California is a somewhat small borough located in the state of Pennsylvania. With a population of 5,074 people and two associated neighborhoods, California is the 277th largest community in Pennsylvania. California has an unusually large stock of pre-World War II architecture, making it one of the older and more historic boroughs.

One interesting thing about the economy is that relatively large numbers of people worked from their home: 11.73% of the workforce. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce this is high compared to the rest of the county. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

California is a small town with a large college student population. Because of this, there is a real youthful, hip vibe to the place, and much of the life in the town is centered on the college. This has helped California to buck the trend of other small towns that have suffered declining populations over the past 20 to 30 years. Spending by students, and faculty and staff jobs, are a big part of the local economy.

The education level of California citizens is a little higher than the average for US cities and towns: 24.90% of adults in California have at least a bachelor's degree.

The per capita income in California in 2022 was $21,658, which is low income relative to Pennsylvania and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $86,632 for a family of four. However, California contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

California is a very ethnically-diverse borough. The people who call California home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of California residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in California include German, Italian, Irish, Polish, and English.

The most common language spoken in California is English. Other important languages spoken here include Italian and Spanish.