Article Table Of Contents
Across most of America, the African American and Hispanic communities comprise "most of the minority". We're not totally sure that's a term, but it's an accurate reflection of the state of race in America.
Asians are a "minority of the minority", generally. But not everywhere.
There are now over 17 million people who identify as Asian living in America, making up 5.6% of the total population. According to the most recent American Community Survey, the Asian population in California is 5,802,086 - at 14.7% of the total population of California.
And, unlike African Americans that fall under one group in the Census, Asian Americans have many sub-groups -- Chinese, Filipino, and Indian being the three largest sub-groups.
So, what how does the Asian population stratify across California? Which cities and towns in California have seen the greatest increase in their Asian population?
Here are the cities in California with the largest Asian population in 2023:
Which city in California had the largest Asian population? Cupertino took the number one over all spot for the largest Asian in California for 2023. 69.26% of Cupertino identify as Asian.
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked.
To see where California ranked as a state on diversity, we have a ranking of the most diverse states in America.
And if you already knew these places were Asian, check out the best places to live in California or the most diverse places in California.
The 10 Most Asian Cities In California For 2023
/10
Population: 60,681
% Asian: 69.26%
# Of Asian Residents: 42,025
Percent Change Since 2010: 26.94%
More on Cupertino: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 79,593
% Asian: 67.12%
# Of Asian Residents: 53,426
Percent Change Since 2010: 38.72%
More on Milpitas: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 12,620
% Asian: 66.54%
# Of Asian Residents: 8,397
Percent Change Since 2010: 25.82%
More on San Marino: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 28,641
% Asian: 65.19%
# Of Asian Residents: 18,671
Percent Change Since 2010: 1.94%
More on Walnut: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 61,153
% Asian: 64.75%
# Of Asian Residents: 39,595
Percent Change Since 2010: 0.41%
More on Monterey Park: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 36,526
% Asian: 64.7%
# Of Asian Residents: 23,631
Percent Change Since 2010: 18.53%
More on Temple City: Real Estate | Data
/10
Population: 51,698
% Asian: 64.23%
# Of Asian Residents: 33,205
Percent Change Since 2010: 3.83%
More on Rosemead: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 231,502
% Asian: 61.3%
# Of Asian Residents: 141,922
Percent Change Since 2010: 38.32%
More on Fremont: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 55,339
% Asian: 60.75%
# Of Asian Residents: 33,618
Percent Change Since 2010: 16.6%
More on Diamond Bar: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 39,673
% Asian: 60.28%
# Of Asian Residents: 23,913
Percent Change Since 2010: 3.01%
More on San Gabriel: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In California With The Largest Asian Population For 2023
We still believe in the accuracy of data -- especially from the census. So that's where we went to get the breakdown of race across California.
That lead us to the Census's most recently available data, the 2017-2021 American Community Survey data from the US Census.
Specifically, 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 Asian alone.
We limited our analysis to non-CDPs with a population greater than 5,000 people. That left us with 421 cities.
We then calculated the percent of residents that are Asian. The percentages ranked from 69.3% to 0.0%.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percent of Asian population with a higher score being more Asian than a lower score. Cupertino took the distinction of being the most Asian, while Mendota was the least Asian city. You can download the data here.
Read on for more information on how the cities in California ranked by population of Asian residents or, for a more general take on diversity in America, head over to our ranking of the most diverse cities in America.
