The Korean American population in California grew and household incomes increased, according to the U.S. Census Bureau release of the 2024 American Community Survey (ACS) on September 11, 2025. The data highlights continued growth in California’s Korean American community despite the state’s broader outmigration trend.
The survey counted 573,729 Korean Americans (including multiracial) in California, about a 2 percent increase from 564,443 a year earlier. Nationally, the total reached 2,211,632, meaning one in four Korean Americans lives in California. The next largest populations are in New York (147,548), Texas (144,971), New Jersey (116,411), Washington (112,047), Virginia (99,989), and Georgia (90,428).
The median age of Korean Americans in California is 41.4. The largest age group is 35–44 years (16.3%), followed by 5–17 years (14.9%), 45–54 (14.2%), 25–34 (13%), 55–64 (11.5%), and 65–74 (9.4%).
Household income levels also reflect upward trends. Korean American households reported an average income of $172,801 and a median income of $113,234, with the higher average suggesting a strong share of high-income households. About 50.5 percent own homes, with a median value of $1,008,000, similar to the median Los Angeles home price. Monthly housing costs, including mortgages, average $3,805, and 91.4 percent of households own at least one vehicle.
Employment data shows 62.5 percent of Korean Americans aged 16 and older work in management, business, or STEM fields, while 17.5 percent are in sales or office roles and 12.8 percent in service jobs. About 13 percent of households rely on public assistance programs such as food stamps, SSI (Supplemental Security Income), or cash aid.
The majority of California’s Korean Americans are foreign-born, totaling 319,238 (55.6%), and nearly 224,924 (70%) of them hold U.S. citizenship. Almost all foreign-born individuals (97.8%) were born in Korea. Migration patterns show 58.5 percent arrived before 2000, 21.4 percent between 2000 and 2009, and 20.1 percent since 2010.
Cultural and educational indicators remain strong. About 65.9 percent of Korean American households in California use another language such as Korean at home, compared to 34.1 percent that use only English. Educational attainment is high, with 63.8 percent holding a bachelor’s degree or higher, while only 4 percent are uninsured. The mixed-race share within the Korean American community is 13.2 percent.
Nationally, the Korean American population climbed to 2,211,632 in 2024, up more than 9 percent from 2,023,517 in 2023. Korean Americans are now the fifth-largest Asian group in the United States, following Chinese (5,828,538), Indian (5,559,778), Filipino (4,974,949), and Vietnamese (2,445,295).
BY YEOL JANG [jang.yeol@koreadaily.com]
