Dust, sweat, and spreadsheets: Burning Man’s latest census dropped, revealing the curious demographics behind the world’s most radical temporary city.

This year’s preliminary data paints a picture that might surprise some and confirm suspicions for others. Despite the festival’s reputation for radical self-expression, the playa remains predominantly white, male, and firmly in the professional class.

A Snapshot of the Average Burner

The numbers tell a fascinating story: attendees in their 30s and 40s dominated the landscape, representing a whopping 65% of participants. First-time “virgins” made up about a quarter of the crowd, while seasoned veterans with 4-11 burns accounted for a third.

Geographically, California continues to be the mothership, sending 34% of participants, with another 40% coming from across the United States and 18% traveling internationally. The gender breakdown skewed male, with 60% identifying as men, 38% as women, and 2% outside those categories.

Education and Diversity Metrics

Education levels were notably high, with nearly 70% holding at least a bachelor’s degree. Racially, the event remained overwhelmingly white at 69%, with modest representation from Hispanic (7%), Asian (6%), and other communities.

Weather and Participation

This year’s census came with an asterisk, sandstorms, rain, and gate closures potentially impacted participant demographics. Burning Man organizers cautioned that the preliminary data might not fully represent Black Rock City’s true composition.

As the dust settles and the full online census [https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8438513/2025-Black-Rock-City-Census] opens, we’ll get a more nuanced view of who’s really showing up to create this ephemeral desert civilization.

With roughly 70,000 expected attendees, Burning Man continues to be a complex social experiment, part creative utopia, part tech industry retreat, and entirely unpredictable.