Whitest cities in California research summary. We analyzed California’s most recent Census data to determine the whitest cities in California based on the percentage of White residents. Here are the results of our analysis:
-
The whitest city in California is Laguna Beach based on the most recent Census data.
-
Laguna Beach is 82.87% White.
-
The least White city in California is Maywood.
-
Maywood is 0.66% White.
-
California is 35.2% White.
-
California is the 49th Whitest state in the United States.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
Today, we are looking at the whitest places in California. We won’t measure the number of Whole Foods or Pottery Barns per capita. Instead, we’ll focus on the Census data’s report of race by place in California. In particular, we ranked each place in California by the percentage of white people.
So where are the whitest cities you can live in California?
After analyzing cities with populations greater than 5,000, we came up with this list as the whitest cities in California for 2024.
Here are the 10 whites places in California for 2024:
What is the whitest city in California for 2024? According to the most recent census data Laguna Beach ranks as the whitest. If you’re wondering, Maywood is the least white city of all those we measured.
Read on below to see where your hometown ranked and why. Or check out the whitest states in America and the most diverse states in America.
For more California reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In California
- Worst Places To Live In California
- Cheapest Places To Live In California
The 10 Whitest Cities In California For 2024
/10
Population: 22,943
% White: 82.87%
More on Laguna Beach: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 7,567
% White: 82.7%
More on Fairfax: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 14,199
% White: 82.67%
More on Mill Valley: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 7,233
% White: 82.65%
More on Sausalito: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 6,666
% White: 81.88%
More on Paradise: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 6,831
% White: 81.73%
More on Loomis: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 5,256
% White: 81.28%
More on Woodside: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 16,784
% White: 80.76%
More on Truckee: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 12,761
% White: 80.17%
More on San Anselmo: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 8,050
% White: 80.05%
More on Pismo Beach: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Methodology: How we determined the whitest places in California for 2024
To rank the whitest places in California, we used Saturday Night Science to look at Census demographic data.
We had to look at the number of white people living in each city in California on a per capita basis. In other words, the percentage of white people living in each city in California.
We looked at table B03002: Hispanic OR LATINO ORIGIN BY RACE. Here are the category names as defined by the Census:
- Hispanic or Latino
- White alone*
- Black or African American alone*
- American Indian and Alaska Native alone*
- Asian alone*
- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone*
- Some other race alone*
- Two or more races*
Our particular column of interest here was the number of people who identified as White alone.
We limited our analysis to town with a population greater than 5,000 people. That left us with 421 cities.
We then calculated the percentage of residents that are White. The percentages ranked from 82.9% to 0.7%.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percentage of White population, with a higher score being more White than a lower score. Laguna Beach took the distinction of being the most White, while Maywood was the least White city.
We updated this article for 2024. This report represents our tenth time ranking the whitest cities in California.
Read on for more information on how the cities in California ranked by population of White residents or, for a more general take on diversity in America, head over to our ranking of the most diverse cities in America.
Summary: White Populations Across California
We measured the locations with the highest percentage of white people in California. According to the most recent data, this list provides accurate information on the whitest places in California.
The most White cities in California are Laguna Beach, Fairfax, Mill Valley, Sausalito, Paradise, Loomis, Woodside, Truckee, San Anselmo, and Pismo Beach.
If you’re curious enough, here are the least White places in California:
- Maywood
- Calexico
- Compton
For more California reading, check out:
