City profile · California · Census ACS 2023

Brentwood, CA

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Brentwood - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

64,609
Residents
$139,567
Median income
$791,600
Median home
$2,912
Median rent (state)

Brentwood - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Brentwood places in the 92nd percentile for household income and the 20th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

92nd
percentile, household income
94th
percentile, home value
97th
percentile, median rent
20th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Brentwood, CA

64,609 people live in Brentwood, California - a small city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $139,567 per year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 6.1%. Typical homes in Brentwood are valued around $791,600, and the median resident age is 40.5 years. About 38.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 60.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 40 residential building permits were authorized in Brentwood (Construction Slowdown), down 88% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 2631.9 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, near the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

California carries a cost-of-living premium: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, California scores 110.7 (Well Above Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $2,912 per month. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts California's average monthly utility costs around $275 (state average). Workers in Brentwood report an average commute of 33.9 minutes, with 67.4% driving alone and 17.5% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 99.5 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

64,609 residents

Census ACS 2023 - California

Median Household Income

$139,567 /yr

Poverty 6.1%

Cost of Living Index (state)

110.7 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, California average

How does Brentwood compare to other US cities?

Brentwood measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 92% higher than other cities
Home value 94% pricier than other cities
Median rent 97% pricier than other cities
Safety 20% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at California, Brentwood ranks #330 of 441 California cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Brentwood's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in California, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

92ndIncome percentile
20thSafety percentile

92nd percentile nationally for median household income · 20th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Brentwood's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Brentwood's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 39 Avg. percentile National median
Brentwood's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Brentwood's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$791,600 6th percentile more affordable than 6% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). This entry sits in this band. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Brentwood $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Brentwood, CA Brentwood, CA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Brentwood, CA-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Brentwood, CA median $139,567/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Brentwood, CA's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Brentwood, CA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 38.8%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 6.1%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 60.0%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
64,609
Median Income
$139,567
Median Home Value
$791,600
Median Age
40.5
Poverty Rate
6.1%
Labor force participation
60.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
38.8%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
2631.9
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
241.8
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2390.1
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
16
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
64,000 residents65,000 residents66,000 residents67,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 64,457 residents 66,607 residents ▲ +3.3%
Brentwood's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
40
housing units authorized
Single-Family
40
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.6
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 323
2020 274
2021 742
2022 208
2023 119
2024 40

Permit volume decreased 88% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
33.9 minutes
Drive Alone
67.4%
Carpool
9.8%
Public Transit
2.4%
Walk
2.1%
Work from Home
17.5%
Other
0.8%

Based on 28,956 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for California - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$150
avg/month
Natural Gas
$55
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$70
avg/month
Total Utilities
$275
estimated/month

Estimates reflect California state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a California state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Brentwood sits in

Cost of Living Index
110.7
Well Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$2,912/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
99.5 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in California

South San Francisco
64,487 people
Laguna Niguel
64,023 people
Lynwood
65,291 people
Castro Valley
65,389 people
San Clemente
63,510 people
Porterville
62,765 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Brentwood's 64,609 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Commerce City, CO
64,640 people
North Little Rock, AR
64,504 people
Waltham, MA
64,723 people
Muncie, IN
64,739 people
Utica, NY
64,440 people
Bellevue, NE
64,355 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Brentwood's $139,567 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Mililani Mauka, HI
$139,564 median income
Greenville, DE
$139,541 median income
Reston, VA
$139,515 median income
Glenn Dale, MD
$139,625 median income
Pewee Valley, KY
$139,688 median income
Levittown, NY
$139,696 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Brentwood, CA Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Brentwood, CA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 48.0% 10.2% 16.8% 10.7% 13.5% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 24.8% White 48.0% Black or African American 10.2% Asian 16.8% American Indian 0.4% Native Hawaiian 0.4% Some other race 10.7% Two or more races 13.5% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Brentwood compares to nearby California cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Brentwood (this city) 64,609 $139,567
South San Francisco 64,487 $135,909
Laguna Niguel 64,023 $140,605
Lynwood 65,291 $70,236
Census ACS 5-year FIPS CA FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Brentwood, CA?

What is the population of Brentwood, CA? +

The population of Brentwood, CA stands at 64,609 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Brentwood, CA? +

Median annual household income in Brentwood runs $139,567, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Brentwood? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Brentwood; the closest available measure is the California state average, a cost of living index of 110.7 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within California vary by metro area.

Is Brentwood, CA safe? +

Brentwood has a total crime rate of 2631.9 per 100,000 residents, which is near the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Brentwood, CA? +

A typical home in Brentwood is worth $791,600, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.