In 1850, only 8% of the people in California were women.
California's 1850 Gender Gap: Only 8% Women
When California became a state in 1850, it had one of the most extreme gender imbalances in American history. Only 8% of California's population was female—meaning there were roughly 12 men for every woman.
This wasn't coincidence. It was the direct result of the California Gold Rush that began in 1848.
Fortune Seekers Flood West
When news of gold at Sutter's Mill spread, tens of thousands of men abandoned their homes and sailed or trekked to California. They came from the eastern United States, Latin America, Europe, China, and Australia. Most were young, single, and hoping to strike it rich quickly before returning home.
Few brought their families. The journey was expensive, dangerous, and uncertain. Women rarely made the trip unless they were already living in California or came with established families.
Life in a Man's World
The gender imbalance created a bizarre social landscape:
- Women received marriage proposals within hours of arriving
- Simple domestic tasks like cooking and laundry became lucrative businesses
- A woman running a boarding house could earn more than most miners
- Social events were sometimes held with men dancing in the "female" role
Some women saw opportunity in this scarcity. Entrepreneurs opened restaurants, laundries, and hotels that catered to the endless stream of bachelor miners. A home-cooked meal could command astronomical prices.
The Numbers Shift
By 1860, the ratio had improved to about 33% women—still heavily male, but far more balanced. As mining camps became established towns, men either sent for their families or married locally. The wild rush had settled into something resembling normal society.
Today's California is almost perfectly balanced at 50.3% female. But for those first chaotic years of statehood, it was overwhelmingly a man's world—with all the social consequences that came with it.