kids encyclopedia robot

List of largest census-designated places in California facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
California in United States
Location of California in the United States

California is a very large and busy state on the West Coast of the United States. It has the most people living in it compared to any other U.S. state. It's also the third largest state by land area. In 2020, over 39.5 million people called California home! The state covers a huge area of about 155,858 square miles (403,670 square kilometers).

California is split into 58 areas called counties. Within these counties, there are many different communities. Some of these communities are officially recognized as cities, but others are not. These non-city communities are called census-designated places (CDPs).

A census-designated place, or CDP, is a special area that the U.S. Census Bureau defines for gathering information. It's like a town or neighborhood that looks and feels like a city, but it doesn't have its own local government. Instead, it's usually managed by the county it's in. For example, San Francisco is a unique place because it's both a city and a county at the same time. This means it doesn't have any separate CDPs within its borders.

This article focuses on the census-designated places in California that had a population of 10,000 people or more in the 2020 census.

Exploring California's Census-Designated Places

Census-designated places are important because they help us understand how many people live in different parts of California, even if those areas aren't official cities. They are often vibrant communities with their own unique character.

EastLAMontageCA
East Los Angeles, a large census-designated place
Hsilai surrounding
Hacienda Heights, a community in Los Angeles County
Eaton canyon from the air
An aerial view of Altadena with Eaton Canyon
Fair Oaks, CA
Fair Oaks Blvd in Fair Oaks
Ladera Ranch
Ladera Ranch, a planned community
LaCrescenta 20000ft contrast
An aerial view of La Crescenta-Montrose
101 north of San Miguel Canyon Overpass
U.S. Route 101 passing through Prunedale
South Downtown Alamo CA
Downtown Alamo
Los Osos Irish Hills
Irish Hills with a view of Los Osos
Bonita-south
The community of Bonita
QuartzHill CA pad 03
Quartz Hill
Fairviewfireprotectiondistrict
Fairview

Major CDPs by Population

Here is a list of some of the largest census-designated places in California, based on the 2020 population count. You can see their population and how much land they cover.

