Korean Americans are the fifth-largest Asian American ethnic group in the U.S., with a population of over 2.6 million and more than 500,000 in California alone. In the San Francisco Bay Area, we are the sixth-largest Asian population with approximately 100,000 residents.
While Korean Americans are often seen as fitting into the “model minority” myth, data show that there are high levels of need for culturally and linguistically competent services for our under-resourced population.
22% of Bay Area Korean Americans are low-income and 11% live in poverty
39% of Bay Area Korean seniors are severely rent-burdened, spending more than half their income on rent and near or below the poverty line.
40% of injury deaths of Koreans in Santa Clara County are suicides
73% of Korean seniors in California have limited English proficiency
Only 23% of Koreans feel they receive emotional or social services support they need
The number of Korean Americans over 65 years old has increased by 69% in the past decade
Korean Americans constitute the highest percentage of undocumented immigrants in the Asian American community.
Less than $0.34 of every $100 of foundation funding is going to Korean American programs or nonprofits.
Sources: Korean Needs Assessment of the Bay Area (2014-15), Santa Clara API County Needs Assessment (2017), Center for Health Journalism (2019), Asian Americans / Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (2025) Asian American Federation (2023)
KACF-SF drives systemic change through community-led grantmaking and authentic partnerships. Together, we are addressing the most pressing needs of Korean Americans in the Bay Area and beyond.
Click on each area below to explore the data, access community resources, and meet the partners driving change.
