Indian Population in California: Cities, Jobs, Income & Community Trends
California is generally the #1 state for total Indian-origin residents, anchored by the San Francisco Bay Area's tech economy plus large communities in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Sacramento. Exact counts vary by ACS/Census definition, but California's Indian community is among the biggest and most established in the country.
Last updated: July 21, 2026
Indian Population in California — Quick Facts
- 2020 Census (Asian Indian alone)
- 830,259 — 2.1% of California's population
- National rank by total count
- #1 — Largest total Asian-Indian-alone population of any U.S. state.
- Growth, 2010→2020 Census
- +57%
- Major Indian metro areas
- SF Bay Area, Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento
- Main employers
- Hiring concentrates in Bay Area technology — Google, Apple, Meta, Nvidia, Intel, Cisco — plus the IT-services firms that staff them, Kaiser and the university hospital systems in medicine, and biotech clusters in South San Francisco and San Diego.
- University hubs
- Stanford, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC San Diego, San Jose State, and the wider UC/CSU system draw large numbers of Indian graduate and STEM students who often stay for Bay Area jobs.
- Community drivers
- Tech, students, business, family immigration
- Best-known Indian areas
- San Francisco Bay Area, Fremont, San Jose, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara
How many Indians live in California?
The 2020 Census counted 830,259 people as “Asian Indian alone” in California — 2.1% of the state's population, and #1 nationally by that measure, up +57% from the 2010 Census. California typically has the largest total Indian-origin population of any U.S. state.
California Census snapshot — Asian Indian alone
2020 Census
830,259
2.1% of California's population
2010 Census
528,176
Same definition, for comparison
Growth, 2010→2020
+57%
Approx. national rank
#1
Largest total Asian-Indian-alone population of any U.S. state.
Fees, timelines, forms, and agency rules can change. Always verify with official government sources before filing or making decisions.
Both years use “Asian Indian alone”, so the growth figure is comparable; the rank is approximate. Full definitions and sources are on the pillar guide.
Where Indians live in California
Indian neighbourhoods and commercial hubs in California
Pioneer Boulevard, Artesia
Southern California's Little India — a few blocks of saree houses, jewellers, and sweet shops that serve the whole LA basin.
Fremont and Union City
Among the highest Indian shares of any US city; groceries, temples, and weekend dance and language classes sit inside the neighbourhoods people already live in.
El Camino Real, Sunnyvale to Santa Clara
A dense strip of South Indian restaurants and grocery chains serving the Apple, Nvidia, and Google campuses.
Why Indians move to California
- Bay Area tech and startup jobs
- Top universities (Stanford, UC system)
- Large H-1B employer base
- Established Indian family and business networks
- Healthcare, biotech, and finance roles
Who hires Indian professionals in California
Hiring concentrates in Bay Area technology — Google, Apple, Meta, Nvidia, Intel, Cisco — plus the IT-services firms that staff them, Kaiser and the university hospital systems in medicine, and biotech clusters in South San Francisco and San Diego.
Software engineering, product, data/AI, semiconductors, medicine, and venture-backed entrepreneurship.
Indian students in California
Stanford, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC San Diego, San Jose State, and the wider UC/CSU system draw large numbers of Indian graduate and STEM students who often stay for Bay Area jobs.
What California costs an Indian family
California has the country's highest top-bracket state income tax and taxes long-term capital gains as ordinary income, which matters if you vest RSUs or sell Indian property while you are a California resident. Property tax rates are comparatively low and their growth is capped, but Bay Area purchase prices are the highest in the US.
Indian Americans in California are heavily represented in senior tech, startups, medicine, and business, so their local economic contribution is significant — though exact tax contribution by state is not published as a simple official number.
Visa and immigration patterns in California
Large H-1B and L-1 workforce plus a growing base of green card holders and naturalized citizens.
Indian communities by region in California
Telugu communities
Very large Bay Area tech community.
Tamil communities
Strong in software, engineering, and academia.
Punjabi communities
Historic roots in the Central Valley, trucking, and agriculture.
Gujarati communities
Business and hospitality across the state.
Settlement patterns, not Census counts — the Census does not record Indian state of origin.
Indian Population in California — FAQ
How many Indians live in California?
The 2020 Census counted 830,259 people as "Asian Indian alone" in California — 2.1% of the state, up from 528,176 in 2010. Largest total Asian-Indian-alone population of any U.S. state.
Where do most Indians live in California?
San Francisco Bay Area, Fremont, San Jose hold the densest communities. Pioneer Boulevard, Artesia is the commercial centre: southern California's Little India — a few blocks of saree houses, jewellers, and sweet shops that serve the whole LA basin.
Why do Indians move to California?
Bay Area tech and startup jobs; Top universities (Stanford, UC system); Large H-1B employer base. California typically has the largest total Indian-origin population of any U.S. state.
Who hires Indian professionals in California?
Hiring concentrates in Bay Area technology — Google, Apple, Meta, Nvidia, Intel, Cisco — plus the IT-services firms that staff them, Kaiser and the university hospital systems in medicine, and biotech clusters in South San Francisco and San Diego.
Are there many Indian students in California?
Stanford, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC San Diego, San Jose State, and the wider UC/CSU system draw large numbers of Indian graduate and STEM students who often stay for Bay Area jobs.
Which Indian communities are common in California?
California has visible Telugu, Tamil, Punjabi, Gujarati communities. Telugu: very large Bay Area tech community. These are settlement patterns, not Census counts — the Census does not record Indian state of origin.
Is the Indian population in California growing?
Yes — +57% between the 2010 and 2020 Censuses on one consistent definition, from 528,176 to 830,259.
What does living in California cost an Indian family?
California has the country's highest top-bracket state income tax and taxes long-term capital gains as ordinary income, which matters if you vest RSUs or sell Indian property while you are a California resident. Property tax rates are comparatively low and their growth is capped, but Bay Area purchase prices are the highest in the US.
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Written / reviewed by Deepak Middha · CA, Series 65
Last updated: July 21, 2026