Name County Population (2020) Land area
sq mi km2
East Los Angeles Los Angeles 118,786 7.45 19.3
Arden-Arcade Sacramento 94,659 15.90 41.2
Carmichael Sacramento 79,793 15.33 39.7
Castro Valley Alameda 66,441 16.85 43.6
Florence-Graham Los Angeles 61,983 3.51 9.1
South Whittier Los Angeles 56,415 5.34 13.8
Hacienda Heights Los Angeles 54,191 11.15 28.9
Florin Sacramento 52,388 8.71 22.6
El Dorado Hills El Dorado 50,147 48.46 125.5
North Highlands Sacramento 49,327 8.81 22.8
Rowland Heights Los Angeles 48,321 13.08 33.9
Antelope Sacramento 45,770 6.84 17.7
Vineyard Sacramento 43,935 18.75 48.6
Altadena Los Angeles 42,846 8.47 21.9
Oildale Kern 36,135 7.91 20.5
Foothill Farms Sacramento 35,834 4.20 10.9
Orangevale Sacramento 35,569 11.45 29.7
French Valley Riverside 35,280 10.87 28.2
La Presa San Diego 35,033 5.50 14.2
Westmont Los Angeles 33,913 1.85 4.8
Fair Oaks Sacramento 32,514 10.88 28.2
Fallbrook San Diego 32,267 17.54 45.4
Orcutt Santa Barbara 32,034 10.82 28.0
Spring Valley San Diego 30,998 7.34 19.0
San Lorenzo Alameda 29,581 3.05 7.9
Eastern Goleta Valley Santa Barbara 28,656 16.60 43.0
East Niles Kern 28,390 5.46 14.1
Temescal Valley Riverside 26,232 19.34 50.1
Ladera Ranch Orange 26,170 4.95 12.8
North Tustin Orange 25,718 6.58 17.0
West Whittier-Los Nietos Los Angeles 25,325 2.52 6.5
Mountain House San Joaquin 24,499 4.56 11.8
Willowbrook Los Angeles 24,395 1.68 4.4
West Rancho Dominguez Los Angeles 24,347 3.97 10.3
Bloomington San Bernardino 24,339 6.07 15.7
Bay Point Contra Costa 23,896 6.43 16.7
Ashland Alameda 23,823 1.84 4.8
Rosemont Sacramento 23,510 4.39 11.4
West Puente Valley Los Angeles 22,959 1.87 4.8
West Carson Los Angeles 22,870 2.27 5.9
East San Gabriel Los Angeles 22,769 2.18 5.6
Valinda Los Angeles 22,437 2.01 5.2
Winter Gardens San Diego 22,380 4.42 11.4
Rancho San Diego San Diego 21,858 8.70 22.5
Linda Yuba 21,654 8.59 22.2
Ramona San Diego 21,468 38.44 99.6
Granite Bay Placer 21,247 21.55 55.8
Lakeside San Diego 21,152 6.93 17.9
Stanford Santa Clara 21,150 2.75 7.1
Rosamond Kern 20,961 52.12 135.0
Lennox Los Angeles 20,323 1.09 2.8
Stevenson Ranch Los Angeles 20,178 6.41 16.6
La Crescenta Montrose Los Angeles 19,997 3.43 8.9
South San Jose Hills Los Angeles 19,855 1.50 3.9
Mead Valley Riverside 19,819 19.08 49.4
Casa de Oro-Mount Helix San Diego 19,576 6.85 17.7
East Hemet Riverside 19,432 5.20 13.5
Castaic Los Angeles 18,937 7.26 18.8
Prunedale Monterey 18,885 46.06 119.3
Cameron Park El Dorado 18,881 11.23 29.1
Rosedale Kern 18,639 29.27 75.8
Nipomo San Luis Obispo 18,176 15.08 39.1
Live Oak Santa Cruz 17,038 3.24 8.4
Bostonia San Diego 16,882 1.93 5.0
Olivehurst Yuba 16,595 8.41 21.8
McKinleyville Humboldt 16,262 20.88 54.1
Valle Vista Riverside 16,194 6.86 17.8
Parkway Sacramento 15,962 2.41 6.2
Rio Linda Sacramento 15,944 9.93 25.7
Cherryland Alameda 15,808 1.19 3.1
Vincent Los Angeles 15,714 1.47 3.8
El Sobrante Contra Costa 15,524 3.10 8.0
Isla Vista Santa Barbara 15,500 0.55 1.4
Woodcrest Riverside 15,378 11.38 29.5
Discovery Bay Contra Costa 15,358 5.59 14.5
Alamo Contra Costa 15,314 9.82 25.4
Walnut Park Los Angeles 15,214 0.75 1.9
East Rancho Dominguez Los Angeles 15,114 0.82 2.1
Coto de Caza Orange 14,710 7.80 20.2
Alpine San Diego 14,696 26.79 69.4
Lemon Hill Sacramento 14,496 1.64 4.2
Los Osos San Luis Obispo 14,465 12.76 33.0
Lamont Kern 14,049 4.78 12.4
El Sobrante Riverside 14,039 7.23 18.7
North Fair Oaks San Mateo 14,027 1.20 3.1
Oak Park Ventura 13,898 5.30 13.7
Salida Stanislaus 13,886 2.22 5.7
Phelan San Bernardino 13,859 60.09 155.6
North Auburn Placer 13,452 7.79 20.2
Avocado Heights Los Angeles 13,317 2.25 5.8
Lake Los Angeles Los Angeles 13,187 9.74 25.2
Bonita San Diego 12,917 5.02 13.0
Big Bear City San Bernardino 12,738 32.02 82.9
Camp Pendleton South San Diego 12,468 6.95 18.0
Lake Arrowhead San Bernardino 12,401 17.68 45.8
Lakeland Village Riverside 12,364 8.78 22.7
Sun Village Los Angeles 12,345 10.80 28.0
Alum Rock Santa Clara 12,042 0.87 2.3
Winton Merced 11,709 3.04 7.9
Crestline San Bernardino 11,650 13.90 36.0
Tamalpais-Homestead Valley Marin 11,492 4.69 12.1
Quartz Hill Los Angeles 11,447 3.76 9.7
View Park-Windsor Hills Los Angeles 11,419 1.84 4.8
Garden Acres San Joaquin 11,398 2.58 6.7
Marina del Rey Los Angeles 11,373 0.86 2.2
Diamond Springs El Dorado 11,345 16.64 43.1
Fairview Alameda 11,341 2.97 7.7
La Riviera Sacramento 11,252 1.90 4.9
Home Gardens Riverside 11,203 1.51 3.9
Country Club San Joaquin 10,777 1.92 5.0
Muscoy San Bernardino 10,719 3.04 7.9
Delhi Merced 10,656 3.51 9.1
Rossmoor Orange 10,625 1.56 4.0
Hillcrest Kern 10,528 1.38 3.6
San Diego Country Estates San Diego 10,395 16.78 43.5
East Whittier Los Angeles 10,394 1.09 2.8
Rancho Mission Viejo Orange 10,378 37.81 97.9
Del Aire Los Angeles 10,338 1.01 2.6
Citrus Los Angeles 10,243 0.88 2.3

See also

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
List of largest census-designated places in California Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.