City profile · California · Census ACS 2023

Ford, CA

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

4,310
Residents
$45,976
Median income
$197,500
Median home
$1,483
Median rent (state)

Ford - the verdict

Ford ranks in the 14th percentile for household income nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS.

14th
percentile, household income
42nd
percentile, home value
59th
percentile, median rent
📝 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: Ford, CA

California's Ford is a small town, with 4,310 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Median household income here is $45,976 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 32.9%. Home values in Ford run a median of $197,500, and the median resident age is 26.6 years. 4.5% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 55.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

California carries a cost-of-living premium: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts California at 110.7 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Well Above Average). Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,483 monthly. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in California run around $275, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 98.9 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).

Population

4,310 residents

Census ACS 2023 - California

Median Household Income

$45,976 /yr

Poverty 32.9%

Cost of Living Index (state)

110.7 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, California average

How does Ford compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 14% higher than other cities
Home value 42% pricier than other cities
Median rent 59% pricier than other cities

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

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Ford against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to California only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

California-relative analysis

Poverty Rate is Ford's strongest outlier among California cities

Among the 1,450 California cities PlainCities tracks with reported poverty rate data, Ford ranks #69 - the 95th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Ford only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#1,230 of 1,338
8th percentile in California
Median Gross Rent
#1,201 of 1,458
13th percentile in California
Median Home Value
#1,258 of 1,343
6th percentile in California
Poverty Rate
#69 of 1,450
95th percentile in California
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#1,350 of 1,458
7th percentile in California

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within California only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

14thIncome percentile

14th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Ford's home value compares nationally

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

$197,500 Among the most affordable more affordable than 58% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $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. Ford $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 - Ford, CA Ford, CA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Ford, 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 Ford, CA median $45,976/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%
Ford, 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 Ford, CA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 4.5%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 32.9%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 55.9%

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

Population
4,310
Median Income
$45,976
Median Home Value
$197,500
Median Age
26.6
Poverty Rate
32.9%
Labor force participation
55.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
4.5%

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
76.8%
Carpool
21.2%
Public Transit
0.9%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
0.0%
Other
1.1%

Based on 1,673 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 Ford sits in

Cost of Living Index
110.7
Well Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,483/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
98.9 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in California

Bonsall
4,308 people
Coarsegold
4,301 people
Portola Valley
4,329 people
Clearlake Riviera
4,287 people
Elverta
4,252 people
Harbison Canyon
4,245 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Ford's 4,310 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Le Roy, NY
4,310 people
Hampton, IA
4,311 people
Leisure Village East, NJ
4,309 people
Lincoln, ND
4,309 people
Huber Ridge, OH
4,311 people
Whiteriver, AZ
4,308 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Ford's $45,976 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Moore, MT
$45,972 median income
Shipman, VA
$45,982 median income
Terlingua, TX
$45,969 median income
Springfield, MO
$45,984 median income
Marietta, OH
$45,986 median income
Blue Berry Hill, TX
$45,965 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Ford, 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 Ford, CA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 69.5% 16.6% 12.5% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 51.5% White 69.5% Black or African American 0.0% Asian 0.7% American Indian 0.6% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 16.6% Two or more races 12.5% 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 Ford 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
Ford (this city) 4,310 $45,976
Bonsall 4,308 $110,316
Coarsegold 4,301 $82,574
Portola Valley 4,329 $250,001
Census ACS 5-year FIPS CA OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Ford, CA?

What is the population of Ford, CA? +

The population of Ford, CA stands at 4,310 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

Median annual household income in Ford runs $45,976, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Ford? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Ford; 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.

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

Ford's median home value sits at $197,500, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, 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

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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.