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Place dossier plate
SheetCA-PARAMOUNT-CA · Paramount, CA 52,546 pop · income 51st 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 Paramount
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Paramount on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Joplin · lowest
51,154
Joplin · lowest
51,154 median HH income
45.6% of the leader · rank #1
Garfield · near
70,909
Garfield · near
70,909 median HH income
63.2% of the leader · rank #2
Daytona Beach… · near
70,911
Daytona Beach… · near
70,911 median HH income
63.2% of the leader · rank #3
Paramount · this city
70,912
Paramount · this city
70,912 median HH income
63.2% of the leader · rank #4
Clinton · near
70,913
Clinton · near
70,913 median HH income
63.2% of the leader · rank #5
New Market · near
70,913
New Market · near
70,913 median HH income
63.2% of the leader · rank #6
Novato · highest
112,193
Novato · highest
112,193 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 Paramount 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: 52,546.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Paramount - the verdict
Nationally, Paramount sits in the 51st percentile for household income and the 12th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
51st
percentile, household income
85th
percentile, home value
88th
percentile, median rent
12th
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: Paramount, CA
Paramount is a small city in California, home to 52,546 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Paramount households earn a median of $70,912 annually, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 11.9%. Home values in Paramount run a median of $500,400, and the median resident age is 33.2 years. 13.1% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 61.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 54 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Building Boom), up 1700% from five years earlier. Paramount's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 3362.2 incidents per 100,000 residents, above the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
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. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in California run around $275, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in Paramount report an average commute of 27.0 minutes, with 75.3% driving alone and 6.2% working from home. Natural-hazard exposure scores 88.7 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Paramount'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 housing and income to reported crime to schools and households to comparison shortlist to population change to work and mobility; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Paramount, city-specific coverage includes FBI reported-crime rates, local building permits, annual population history, matched public-school count, commute-mode shares.
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
How far does income reach against housing in Paramount?
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 7.1 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 11.9%, 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.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Paramount?
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 3362.2 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 47% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
What does the education layer cover for Paramount?
The NCES join finds 16 public schools within the city match. 13.1% 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.
Which cities make useful reference points for Paramount?
Within California, the closest population matches are Novato (52,689 residents, $112,193 income); Placentia (52,384 residents, $110,575 income); Cathedral City (52,047 residents, $67,031 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Kyle, TX (52,439 residents); Battle Creek, MI (52,392 residents); Grand Island, NE (52,761 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.
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.
Population change
Is Paramount 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 -2,823 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -5.3% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 54 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
-5.3%
2025 estimate
50,755
2020 estimate
53,578
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
What does the journey to work look like in Paramount?
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 75.3%. The reported mean trip to work is 27.0 minutes.
Public transit
3.1%
Work from home
6.2%
Drive alone
75.3%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 24,244 workers age 16+.
Above median income · poverty 11.9% (Above-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
110.7 (US=100)
Highest-decile cost · BEA RPP 2024, California average
F
City profile score · Paramount, CA
25/100
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 C-
$70,912
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate F
11.9%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share F
13.1%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Violent crime F
547 /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.
Paramount profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Household income: 50/100 (C-) · $70,912
Poverty rate: 32/100 (F) · 11.9%
Bachelor's+ share: 15/100 (F) · 13.1%
Violent crime: 13/100 (F) · 547 /100k
Cost of living: 6/100 (F) · 110.7 index
Where Paramount sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Paramount'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 - Paramount highlighted among 13 peers.Read the chart values
Paramount, CA (this city): home $500,400, crime 3,362/100k
Kyle, TX : home $302,200, crime 1,022/100k
Battle Creek, MI : home $127,600, crime 3,644/100k
Grand Island, NE : home $202,600, crime 2,128/100k
Elyria, OH : home $142,800, crime 1,771/100k
Winter Haven, FL : home $248,200, crime 1,785/100k
Joplin, MO : home $159,700, crime 4,681/100k
Novato, CA : home $1,007,100, crime 1,608/100k
Placentia, CA : home $871,000, crime 1,824/100k
Cathedral City, CA : home $420,700, crime 1,504/100k
Watsonville, CA : home $657,700, crime 1,581/100k
Lincoln, CA : home $628,500, crime 657/100k
Palm Desert, CA : home $491,600, crime 3,151/100k
How does Paramount compare to other US cities?
Where Paramount sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income51% higher than other cities
Home value85% pricier than other cities
Median rent88% pricier than other cities
Safety12% 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: Paramount ranks #388 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 Paramount 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 Paramount near the bottom of California's cities
Among the 1,458 California cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Paramount ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Paramount only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#905 of 1,338
32nd percentile in California
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,458
0th percentile in California
Median Home Value
#694 of 1,343
48th percentile in California
Poverty Rate
#404 of 1,450
72nd percentile in California
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#1,108 of 1,458
24th 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
51st percentile nationally for median household income · 12th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Paramount's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Paramount'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 Paramount's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$500,40015th percentilemore affordable than 15% 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
Paramount's home-value-to-income ratio: 7.1×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
pressured
> 5.0×
National rank
#14,692 of 15,516
More affordable than 5% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#652 of 750
Mid-size cities (50,000–199,999)
At 7.1×, Paramount sits in the pressured band:
national rank #14,692 of 15,516 and #652 of 750mid-size cities (50,000–199,999).
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
$70,912Paramount, CA median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Paramount, 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 Paramount, CA.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)13.1%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)11.9%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)61.8%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
52,546
Median Income
$70,912
Median Home Value
$500,400
Median Age
33.2
Poverty Rate
11.9%
Labor force participation
61.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
13.1%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
3362.2
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
547.1
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2815.1
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
16
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Paramount's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
53,578 residents
2021
52,459 residents
2022
51,763 residents
2023
51,387 residents
2024
51,144 residents
2025
50,755 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
54
housing units authorized
Single-Family
54
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
1
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
3
3
0
$0.9M
2020
0
0
0
-
2021
22
22
0
$4.6M
2022
26
26
0
$3.2M
2023
22
22
0
$2.6M
2024
54
54
0
$7.3M
Permit volume increased 1700% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
27.0 minutes
Drive Alone
75.3%
Carpool
11.8%
Public Transit
3.1%
Walk
1.2%
Work from Home
6.2%
Other
2.4%
Based on 24,244 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 Paramount. 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 Paramount 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 Paramount sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Paramount 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.