Sacramento County’s homeless population jumped 13% this year to an estimated 7,458 people, according to results from the 2026 Point-In-Time Count released on Wednesday.
That’s up from the most recent count two years ago, but is noticeably less than the county’s record high of nearly 9,300 unhoused residents in 2022.
The federally-mandated count was conducted in January by thousands of volunteers who spread out across the county’s urban and suburban neighborhoods, and included measurements of both sheltered and unsheltered residents.
The survey results help determine funding for the homeless services regionwide.
Here’s what to know:
There were 843 more people in the Sacramento region experiencing homelessness, both sheltered and unsheltered, in 2026 compared with two years ago. In 2024, the survey counted 6,615 people compared to this year’s 7,458.
Sacramento County’s sheltered population saw a significant 21.8% increase to 3,253 compared with two years ago. This includes people who lack permanent housing, but live in emergency shelters or safe havens.
Meanwhile, the unsheltered homeless population, meaning people living on the street or in vehicles, saw a smaller 6.6% rise to 4,205.
Unsheltered people experiencing homelessness are becoming more geographically spread out. There was a decrease in unsheltered populations in the city of Sacramento, but an increase in all other counted regions beside Folsom. That includes Elk Grove, Citrus Heights, Rancho Cordova and Galt.
More people are experiencing chronic homelessness. Over 700 more people in the Sacramento region reported experiencing chronic homelessness since 2024. The majority of that increase was from people who were sheltered at the time of the count.
More unhoused people with self-reported serious mental illnesses are being sheltered. 2026 saw a 71% increase in people with serious mental illnesses from 2024 in shelter beds. However, there was still an overall increase in people with serious mental illnesses experiencing homelessness in the region.
This is a developing story. Check back later today for updates.
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