City profile · California · Census ACS 2023

Carson, CA

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

93,523
Residents
$107,391
Median income
$645,600
Median home
$2,053
Median rent

Data Snapshot: Carson, CA

Carson is a city in California with a population of 93,523 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $107,391 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 6.3%. Typical homes in Carson are valued around $645,600, and the median resident age is 41.9 years. About 29.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 56.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 2 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 99% from five years earlier. FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 3350.9 incidents per 1,000 residents, above the national average, indicating elevated public-safety concerns.

On a cost-of-living index where 100 equals the national average, California registers 110.7 (Above Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $2,053 per month. Average monthly utility bills run around $275 based on EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in Carson report an average commute of 24.6 minutes, with 78.2% driving alone and 8.1% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 88.7 out of 100 (Very High).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, PlainCities renders standardized city-level demographic, income, education, employment, and housing indicators across more than 19,000 incorporated places nationwide. Population counts and median household income figures are sourced directly from Census Table B01003 and B19013 respectively, with poverty rates from B17001 and cost-of-living adjustments from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities (RPP) 2024 release. Every value displayed in this snapshot links back to the official upstream tables and is refreshed on the ACS annual release cadence (typically December of the survey year + 1).

Methodology: city boundaries follow the Census Bureau's place-level geography (incorporated places, census-designated places, and consolidated city-county governments), with FIPS codes ensuring consistent identifiers across decennial and annual surveys. Cost-of-living comparisons use BEA's Regional Price Parities (RPP) indexed to the national average (100), enabling cross-city purchasing-power comparisons. See our methodology page for full source attribution, refresh cadence, and known data quality limitations including margin-of-error disclosure and sample-size thresholds.

Population

93,523 residents

Census ACS 2023 — California

Median Household Income

$107,391 /yr

Poverty 6.3%

Cost of Living Index

110.7 (US=100)

Above Average — BEA RPP 2024

How does Carson compare to other US cities?

Where Carson sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure — computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 82% higher than other cities
Home value 91% pricier than other cities
Median rent 88% pricier than other cities
Safety 12% safer than other cities

Percentiles compare Carson against every US city with at least 1,000 residents. "Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Income distribution context

Household income distribution — Carson, CA Quintile shares of aggregate household income for Carson, CA. The Lorenz curve traces cumulative income share against cumulative population share — perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Carson, CA — median $107,391/yr — Census ACS quintile shares 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%
Household income distribution for Carson, CA — Census ACS 5-year estimates. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 29.1%

Census ACS S1501 — educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 6.3%

Census ACS S1701 — poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 56.9%

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

Population
93,523
Median Income
$107,391
Median Home Value
$645,600
Median Age
41.9
Poverty Rate
6.3%
Labor force participation
56.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
29.1%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
3350.9
per 1,000 residents
Violent Crime
420.0
per 1,000 residents
Property Crime
2930.9
per 1,000 residents

Schools

Total Schools
24
Public schools in this city

Housing Supply

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

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
2
housing units authorized
Single-Family
2
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 209
2020 108
2021 56
2022 136
2023 38
2024 2

Permit volume decreased 99% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work — Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
24.6 minutes
Drive Alone
78.2%
Carpool
8.3%
Public Transit
1.7%
Walk
1.5%
Work from Home
8.1%
Other
2.2%

Based on 42,999 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

California state-level data from PlainCost, PlainRent, and PlainHazard

Cost of Living Index
110.7
Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$2,053/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
State-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
88.7 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity — Carson, 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 Carson, CA — Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE — sums to 100% 59.5% 12.1% 6.1% 10.6% 10.3% ETHNICITY — Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.7% White 59.5% Black or African American 12.1% Asian 6.1% American Indian 1.2% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 10.6% Two or more races 10.3% 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.

National-average reference values shown when city-level race/ethnicity table is not loaded. Source: Census ACS 5-year, OMB Directive 15 race-and-ethnicity categories.

How Carson compares to nearby California cities

Census ACS 2023 — population and median income benchmarks

Side-by-side population + income comparison anchored on the current city (Carson) plus the nearest peer cities in California, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

CA

Carson

107.39% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$107,391
Brackets
94
Selected

CA

Compton

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$9,350
Brackets
94
Selected

CA

Redding

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$9,330
Brackets
93
Selected

CA

San Marcos

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$9,410
Brackets
94
Census ACS 5-year FIPS CA FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Carson, CA?

What is the population of Carson, CA? +

Carson, CA has a population of 93,523 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

The median household income in Carson is $107,391 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Carson? +

Carson has a cost of living index of 110.7 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data.

Is Carson, CA safe? +

Carson has a total crime rate of 3350.9 per 1,000 residents, which is above the national average. Source: FBI UCR data.

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

The median home value in Carson is $645,600, 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.

Related

Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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