Demographics

The California American Indian / Alaska Native (AIAN) population is the largest Native population in the United States. According to the 2020 Census, California is home to about 1.4 million AIAN people. The 2020 Census AIAN population estimate is much larger than previous estimates and estimates from other data sources because numbers of people reporting AIAN heritage increased dramatically in 2020 due to targeted Census outreach efforts and clarifying changes to Census race/ethnicity questions. California is home to 109 federally recognized tribes and many other tribes that are seeking federal recognition. The majority of AIAN Californians are in urban areas of the Southern California and Bay Area regions. At the same time, there are communities in northern and eastern California where AIAN residents are the majority.