City profile · California · Census ACS 2023

Pajaro Dunes, CA

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

103
Residents
$2,000,001
Median home
$4,214
Median rent (state)

Pajaro Dunes - the verdict

Pajaro Dunes has 103 residents in California. Source: Census ACS.

99th
percentile, home value
100th
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: Pajaro Dunes, CA

Pajaro Dunes is a small town in California, home to 103 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Typical homes in Pajaro Dunes are valued around $2,000,001, and the median resident age is 70.5 years. About 33.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 11.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

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 $4,214 monthly. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in California run around $275, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 97.8 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

103 residents

Census ACS 2023 - California

Median Household Income

N/A /yr

Poverty 0.0%

Cost of Living Index (state)

110.7 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, California average

How does Pajaro Dunes compare to other US cities?

Here's how Pajaro Dunes stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Home value 99% pricier than other cities
Median rent 100% 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 Pajaro Dunes 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 places Pajaro Dunes near the bottom of California's cities

Among the 1,450 California cities PlainCities tracks with reported poverty rate data, Pajaro Dunes ranks #1,194 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Pajaro Dunes only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,458
97th percentile in California
Median Home Value
#1 of 1,343
95th percentile in California
Poverty Rate
#1,194 of 1,450
0th percentile in California
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#560 of 1,458
62nd 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.

How Pajaro Dunes's home value compares nationally

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

$2,000,001 1st percentile more affordable than 1% 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. Pajaro Dunes $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

Median household income is not available for Pajaro Dunes in the current Census ACS release (common for very small places).

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 33.0%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 0.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 11.7%

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

Population
103
Median Income
N/A
Median Home Value
$2,000,001
Median Age
70.5
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Labor force participation
11.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
33.0%

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
0.0%
Carpool
0.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
0.0%
Other
100.0%

Based on 12 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 Pajaro Dunes sits in

Cost of Living Index
110.7
Well Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$4,214/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
97.8 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in California

Dutch Flat
103 people
Dales
102 people
Furnace Creek
102 people
Gazelle
104 people
Randsburg
102 people
Stones Landing
102 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Pajaro Dunes's 103 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

North Johns, AL
103 people
Vredenburgh, AL
103 people
Chalkyitsik, AK
103 people
Alpine, AZ
103 people
Rondo, AR
103 people
Juliette, GA
103 people

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Pajaro Dunes, 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 Pajaro Dunes, CA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 100.0% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 0.0% White 100.0% Black or African American 0.0% Asian 0.0% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.0% Two or more races 0.0% 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 Pajaro Dunes 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
Pajaro Dunes (this city) 103 N/A
Dutch Flat 103 N/A
Dales 102 N/A
Furnace Creek 102 N/A
Census ACS 5-year FIPS CA OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Pajaro Dunes, CA?

What is the population of Pajaro Dunes, CA? +

103 people live in Pajaro Dunes, CA according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the cost of living in Pajaro Dunes? +

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

The median home value in Pajaro Dunes is $2,000,001, 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.