HomeCaliforniaMendocino County
Mendocino County, California: commercial real estate data.
Mendocino County, California has a population of 90,244 across 3,506 square miles, down 2.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $4.69 bn in 2024, 2,432 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 60 7(a) approvals worth $53.8 m.
127 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Mendocino County
How many people live in Mendocino County
- Population90,244
- Households34,842
- Average household size2.59
- Median household income$68,092
- Median age44.1
- Median gross rent$1,317 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$512,200
- Home value to household income7.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income23.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher25.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree10.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over65,093
- Population under 1818,897
- Share under 1820.9 percent
- Population 65 and over22,154
- Share 65 and over24.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6449,193
- Civilian labor force41,496
- Unemployment rate9.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over58.2 percent
- Rank by population among California counties38th of 58
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents669th
Mendocino County is the 38th largest of 58 California counties by population. A median home costs 7.5 times median household income, which is a stretched ownership market and usually shows up as rental demand. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 24.5 percent against 20.9 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Mendocino County
Is Mendocino County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-2.63 percent
- Census 2020 base population91,587
- Births, 2024795
- Deaths, 20241,018
- Natural change, 2024-223
- Net domestic migration, 2024-428
- Net international migration, 2024475
- Total net migration, 202447
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-2,558
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2664th
The county has lost 2.63 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Mendocino County
Where people moving to Mendocino County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,629
- People arriving, from those returns2,673
- Adjusted gross income arriving$133.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$81,776
- Largest single originMendocino County Non-migrants (32,777 households)
- Largest single destination (32,777 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mendocino County Non-migrants | 32,777 | 62,934 | $2.36 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 434 | 664 | $26.2 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 335 | 569 | $25.3 m |
| Sonoma County | 248 | 457 | $24.7 m |
| Other flows - West | 239 | 380 | $11.9 m |
| Lake County | 101 | 208 | $5.5 m |
| Other flows - South | 97 | 155 | $4.3 m |
| Alameda County | 64 | 89 | $11.0 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Mendocino County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Mendocino County
What the Mendocino County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$4.69 bn
- County GDP, 2023$4.44 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.6 percent
- GDP change over five years28.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among California counties38th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents742nd
- GDP per resident$51,998
Output grew 5.6 percent in the latest year and 28.1 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Mendocino County
Who employs people in Mendocino County
- Covered employment, annual average32,084
- Establishments reporting4,522
- Average annual pay$53,903
- Average weekly wage$1,037
- Sector 62, employment6,053
- Sector 62, average annual pay$53,351
- Sector 44-45, employment4,148
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$41,742
- Sector 72, employment3,725
- Sector 72, average annual pay$29,732
- Sector 31-33, employment2,239
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$65,622
- Sector 23, employment1,473
- Sector 56, employment967
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 6,053 | 1,980 | $53,351 |
| Sector 44-45 | 4,148 | 377 | $41,742 |
| Sector 72 | 3,725 | 312 | $29,732 |
| Sector 31-33 | 2,239 | 142 | $65,622 |
| Sector 23 | 1,473 | 279 | $69,047 |
| Sector 56 | 967 | 106 | $77,818 |
| Sector 81 | 686 | 193 | $42,013 |
| Sector 54 | 662 | 197 | $56,731 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 6,053 jobs, 18.9 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Mendocino County
What businesses operate in Mendocino County
- Establishments, all industries2,432
- Employment at those establishments23,356
- Annual payroll$1.23 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents26.9
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Mendocino County
What is being built in Mendocino County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20249
- Declared construction value permitted$3.2 m
- Single family units authorised9
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$352,882
- Units authorised per 1,000 households0.3
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Mendocino County
How much SBA lending happens in Mendocino County
- 7(a) approvals recorded60
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$53.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$897,268
- Median 7(a) approval$350,000
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,700,000
- Largest single approval$4,731,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)615
- Jobs per approval10.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active25
- Distinct industries receiving approvals37
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer46.7 percent
- Loans on real estate terms28
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter31
- Franchise loans7
- Franchise share of approvals11.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (6)
- Most active lenderReadycap Lending, LLC (6)
- 504 approvals recorded47
- 504 gross approval dollars$26.1 m
- Average 504 approval$555,298
- Median 504 approval$387,000
- Distinct CDCs active10
- 504 jobs per approval6.8
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved12.3
- Most active CDCCapital Access Group, Inc. (15)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals56.1 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$79.9 m
The average approval of $897,268 sits well above the median of $350,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. 46.7 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Mendocino County
Do SBA loans in Mendocino County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded9
- Paid in full8
- Charged off1
- Status: Cancelled10
- Status: Exempt from disclosure38
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Paid in full8
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed3
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 9 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Mendocino County
Which parts of Mendocino County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending13
- UKIAH, approvals22
- FORT BRAGG, approvals11
- Willits, approvals8
- PIERCY, approvals4
- GUALALA, approvals3
- MENDOCINO, approvals3
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| UKIAH | 22 | $20,029,100 |
| FORT BRAGG | 11 | $11,660,200 |
| Willits | 8 | $6,450,800 |
| PIERCY | 4 | $315,000 |
| GUALALA | 3 | $2,836,500 |
| MENDOCINO | 3 | $2,370,000 |
| Redwood Valley | 2 | $2,080,000 |
| Point Arena | 2 | $2,285,000 |
UKIAH accounts for 22 approvals against 11 in FORT BRAGG. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Mendocino County
How big is Mendocino County
- Land area3,506 sq mi
- Rank by land area among California counties15th of 58
- Width, east to west64.3 mi
- Height, north to south85.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land26
- Establishments per square mile0.69
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Mendocino County
What hazards affect Mendocino County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book5
- Of those, participating in the NFIP5
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Mendocino County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Mendocino County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population90,244
- Households34,842
- Average household size2.59
- Median household income$68,092
- Median age44.1
Common questions
Mendocino County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Mendocino County, California?
90,244, in 34,842 households, ranking 38th of 58 California counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Mendocino County growing?
The population has fallen 2.63 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 795 births against 1,018 deaths, with net migration of 47. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Mendocino County?
$68,092. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $512,200, which is 7.5 times income, and median gross rent is $1,317 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Mendocino County?
2,432 establishments, employing 23,356 people with an annual payroll of $1.23 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Mendocino County?
Average annual pay is $53,903, or $1,037 a week, across 32,084 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Mendocino County?
60 7(a) approvals totalling $53.8 m since FY2020, across 25 lenders, with a median approval of $350,000, plus 47 504 approvals worth $26.1 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Mendocino County?
9 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $3.2 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Mendocino County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Mendocino County come from?
The largest single origin is Mendocino County Non-migrants, with 32,777 households. Arriving households report an average income of $81,776 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Mendocino County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Mendocino County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.