Summary: Asian Populations Across California
If you're looking for a breakdown of Asian populations across California according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
If you're curious enough, here are the least Asian places in California:
- Mendota
- Huron
- Firebaugh
For more California reading, check out:
Table: Asian Population By City In California
| Rank | City | % Asian |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cupertino | 69.26% |
| 2 | Milpitas | 67.12% |
| 3 | San Marino | 66.54% |
| 4 | Walnut | 65.19% |
| 5 | Monterey Park | 64.75% |
| 6 | Temple City | 64.7% |
| 7 | Rosemead | 64.23% |
| 8 | Fremont | 61.3% |
| 9 | Diamond Bar | 60.75% |
| 10 | San Gabriel | 60.28% |
| 11 | Cerritos | 58.17% |
| 12 | Arcadia | 56.71% |
| 13 | Daly City | 56.7% |
| 14 | Union City | 55.01% |
| 15 | Saratoga | 53.64% |
| 16 | Dublin | 52.32% |
| 17 | Foster City | 51.83% |
| 18 | Westminster | 50.63% |
| 19 | Alhambra | 50.48% |
| 20 | Sunnyvale | 47.8% |
| 21 | Millbrae | 47.79% |
| 22 | San Ramon | 47.62% |
| 23 | La Palma | 47.04% |
| 24 | Santa Clara | 45.72% |
| 25 | South San Francisco | 42.76% |
| 26 | Irvine | 42.64% |
| 27 | Hercules | 42.26% |
| 28 | Garden Grove | 41.7% |
| 29 | Pleasanton | 38.93% |
| 30 | Artesia | 38.62% |
| 31 | Newark | 38.56% |
| 32 | Chino Hills | 38.3% |
| 33 | Cypress | 37.88% |
| 34 | San Jose | 37.29% |
| 35 | Fountain Valley | 37.07% |
| 36 | Los Altos Hills | 36.92% |
| 37 | Torrance | 36.58% |
| 38 | Palo Alto | 34.98% |
| 39 | San Leandro | 34.2% |
| 40 | San Bruno | 34.12% |
| 41 | San Francisco | 34.11% |
| 42 | Los Altos | 33.76% |
| 43 | American Canyon | 33.29% |
| 44 | Mountain View | 33.25% |
| 45 | South Pasadena | 32.55% |
| 46 | Buena Park | 31.99% |
| 47 | Hillsborough | 31.77% |
| 48 | Alameda | 30.98% |
| 49 | Rancho Palos Verdes | 30.92% |
| 50 | Belmont | 29.9% |
| 51 | El Monte | 29.7% |
| 52 | West Covina | 29.42% |
| 53 | Elk Grove | 29.17% |
| 54 | Emeryville | 29.05% |
| 55 | Hayward | 28.65% |
| 56 | Albany | 28.6% |
| 57 | El Cerrito | 28.56% |
| 58 | Burlingame | 27.33% |
| 59 | Carson | 27.1% |
| 60 | Stanton | 26.34% |
| 61 | Pinole | 26.33% |
| 62 | Lathrop | 25.6% |
| 63 | Rolling Hills Estates | 25.36% |
| 64 | Gardena | 25.3% |
| 65 | San Mateo | 25.2% |
| 66 | Brea | 25.16% |
| 67 | Campbell | 24.95% |
| 68 | Loma Linda | 24.17% |
| 69 | Tustin | 24.14% |
| 70 | Fullerton | 23.89% |
| 71 | Palos Verdes Estates | 23.34% |
| 72 | Davis | 23.02% |
| 73 | Vallejo | 22.65% |
| 74 | Signal Hill | 22.05% |
| 75 | Baldwin Park | 21.93% |
| 76 | Yorba Linda | 21.93% |
| 77 | Laguna Woods | 21.78% |
| 78 | La Mirada | 21.46% |
| 79 | Livingston | 20.99% |
| 80 | Piedmont | 20.63% |
| 81 | Pacifica | 20.52% |
| 82 | Moraga | 20.51% |
| 83 | Stockton | 20.48% |
| 84 | Berkeley | 20.35% |
| 85 | La Habra Heights | 20.0% |
| 86 | Yuba City | 19.1% |
| 87 | Sacramento | 18.66% |
| 88 | Lake Forest | 18.64% |
| 89 | Atherton | 18.56% |
| 90 | Tracy | 18.52% |
| 91 | Culver City | 18.31% |
| 92 | San Carlos | 18.24% |
| 93 | Suisun City | 18.01% |
