Population 2,576 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Gualala
Household size in Gualala
| Period | Gualala | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.25 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 1.88 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.08 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.96 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.71 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Gualala is a place of big households: 2.96 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Household size has climbed from 2.25 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Gualala
| Period | Gualala | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 50.9 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 55.8 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 61.1 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.1 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | −8.8 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Gualala is 42.1 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Gualala
| Period | Gualala | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.3% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.6% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 2.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.2% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +7.8 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Gualala (10.2%), a little below the national share of 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Gualala
Renters in Gualala
| Period | Gualala | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.3% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 38.5% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.2% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 27.5% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +5.2 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than a quarter of households in Gualala rent their homes (27.5%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among owners, 24.8% have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Gualala
| Period | Gualala | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 46.1% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 36.7% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 27.8% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 32.4% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −13.7 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 32.4% of the housing in Gualala, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Gualala
| Period | Gualala | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1979 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1981 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1984 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1976 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | −3 | +4 | +6 |
Homes in Gualala are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1976, versus 1980 nationally.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Gualala
| Period | Gualala | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $873 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $959 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,754 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,792 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,919 | +$931 | +$606 |
Rent in Gualala runs $2,792 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 28.5% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Gualala
Bachelor's degrees in Gualala
| Period | Gualala | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.5% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 28.4% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 30.8% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 36.7% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.2 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in Gualala as nationally: 36.7% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Gualala
| Period | Gualala | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.2% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.4% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.9% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 90.6% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.4 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Gualala have finished high school as nationally: 90.6%, against 89.3%. The rate is higher than in California as a whole (84.2%).
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Gualala
| Period | Gualala | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.7% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.8% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.4% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 0.4% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.3 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Gualala has been low: just 0.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Gualala compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gualala | 2.96 | 42.1 | 10.2% | 27.5% | 32.4% | 1976 | $2,792 | 36.7% | 90.6% | 0.4% |
| The Sea Ranch | 1.90 | 69.0 | 7.3% | 7.2% | 59.0% | 1987 | $2,068 | 71.9% | 97.9% | 4.3% |
| Point Arena | 2.97 | 40.7 | 11.5% | 33.0% | 15.0% | 1983 | $2,115 | 39.6% | 88.2% | 8.0% |
| Annapolis | 2.19 | 58.1 | 5.0% | 25.8% | 42.5% | 1979 | $1,511 | 52.9% | 95.5% | 1.2% |
| Manchester | 2.68 | 43.0 | 13.1% | 40.7% | 22.9% | 1986 | $1,666 | 33.9% | 85.9% | 11.3% |
| Stewarts Point | 2.31 | 54.0 | 6.8% | 30.9% | 33.2% | 1978 | $1,351 | 49.1% | 94.3% | 1.3% |
| Yorkville | 2.86 | 46.4 | 19.5% | 41.5% | 32.1% | 1980 | $1,306 | 32.6% | 80.3% | 10.3% |
| Boonville | 2.73 | 57.7 | 7.6% | 47.8% | 28.4% | 1974 | $1,244 | 30.4% | 86.3% | 7.2% |
| Philo | 2.84 | 49.8 | 9.4% | 34.9% | 35.0% | 1980 | $1,803 | 46.3% | 97.8% | 10.1% |
| Hopland | 2.96 | 37.6 | 14.9% | 53.8% | 22.0% | 1973 | $1,583 | 19.1% | 72.8% | 15.0% |
| Elk | 2.13 | 53.4 | 7.3% | 46.4% | 34.2% | 1979 | $1,244 | 35.5% | 89.9% | 10.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Baker, MT · Barnstable, MA · Benton, MO · Bloomington, TX · Branchville, SC · Brewster, OH · Bruceton, TN · Carlin, NV · Champlain, NY · Cloudcroft, NM
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Gualala. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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