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.
Place dossier plate
SheetCA-LA-PALMA-CA · La Palma, CA 15,375 pop · income 86th pct
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 La Palma
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest La Palma on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Dentsville · lowest
44,029
Dentsville · lowest
44,029 median HH income
18.9% of the leader · rank #1
La Palma · this city
115,833
La Palma · this city
115,833 median HH income
49.8% of the leader · rank #2
McCool Juncti… · near
115,833
McCool Juncti… · near
115,833 median HH income
49.8% of the leader · rank #3
Clintondale · near
115,833
Clintondale · near
115,833 median HH income
49.8% of the leader · rank #4
North Wales · near
115,833
North Wales · near
115,833 median HH income
49.8% of the leader · rank #5
Easton · near
115,836
Easton · near
115,836 median HH income
49.8% of the leader · rank #6
Coto de Caza · highest
232,470
Coto de Caza · highest
232,470 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
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.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for La Palma on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. 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: 15,375.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
La Palma - the verdict
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, La Palma places in the 86th percentile for household income and the 31st percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
86th
percentile, household income
96th
percentile, home value
88th
percentile, median rent
31st
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: La Palma, CA
La Palma is a small town in California, home to 15,375 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $115,833 per year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 3.6%. La Palma's housing stock carries a median value of $916,600, and the median resident age is 46.6 years. Educational attainment runs 48.8% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 59.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 0 residential units authorized here in 2024 (No Permits). Crime here tracks close to the national norm: FBI UCR figures show 2032.8 crimes per 100,000 residents, near the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score).
California carries a cost-of-living premium: the state registers 110.7 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Well Above Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $2,053 monthly. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts California's average monthly utility costs around $275 (state average). On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 88.7 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very High).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of La Palma'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 comparison shortlist to work and mobility to reported crime to housing and income to schools and households to population change; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For La Palma, city-specific coverage includes matched public-school count, commute-mode shares, local building permits, FBI reported-crime rates, annual population history.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
Question 1
Which cities make useful reference points for La Palma?
Within California, the closest population matches are Coto de Caza (15,363 residents, $232,470 income); Walnut Park (15,446 residents, $79,205 income); Alpine (15,470 residents, $111,723 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Minneola, FL (15,371 residents); Princeton Meadows, NJ (15,382 residents); Ewa Beach, HI (15,388 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.
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. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
What does the journey to work look like in La Palma?
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.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 72.3%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
What can the FBI record say about safety in La Palma?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 2032.8 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 11% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
How far does income reach against housing in La Palma?
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 7.9 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 3.6%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
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. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Schools and households
What does the education layer cover for La Palma?
The NCES join finds 5 public schools within the city match. 48.8% 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.
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
Matched public schools
5
Bachelor's degree+
48.8%
Poverty estimate
3.6%
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
Is La Palma growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Recent estimates point downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -655 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -4.2% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 0 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
-4.2%
2025 estimate
14,907
2020 estimate
15,562
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
Highest-decile cost · BEA RPP 2024, California average
C
City profile score · La Palma, CA
59/100
5 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-
$115,833
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Bachelor's+ share A-
48.8%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Poverty rate B
3.6%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime D
209 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
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.
La Palma profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Household income: 84/100 (A-) · $115,833
Bachelor's+ share: 83/100 (A-) · 48.8%
Poverty rate: 74/100 (B) · 3.6%
Violent crime: 46/100 (D) · 209 /100k
Cost of living: 6/100 (F) · 110.7 index
Where La Palma sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
La Palma's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - La Palma highlighted among 22 peers.Read the chart values
La Palma, CA (this city): home $916,600, crime 2,033/100k
Eden, NC : home $122,800, crime 2,946/100k
New York, NY : home $751,700, crime 3,039/100k
Los Angeles, CA : home $879,500, crime 2,212/100k
Chicago, IL : home $315,200, crime 4,012/100k
Houston, TX : home $253,400, crime 5,442/100k
Phoenix, AZ : home $381,900, crime 3,125/100k
Philadelphia, PA : home $232,400, crime 5,457/100k
San Antonio, TX : home $219,700, crime 5,218/100k
San Diego, CA : home $848,500, crime 2,082/100k
Dallas, TX : home $295,300, crime 4,010/100k
San Jose, CA : home $1,187,800, crime 3,195/100k
Austin, TX : home $512,700, crime 3,709/100k
Fort Worth, TX : home $277,300, crime 3,158/100k
Columbus, OH : home $234,500, crime 3,088/100k
Indianapolis, IN : home $207,000, crime 4,214/100k
San Francisco, CA : home $1,380,500, crime 4,526/100k
Seattle, WA : home $912,100, crime 5,783/100k
Denver, CO : home $586,700, crime 5,755/100k
Oklahoma City, OK : home $215,100, crime 3,570/100k
El Paso, TX : home $171,700, crime 1,772/100k
Washington, DC : home $724,600, crime 4,514/100k
How does La Palma compare to other US cities?
La Palma measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income86% higher than other cities
Home value96% pricier than other cities
Median rent88% pricier than other cities
Safety31% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
Zoom in to just California and the picture shifts: La Palma ranks #245 of 441 California cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares La Palma 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 La Palma near the bottom of California's cities
Among the 1,458 California cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, La Palma ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares La Palma only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#360 of 1,338
73rd percentile in California
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,458
0th percentile in California
Median Home Value
#278 of 1,343
79th percentile in California
Poverty Rate
#984 of 1,450
32nd percentile in California
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#288 of 1,458
80th 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.
Gauge source note
86th percentile nationally for median household income · 31st percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
La Palma's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
La Palma'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 La Palma's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$916,6004th percentilemore affordable than 4% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
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
La Palma's home-value-to-income ratio: 7.9×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
pressured
> 5.0×
National rank
#14,980 of 15,516
More affordable than 3% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#3,189 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 7.9×, La Palma sits in the pressured band:
national rank #14,980 of 15,516 and #3,189 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median, a comparison flag, not a verdict on any household.
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
$115,833La Palma, CA median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context La Palma, 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 La Palma, CA.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)48.8%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)3.6%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)59.7%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
15,375
Median Income
$115,833
Median Home Value
$916,600
Median Age
46.6
Poverty Rate
3.6%
Labor force participation
59.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
48.8%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
2032.8
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
208.7
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1824.2
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
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
5
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
La Palma's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
15,562 residents
2021
15,396 residents
2022
15,235 residents
2023
15,092 residents
2024
15,036 residents
2025
14,907 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
Total Permits (2024)
0
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
0
0
0
-
2020
1
1
0
$0.0M
2021
2
2
0
$0.8M
2022
0
0
0
-
2023
0
0
0
-
2024
0
0
0
-
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
72.3%
Carpool
12.2%
Public Transit
0.9%
Walk
0.8%
Work from Home
12.5%
Other
1.3%
Based on 7,540 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 La Palma. 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 La Palma 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 La Palma sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How La Palma 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.
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.