| 94 | Pittsburg | 17.9% |
| 95 | Lakewood | 17.84% |
| 96 | Folsom | 17.74% |
| 97 | Walnut Creek | 17.68% |
| 98 | Pasadena | 17.64% |
| 99 | Fairfield | 17.41% |
| 100 | San Pablo | 17.21% |
| 101 | Lomita | 17.2% |
| 102 | National City | 17.09% |
| 103 | Anaheim | 17.06% |
| 104 | San Diego | 16.87% |
| 105 | Los Gatos | 16.62% |
| 106 | Duarte | 16.56% |
| 107 | South El Monte | 16.52% |
| 108 | Menlo Park | 16.27% |
| 109 | Chino | 16.19% |
| 110 | Redwood City | 16.17% |
| 111 | San Dimas | 16.14% |
| 112 | Placentia | 16.04% |
| 113 | Sierra Madre | 15.9% |
| 114 | Oakland | 15.56% |
| 115 | Morgan Hill | 15.53% |
| 116 | Marina | 15.5% |
| 117 | Danville | 15.45% |
| 118 | Aliso Viejo | 15.42% |
| 119 | Laguna Hills | 15.38% |
| 120 | Claremont | 15.26% |
| 121 | Redondo Beach | 15.13% |
| 122 | Chula Vista | 14.81% |
| 123 | Live Oak | 14.72% |
| 124 | Manhattan Beach | 14.68% |
| 125 | Livermore | 14.68% |
| 126 | Orinda | 14.63% |
| 127 | Azusa | 14.57% |
| 128 | Rancho Cucamonga | 14.49% |
| 129 | Monrovia | 14.34% |
| 130 | Pleasant Hill | 14.26% |
| 131 | Richmond | 14.19% |
| 132 | Villa Park | 14.14% |
| 133 | Fresno | 13.87% |
| 134 | Rancho Cordova | 13.81% |
| 135 | Mission Viejo | 13.8% |
| 136 | Glendale | 13.65% |
| 137 | Covina | 13.52% |
| 138 | Concord | 13.33% |
| 139 | Norwalk | 13.28% |
| 140 | La Puente | 13.26% |
| 141 | Orange | 12.92% |
| 142 | Oroville | 12.89% |
| 143 | Manteca | 12.72% |
| 144 | Montebello | 12.65% |
| 145 | Huntington Beach | 12.64% |
| 146 | Long Beach | 12.63% |
| 147 | Delano | 12.39% |
| 148 | Seal Beach | 12.35% |
| 149 | Antioch | 12.2% |
| 150 | Poway | 12.18% |
| 151 | Brentwood | 12.04% |
| 152 | Los Alamitos | 11.95% |
| 153 | La Habra | 11.82% |
| 154 | Santa Ana | 11.81% |
| 155 | Clovis | 11.78% |
| 156 | Roseville | 11.75% |
| 157 | Glendora | 11.63% |
| 158 | Burbank | 11.56% |
| 159 | Los Angeles | 11.55% |
| 160 | Benicia | 11.43% |
| 161 | Clayton | 11.38% |
| 162 | Beverly Hills | 11.33% |
| 163 | Bellflower | 11.3% |
| 164 | Lodi | 11.22% |
| 165 | West Sacramento | 11.22% |
| 166 | Laguna Niguel | 11.18% |
| 167 | Rancho Santa Margarita | 11.11% |
| 168 | Simi Valley | 11.11% |
| 169 | Rocklin | 11.05% |
| 170 | Merced | 10.84% |
| 171 | Hawaiian Gardens | 10.78% |
| 172 | El Segundo | 10.77% |
| 173 | Temecula | 10.75% |
| 174 | Lawndale | 10.73% |
| 175 | Pomona | 10.62% |
| 176 | Santa Cruz | 10.57% |
| 177 | Fowler | 10.5% |
| 178 | San Marcos | 10.49% |
| 179 | Santa Clarita | 10.16% |
| 180 | Corona | 9.9% |
| 181 | Lafayette | 9.8% |
| 182 | Martinez | 9.8% |
| 183 | Gilroy | 9.69% |
| 184 | Calabasas | 9.67% |
| 185 | Kingsburg | 9.65% |
| 186 | La Verne | 9.55% |
| 187 | Thousand Oaks | 9.48% |
| 188 | Upland | 9.45% |
| 189 | Montclair | 9.45% |
| 190 | Goleta | 9.42% |
| 191 | Carlsbad | 9.39% |
| 192 | Camarillo | 9.23% |
| 193 | Santa Monica | 9.1% |
| 194 | Seaside | 9.04% |
| 195 | Costa Mesa | 9.02% |
| 196 | Vacaville | 8.75% |
| 197 | Riverside | 8.49% |
| 198 | Woodland | 8.48% |
| 199 | Willows | 8.4% |
| 200 | Woodside | 8.26% |
