City profile · California · Census ACS 2023

Moss Beach, CA

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

3,016
Residents
$128,333
Median income
$1,112,900
Median home
$3,604
Median rent (state)

Moss Beach - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Moss Beach lands in the 90th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

90th
percentile, household income
98th
percentile, home value
99th
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: Moss Beach, CA

California's Moss Beach is a small town, with 3,016 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. The typical household in Moss Beach brings in $128,333 a year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 1.2%. Home values in Moss Beach run a median of $1,112,900, and the median resident age is 44.3 years. About 51.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 60.5% 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). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $3,604 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $275 across California, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 99.2 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

3,016 residents

Census ACS 2023 - California

Median Household Income

$128,333 /yr

Poverty 1.2%

Cost of Living Index (state)

110.7 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, California average

How does Moss Beach compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 90% higher than other cities
Home value 98% pricier than other cities
Median rent 99% 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

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 Moss Beach'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.

90thIncome percentile

90th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Moss Beach's home value compares nationally

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

$1,112,900 2nd percentile more affordable than 2% 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%). Below this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). This entry sits in this band. Moss Beach $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 - Moss Beach, CA Moss Beach, CA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Moss Beach, 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 Moss Beach, CA median $128,333/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%
Moss Beach, 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 Moss Beach, CA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 51.1%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 1.2%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 60.5%

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

Population
3,016
Median Income
$128,333
Median Home Value
$1,112,900
Median Age
44.3
Poverty Rate
1.2%
Labor force participation
60.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
51.1%

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
56.9%
Carpool
11.8%
Public Transit
6.5%
Walk
0.8%
Work from Home
18.3%
Other
5.7%

Based on 1,505 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 Moss Beach sits in

Cost of Living Index
110.7
Well Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$3,604/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
99.2 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in California

Kelly Ridge
3,010 people
Reliez Valley
3,006 people
Crest
3,034 people
Auberry
3,043 people
Tipton
2,989 people
Ridgemark
3,051 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Moss Beach's 3,016 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

El Lago, TX
3,016 people
Chico, WA
3,016 people
Fairchild AFB, WA
3,016 people
Malabar, FL
3,017 people
Waialua, HI
3,015 people
Granite Quarry, NC
3,015 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Moss Beach's $128,333 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Haena, HI
$128,333 median income
Lake Camelot, IL
$128,333 median income
Grenloch, NJ
$128,333 median income
Glen Osborne, PA
$128,333 median income
Bondurant, IA
$128,341 median income
Niskayuna, NY
$128,346 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Moss Beach, 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 Moss Beach, CA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 71.0% 13.8% 9.2% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 29.5% White 71.0% Black or African American 0.5% Asian 5.3% American Indian 0.3% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 13.8% Two or more races 9.2% 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 Moss Beach 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
Moss Beach (this city) 3,016 $128,333
Kelly Ridge 3,010 $56,230
Reliez Valley 3,006 $250,001
Crest 3,034 $100,052
Census ACS 5-year FIPS CA OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Moss Beach, CA?

What is the population of Moss Beach, CA? +

Moss Beach, CA has a population of 3,016 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Moss Beach, CA? +

Moss Beach households earn a median of $128,333 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Moss Beach? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Moss Beach; 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 Moss Beach, CA? +

A typical home in Moss Beach is worth $1,112,900, 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.