |
---|---|---|
White | 124,825 | 57.77% |
Some Other Race | 38,598 | 17.86% |
Black or African American | 31,000 | 14.35% |
Two or More Races | 10,640 | 4.92% |
Asian | 8,807 | 4.08% |
American Indian and Alaska Native | 1,502 | 0.70% |
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 717 | 0.33% |
Type | Count | Average Size | Owned |
---|---|---|---|
All | 59,295 | 3.46 | 47.4 |
Married | 24,630 | 4.24 | 64.6 |
Non Family | 14,636 | 1.35 | 37.9 |
Female | 14,205 | 4.12 | 33.5 |
Male | 5,824 | 3.82 | 32.6 |
3.95
Average Family Size
3.46
Average Household Size
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Less Than 9th Grade | 15,727 | 12.53% |
9th to 12th Grade | 22,634 | 18.04% |
High School Graduate | 36,830 | 29.35% |
Some College | 27,473 | 21.89% |
Associates Degree | 7,881 | 6.28% |
Bachelors Degree | 10,370 | 8.26% |
Graduate Degree | 4,583 | 3.65% |
Name | Total | High School | Bachelors |
---|---|---|---|
Hispanic | 73,214 | 43,043 | 4,981 |
White | 24,115 | 21,091 | 4,808 |
Other Race | 20,391 | 11,990 | 1,099 |
Black | 19,396 | 15,641 | 2,529 |
Asian | 5,856 | 4,539 | 2,122 |
Multiple Races | 4,655 | 3,890 | 797 |
Native American | 1,016 | 827 | 99 |
Islander | 334 | 314 | 34 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among islander people with a rate of 94.01%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 36.24%.
$29,179
Average Earnings
$32,489
Average Male
$24,132
Average Female
48.83% of San Bernardino residents speak only English, while 51.17% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 46.42% of the population.
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
---|---|---|---|
Hispanic | 136,329 | 37,048 | 27.18% |
Other | 37,011 | 9,768 | 26.39% |
Black | 28,758 | 8,112 | 28.21% |
White | 28,253 | 5,765 | 20.40% |
Multiple | 9,864 | 2,843 | 28.82% |
Asian | 8,272 | 1,373 | 16.60% |
Native | 1,356 | 342 | 25.22% |
Islander | 677 | 263 | 38.85% |
25.99%
Overall Poverty Rate
23.56%
Male Poverty Rate
28.31%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in San Bernardino is Islander, with 38.85% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in San Bernardino is Asian, with 16.60% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 5.98%. Among those working part-time, it was 26.55%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 33.20%.
36.8%
Overall Marriage Rate
38.0%
Male Marriage Rate
35.6%
Female Marriage Rate
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
---|---|---|
White | 4,207 | 4.80% |
Hispanic | 1,884 | 2.06% |
Black | 1,657 | 7.20% |
Other | 438 | 1.66% |
2 or More | 352 | 5.73% |
Asian | 154 | 2.17% |
Indian | 103 | 8.25% |
Hawaiian | 7 | 1.52% |
13.49%
Veteran Poverty Rate
35.60%
Veteran Disability Rate
59.4%
Labor Force Participation
53.9%
Employment Rate
9.2%
Unemployment Rate
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
77.42%
Native Born
22.58%
Foreign Born
14.08%
Non Citizen
8.50%
Naturalized
77.42% of San Bernardino residents were born in the United States, with 65.76% having been born in California. 14.08% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Year | Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | 214,706 | -539 | -0.25% |
2020 | 215,245 | -539 | -0.25% |
2019 | 215,784 | -539 | -0.25% |
2018 | 216,323 | -579 | -0.27% |
2017 | 216,902 | 866 | 0.40% |
2016 | 216,036 | 711 | 0.33% |
2015 | 215,325 | 1,103 | 0.51% |
2014 | 214,222 | 433 | 0.20% |
2013 | 213,789 | 628 | 0.29% |
2012 | 213,161 | 1,002 | 0.47% |
2011 | 212,159 | 1,522 | 0.72% |
2010 | 210,637 | 25,236 | 1.28% |
2000 | 185,401 | 21,237 | 1.22% |
1990 | 164,164 | 45,370 | 3.29% |
1980 | 118,794 | 11,925 | 1.06% |
1970 | 106,869 | 14,947 | 1.52% |
1960 | 91,922 | 28,864 | 3.84% |
1950 | 63,058 | 19,412 | 3.75% |
1940 | 43,646 | 6,165 | 1.53% |
1930 | 37,481 | 18,760 | 7.19% |
1920 | 18,721 | 5,942 | 3.89% |
1910 | 12,779 | 6,629 | 7.59% |
1900 | 6,150 | 2,138 | 4.36% |
1890 | 4,012 | 2,312 | 8.97% |
1880 | 1,700 | 760 | 3.01% |
1860 | 940 | 0.00% |