| 201 | Redlands | 8.12% |
| 202 | Lemon Grove | 8.08% |
| 203 | Newport Beach | 8.03% |
| 204 | Murrieta | 7.97% |
| 205 | Highland | 7.9% |
| 206 | Beaumont | 7.82% |
| 207 | Santa Fe Springs | 7.64% |
| 208 | Hermosa Beach | 7.47% |
| 209 | Oceanside | 7.45% |
| 210 | Modesto | 7.44% |
| 211 | Tiburon | 7.4% |
| 212 | Pacific Grove | 7.38% |
| 213 | Lake Elsinore | 7.36% |
| 214 | Monterey | 7.29% |
| 215 | Oakley | 7.25% |
| 216 | Ceres | 7.24% |
| 217 | Larkspur | 7.1% |
| 218 | Moorpark | 7.04% |
| 219 | Lemoore | 7.01% |
| 220 | Bakersfield | 7.01% |
| 221 | Imperial Beach | 7.0% |
| 222 | Hawthorne | 6.96% |
| 223 | Ontario | 6.77% |
| 224 | Agoura Hills | 6.69% |
| 225 | La Mesa | 6.63% |
| 226 | Novato | 6.6% |
| 227 | Fontana | 6.59% |
| 228 | Lincoln | 6.57% |
| 229 | Oxnard | 6.54% |
| 230 | Downey | 6.52% |
| 231 | East Palo Alto | 6.4% |
| 232 | Westlake Village | 6.37% |
| 233 | Sausalito | 6.36% |
| 234 | Capitola | 6.31% |
| 235 | Cathedral City | 6.3% |
| 236 | Rohnert Park | 6.25% |
| 237 | Escondido | 6.22% |
| 238 | Mill Valley | 6.12% |
| 239 | Exeter | 6.06% |
| 240 | San Rafael | 6.03% |
| 241 | Solana Beach | 5.93% |
| 242 | Visalia | 5.93% |
| 243 | Scotts Valley | 5.8% |
| 244 | Santa Rosa | 5.8% |
| 245 | Wildomar | 5.71% |
| 246 | Eureka | 5.67% |
| 247 | Mammoth Lakes | 5.64% |
| 248 | Turlock | 5.56% |
| 249 | West Hollywood | 5.55% |
| 250 | San Anselmo | 5.47% |
| 251 | Corte Madera | 5.46% |
| 252 | Salinas | 5.44% |
| 253 | Riverbank | 5.41% |
| 254 | South Lake Tahoe | 5.38% |
| 255 | Ridgecrest | 5.34% |
| 256 | Morro Bay | 5.32% |
| 257 | Half Moon Bay | 5.29% |
| 258 | Moreno Valley | 5.2% |
| 259 | Menifee | 5.05% |
| 260 | Palm Desert | 5.05% |
| 261 | San Clemente | 5.02% |
| 262 | Porterville | 5.01% |
| 263 | Palm Springs | 5.0% |
| 264 | Atwater | 4.98% |
| 265 | Banning | 4.95% |
| 266 | Santee | 4.86% |
| 267 | Chico | 4.83% |
| 268 | San Luis Obispo | 4.83% |
| 269 | Redding | 4.78% |
| 270 | Rancho Mirage | 4.62% |
| 271 | Chowchilla | 4.62% |
| 272 | Vista | 4.58% |
| 273 | Ripon | 4.49% |
| 274 | Rio Vista | 4.47% |
| 275 | Santa Maria | 4.47% |
| 276 | Victorville | 4.42% |
| 277 | Whittier | 4.4% |
| 278 | Sebastopol | 4.38% |
| 279 | El Cajon | 4.34% |
| 280 | Hanford | 4.34% |
| 281 | Marysville | 4.31% |
| 282 | Palmdale | 4.27% |
| 283 | Calimesa | 4.26% |
| 284 | Guadalupe | 4.21% |
| 285 | San Buenaventura (Ventura) | 4.19% |
| 286 | Newman | 4.16% |
| 287 | Petaluma | 4.14% |
| 288 | Galt | 4.08% |
| 289 | Corning | 4.02% |
| 290 | Citrus Heights | 4.02% |
| 291 | Perris | 4.0% |
| 292 | King City | 3.99% |
| 293 | Grand Terrace | 3.95% |
| 294 | San Juan Capistrano | 3.95% |
| 295 | Lompoc | 3.93% |
| 296 | Encinitas | 3.91% |
| 297 | Lancaster | 3.89% |
| 298 | Pico Rivera | 3.88% |
| 299 | Waterford | 3.86% |
| 300 | Dana Point | 3.84% |
| 301 | Fairfax | 3.83% |
| 302 | Malibu | 3.8% |
| 303 | Yucaipa | 3.78% |
| 304 | San Bernardino | 3.77% |
| 305 | Arroyo Grande | 3.75% |
| 306 | Arcata | 3.66% |
| 307 | El Paso De Robles (Paso Robles) | 3.65% |
| 308 | Ojai | 3.59% |
