City profile · California · Census ACS 2023

Forest Ranch, CA

Forest Ranch's Census ACS profile: residents, income, housing, and the joined public-record layers available for this place.

1,974
Residents
$154,212
Median income
$491,300
Median home
$2,053
Median rent (state)
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Side-by-side metrics and state or size-class ranks use the same Census and FBI fields shown on this profile. Results stay in the URL so you can bookmark or share them.

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Starting with Forest Ranch, CA - add up to three more cities on the compare page.

See how it ranks

State rank, size-class rank, and four peer cities for Forest Ranch.

Place dossier plate

Sheet CA-FOREST-RANCH-CA · Forest Ranch, CA 1,974 pop · income 95th pct

POP-VILLAGE · INC-TOP · COL-ABOVE · SAFE-UNK · RANK-TOP · PHOTO-FINISH · HOME-HIGH · BOOK-UNK

  • POP-VILLAGE 1,974
  • INC-TOP $154,212
  • COL-ABOVE 110.7
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-TOP 95th
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Lakewood
  • HOME-HIGH $491,300
  • BOOK-UNK Tracts pending

Nearest income peer: Lakewood, TX (+ $7 income $)

Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.

Income neighbourhood around Forest Ranch

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Forest Ranch on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.

median HH income

What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2026-08-08

Compare beyond this state

Nationwide peers by population, income

Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Forest Ranch on ACS population and median household income . Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.

Similar population

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 1,974.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $154,212. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

Forest Ranch - the verdict

Nationally, Forest Ranch sits in the 95th percentile for household income among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS.

95th
percentile, household income
84th
percentile, home value
88th
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: Forest Ranch, CA

California's Forest Ranch is a small town, with 1,974 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Households in Forest Ranch report a median income of $154,212 per year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 0.8%. Typical homes in Forest Ranch are valued around $491,300, and the median resident age is 44.5 years. About 32.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 73.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The city is served by 1 public schools according to NCES Common Core of Data.

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). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $2,053 per month. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts California's average monthly utility costs around $275 (state average). The average commute for Forest Ranch workers runs 23.9 minutes, with 80.4% driving alone and 1.6% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 88.7 out of 100 (Very High).

A decision-led reading path

Useful questions to ask of Forest Ranch's data

How this reading path is ordered

This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from schools and households to comparison shortlist to housing and income to work and mobility; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

For Forest Ranch, city-specific coverage includes commute-mode shares, matched public-school count. No matched row is reported here for annual population history, within-city Census tract profiles, local building permits, FBI reported-crime rates; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.

1. Schools and households

What does the education layer cover for Forest Ranch?

The matched institution count is small, so district boundaries and schools outside the city line may matter more than the municipal count suggests. Use the number as a coverage cue, then verify attendance zones with the district before making a household decision.

The NCES join finds 1 public school within the city match. 32.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.

See how the family ranking is built →

2. Comparison shortlist

Which cities make useful reference points for Forest Ranch?

Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching.

Within California, the closest population matches are Camino (1,968 residents, $82,098 income); Hartley (1,966 residents, $120,354 income); Sonoma State University (1,957 residents). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Groton, NY (1,974 residents); Salt Creek Commons, IN (1,973 residents); Dawson Springs, KY (1,973 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.

Open a side-by-side comparison →

3. Housing and income

How far does income reach against housing in Forest Ranch?

This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.

The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.2 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 0.8%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.

Compare the housing trade-off →

Question 4

What does the journey to work look like in Forest Ranch?

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 80.4%. The reported mean trip to work is 23.9 minutes.

Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.

Compare commute patterns →

Population

1,974 residents

Micro place (under 10k)

Median Household Income

$154,212 /yr

Top-decile income · poverty 0.8% (Very low poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

110.7 (US=100)

Highest-decile cost · BEA RPP 2024, California average

City profile score · Forest Ranch, CA

67/100

4 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023

Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians (income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out and redistribute weight. How it is calculated.

Household income A+
$154,212

Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.

Poverty rate A+
0.8%

Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.

Bachelor's+ share C+
32.9%

Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.

Cost of living F
110.7 index

BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.

Violent crime N/A
N/A

No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).

Forest Ranch profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Household income, Poverty rate, Bachelor's+ share, Cost of living. Household incomePoverty rateBachelor's+ shareCost of living 67 B-
Forest Ranch profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Household income: 97/100 (A+) · $154,212
  • Poverty rate: 94/100 (A+) · 0.8%
  • Bachelor's+ share: 63/100 (C+) · 32.9%
  • Cost of living: 6/100 (F) · 110.7 index

How does Forest Ranch compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 95% higher than other cities
Home value 84% pricier than other cities
Median rent 88% 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 Forest Ranch against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to California only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

California-relative analysis

Median Gross Rent places Forest Ranch near the bottom of California's cities

Among the 1,458 California cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Forest Ranch ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Forest Ranch only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#163 of 1,338
88th percentile in California
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,458
0th percentile in California
Median Home Value
#709 of 1,343
47th percentile in California
Poverty Rate
#1,177 of 1,450
19th percentile in California
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#562 of 1,458
61st percentile in California
How in-state ranks are ordered

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.

95thIncome percentile
Gauge source note

95th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Forest Ranch's home value compares nationally

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

$491,300 16th percentile more affordable than 16% of 15,600 US cities

Show national distribution $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%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Forest Ranch $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

Forest Ranch's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.2×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#7,623 of 15,516
More affordable than 51% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#6,309 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)

At 3.2×, Forest Ranch sits in the moderate band: national rank #7,623 of 15,516 and #6,309 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000). Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.

How this ratio is calculated

Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000. Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0). This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.

Income distribution context

$154,212 Forest Ranch, CA median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - Forest Ranch, CA Forest Ranch, CA's median household income ($154,212) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not Forest Ranch, CA-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution Forest Ranch, CA median $154,212/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%
Forest Ranch, CA median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Forest Ranch, CA.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 32.9%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 0.8%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 73.7%

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

Population
1,974
Median Income
$154,212
Median Home Value
$491,300
Median Age
44.5
Poverty Rate
0.8%
Labor force participation
73.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
32.9%

Schools

Total Schools
1
Public schools in this city

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
23.9 minutes
Drive Alone
80.4%
Carpool
18.1%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
1.6%

Based on 1,074 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

California statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $275

EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across California at $275 (electricity about $150 , water and sewer about $70 ).

These are California statewide averages, not a meter reading for Forest Ranch. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

California's BEA cost-of-living index is 110.7 (Well Above Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Forest Ranch is $2,053/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to California statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 88.7 / 100 (Very High).

Cost/risk geography note

Cost of living is a California statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Forest Ranch sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How Forest Ranch compares to similar-size California cities

Same-state peer method

Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.

City Population Median Household Income
Forest Ranch (this city) 1,974 $154,212
Camino 1,968 $82,098
Hartley 1,966 $120,354
Sonoma State University 1,957 N/A
NCES CCD
Primary sources on this page

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

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

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES. Joins use OMB Bulletin 23-01 / FIPS keys.

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Estimate caveats

ACS and UCR figures are citywide estimates with vintage lags; they do not replace a local visit, school visit, or insurance quote.

Editorial standards, provenance, and how to cite this page

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.

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