White Population By City In California
| Rank | City | Population | White Population | % White |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Laguna Beach | 22,943 | 19,012 | 82.87% |
| 2 | Fairfax | 7,567 | 6,258 | 82.7% |
| 3 | Mill Valley | 14,199 | 11,738 | 82.67% |
| 4 | Sausalito | 7,233 | 5,978 | 82.65% |
| 5 | Paradise | 6,666 | 5,458 | 81.88% |
| 6 | Loomis | 6,831 | 5,583 | 81.73% |
| 7 | Woodside | 5,256 | 4,272 | 81.28% |
| 8 | Truckee | 16,784 | 13,555 | 80.76% |
| 9 | San Anselmo | 12,761 | 10,231 | 80.17% |
| 10 | Pismo Beach | 8,050 | 6,444 | 80.05% |
| 11 | Rancho Mirage | 17,257 | 13,679 | 79.27% |
| 12 | Tiburon | 9,115 | 7,192 | 78.9% |
| 13 | Grass Valley | 13,964 | 10,995 | 78.74% |
| 14 | Anderson | 11,267 | 8,831 | 78.38% |
| 15 | Ione | 5,364 | 4,191 | 78.13% |
| 16 | Sonoma | 10,702 | 8,349 | 78.01% |
| 17 | Shasta Lake | 10,361 | 7,999 | 77.2% |
| 18 | Westlake Village | 7,948 | 6,114 | 76.93% |
| 19 | Malibu | 10,698 | 8,151 | 76.19% |
| 20 | Corte Madera | 10,155 | 7,732 | 76.14% |
| 21 | Newport Beach | 85,159 | 64,785 | 76.08% |
| 22 | Encinitas | 61,942 | 47,053 | 75.96% |
| 23 | Auburn | 13,773 | 10,437 | 75.78% |
| 24 | Scotts Valley | 12,239 | 9,233 | 75.44% |
| 25 | Lafayette | 25,310 | 19,050 | 75.27% |
| 26 | Dana Point | 33,025 | 24,772 | 75.01% |
| 27 | Morro Bay | 10,766 | 8,059 | 74.86% |
| 28 | Larkspur | 12,969 | 9,701 | 74.8% |
| 29 | Redding | 93,327 | 69,569 | 74.54% |
| 30 | Pacific Grove | 15,098 | 11,173 | 74.0% |
| 31 | Hermosa Beach | 19,551 | 14,352 | 73.41% |
| 32 | Beverly Hills | 32,406 | 23,735 | 73.24% |
| 33 | Ojai | 7,610 | 5,492 | 72.17% |
| 34 | Arroyo Grande | 18,435 | 13,276 | 72.02% |
| 35 | St. Helena | 5,426 | 3,905 | 71.97% |
| 36 | San Clemente | 64,232 | 46,139 | 71.83% |
| 37 | Cotati | 7,545 | 5,409 | 71.69% |
| 38 | Yreka | 7,833 | 5,607 | 71.58% |
| 39 | Solana Beach | 12,946 | 9,252 | 71.47% |
| 40 | Manhattan Beach | 35,123 | 25,099 | 71.46% |
| 41 | Canyon Lake | 11,108 | 7,911 | 71.22% |
| 42 | Placerville | 10,744 | 7,636 | 71.07% |
| 43 | Calabasas | 23,106 | 16,402 | 70.99% |
| 44 | Sebastopol | 7,503 | 5,310 | 70.77% |
| 45 | San Luis Obispo | 47,529 | 33,463 | 70.41% |
| 46 | West Hollywood | 35,358 | 24,867 | 70.33% |
| 47 | Fortuna | 12,527 | 8,786 | 70.14% |
| 48 | Atascadero | 29,758 | 20,856 | 70.09% |
| 49 | Orinda | 19,477 | 13,612 | 69.89% |
| 50 | Seal Beach | 25,046 | 17,407 | 69.5% |
| 51 | Danville | 43,449 | 30,159 | 69.41% |
| 52 | Petaluma | 59,682 | 41,280 | 69.17% |
| 53 | Los Gatos | 33,093 | 22,865 | 69.09% |
| 54 | Red Bluff | 14,576 | 10,021 | 68.75% |
| 55 | Laguna Woods | 17,452 | 11,982 | 68.66% |
| 56 | Arcata | 18,536 | 12,663 | 68.32% |
| 57 | Clayton | 11,070 | 7,538 | 68.09% |
| 58 | Piedmont | 11,161 | 7,598 | 68.08% |
| 59 | Chico | 102,790 | 69,754 | 67.86% |
| 60 | Agoura Hills | 20,088 | 13,623 | 67.82% |
| 61 | Coronado | 18,871 | 12,780 | 67.72% |
| 62 | Lincoln | 50,131 | 33,936 | 67.69% |
| 63 | Citrus Heights | 87,127 | 58,710 | 67.38% |
| 64 | Carlsbad | 114,745 | 77,147 | 67.23% |
| 65 | Escalon | 7,456 | 4,980 | 66.79% |
| 66 | Atherton | 7,124 | 4,742 | 66.56% |
| 67 | Santee | 59,497 | 39,522 | 66.43% |
| 68 | Half Moon Bay | 11,633 | 7,651 | 65.77% |
| 69 | Healdsburg | 11,481 | 7,536 | 65.64% |
| 70 | Rocklin | 71,676 | 46,994 | 65.56% |
| 71 | Big Bear Lake | 5,059 | 3,303 | 65.29% |
| 72 | Eureka | 26,519 | 17,298 | 65.23% |
| 73 | Ridgecrest | 28,118 | 18,298 | 65.08% |
| 74 | Palm Desert | 51,290 | 33,317 | 64.96% |
| 75 | Monterey | 30,007 | 19,378 | 64.58% |
| 76 | Ripon | 16,092 | 10,389 | 64.56% |
| 77 | Laguna Niguel | 64,259 | 41,226 | 64.16% |
| 78 | Walnut Creek | 69,809 | 44,748 | 64.1% |
| 79 | Thousand Oaks | 126,532 | 81,051 | 64.06% |
| 80 | Solvang | 6,035 | 3,851 | 63.81% |
| 81 | Roseville | 148,879 | 94,806 | 63.68% |
| 82 | Capitola | 9,921 | 6,307 | 63.57% |
| 83 | Villa Park | 5,814 | 3,662 | 62.99% |
| 84 | Palos Verdes Estates | 13,219 | 8,278 | 62.62% |
| 85 | Mammoth Lakes | 7,253 | 4,536 | 62.54% |
| 86 | Yucca Valley | 21,700 | 13,553 | 62.46% |
| 87 | Santa Monica | 92,168 | 57,419 | 62.3% |
| 88 | Moraga | 16,859 | 10,486 | 62.2% |
| 89 | Palm Springs | 44,935 | 27,853 | 61.99% |
| 90 | Rolling Hills Estates | 8,214 | 5,072 | 61.75% |
| 91 | Taft | 7,414 | 4,569 | 61.63% |
| 92 | Glendale | 194,512 | 119,589 | 61.48% |
| 93 | Rio Vista | 10,074 | 6,187 | 61.42% |
| 94 | Novato | 53,055 | 32,502 | 61.26% |
| 95 | Santa Cruz | 61,367 | 37,449 | 61.02% |
| 96 | Mission Viejo | 93,233 | 56,825 | 60.95% |
| 97 | San Carlos | 30,490 | 18,557 | 60.86% |
| 98 | Benicia | 27,040 | 16,263 | 60.14% |
| 99 | Oroville | 20,283 | 12,164 | 59.97% |
| 100 | Calimesa | 10,366 | 6,207 | 59.88% |