| 309 | Santa Barbara | 3.55% |
| 310 | Norco | 3.53% |
| 311 | Coronado | 3.51% |
| 312 | Ukiah | 3.51% |
| 313 | Imperial | 3.43% |
| 314 | Kerman | 3.41% |
| 315 | La Quinta | 3.39% |
| 316 | Colton | 3.25% |
| 317 | Laguna Beach | 3.13% |
| 318 | Dixon | 3.13% |
| 319 | Apple Valley | 3.1% |
| 320 | Patterson | 2.99% |
| 321 | San Jacinto | 2.95% |
| 322 | Canyon Lake | 2.94% |
| 323 | Windsor | 2.91% |
| 324 | Desert Hot Springs | 2.89% |
| 325 | Napa | 2.89% |
| 326 | Paramount | 2.75% |
| 327 | Sanger | 2.75% |
| 328 | Pismo Beach | 2.68% |
| 329 | Port Hueneme | 2.64% |
| 330 | Hughson | 2.64% |
| 331 | Twentynine Palms | 2.58% |
| 332 | Orland | 2.55% |
| 333 | Watsonville | 2.48% |
| 334 | Tehachapi | 2.44% |
| 335 | Taft | 2.43% |
| 336 | Hollister | 2.34% |
| 337 | Hemet | 2.34% |
| 338 | Los Banos | 2.3% |
| 339 | Hesperia | 2.29% |
| 340 | Barstow | 2.28% |
| 341 | Sonoma | 2.26% |
| 342 | Reedley | 2.24% |
| 343 | Blythe | 2.24% |
| 344 | Inglewood | 2.21% |
| 345 | Big Bear Lake | 2.15% |
| 346 | Rialto | 2.15% |
| 347 | Carpinteria | 2.14% |
| 348 | Anderson | 2.11% |
| 349 | Red Bluff | 2.11% |
| 350 | Soledad | 2.1% |
| 351 | Tulare | 2.05% |
| 352 | Cotati | 2.0% |
| 353 | St. Helena | 1.99% |
| 354 | Madera | 1.98% |
| 355 | Grover Beach | 1.93% |
| 356 | Solvang | 1.87% |
| 357 | Oakdale | 1.86% |
| 358 | California City | 1.85% |
| 359 | Indio | 1.82% |
| 360 | Susanville | 1.78% |
| 361 | Coalinga | 1.69% |
| 362 | Grass Valley | 1.65% |
| 363 | Gustine | 1.65% |
| 364 | San Fernando | 1.64% |
| 365 | Cloverdale | 1.6% |
| 366 | Auburn | 1.59% |
| 367 | Atascadero | 1.57% |
| 368 | Fortuna | 1.48% |
| 369 | Escalon | 1.43% |
| 370 | Healdsburg | 1.43% |
| 371 | Commerce | 1.42% |
| 372 | Selma | 1.42% |
| 373 | Avenal | 1.38% |
| 374 | El Centro | 1.36% |
| 375 | Woodlake | 1.31% |
| 376 | Fillmore | 1.31% |
| 377 | Crescent City | 1.3% |
| 378 | Adelanto | 1.3% |
| 379 | Gonzales | 1.26% |
| 380 | Calistoga | 1.2% |
| 381 | Fort Bragg | 1.13% |
| 382 | Loomis | 1.12% |
| 383 | Gridley | 1.12% |
| 384 | Paradise | 1.1% |
| 385 | Greenfield | 1.07% |
| 386 | Arvin | 1.05% |
| 387 | Truckee | 0.99% |
| 388 | Corcoran | 0.98% |
| 389 | Placerville | 0.95% |
| 390 | Compton | 0.94% |
| 391 | Bell | 0.91% |
| 392 | Wasco | 0.83% |
| 393 | Calexico | 0.82% |
| 394 | Colusa | 0.82% |
| 395 | South Gate | 0.82% |
| 396 | Santa Paula | 0.8% |
| 397 | Lynwood | 0.78% |
| 398 | Clearlake | 0.77% |
| 399 | Yucca Valley | 0.69% |
| 400 | Maywood | 0.68% |
| 401 | Brawley | 0.66% |
| 402 | Huntington Park | 0.56% |
| 403 | Dinuba | 0.54% |
| 404 | Ione | 0.51% |
| 405 | Mcfarland | 0.48% |
| 406 | Shafter | 0.45% |
| 407 | Lindsay | 0.44% |
| 408 | Holtville | 0.41% |
| 409 | Shasta Lake | 0.4% |
| 410 | Bell Gardens | 0.38% |
| 411 | Calipatria | 0.28% |
| 412 | Farmersville | 0.27% |
| 413 | Parlier | 0.26% |
| 414 | Cudahy | 0.2% |
| 415 | Coachella | 0.19% |
| 416 | Yreka | 0.09% |
| 417 | Orange Cove | 0.07% |
| 418 | Winters | 0.04% |
| 419 | Firebaugh | 0.01% |
| 420 | Huron | 0.0% |
| 421 | Mendota | 0.0% |
