City profile · California · Census ACS 2023

Redwood City, CA

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

82,423
Residents
$150,840
Median income
$1,838,800
Median home
$2,053
Median rent

Data Snapshot: Redwood City, CA

Redwood City is a city in California with a population of 82,423 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $150,840 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 3.5%. Typical homes in Redwood City are valued around $1,838,800, and the median resident age is 37.5 years. About 54.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 65.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 91 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 55% from five years earlier. FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 2092.1 incidents per 1,000 residents, above the national average, indicating elevated public-safety concerns. NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 59.4°F with 19.0 inches of precipitation per year.

On a cost-of-living index where 100 equals the national average, California registers 110.7 (Above Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $2,053 per month. Average monthly utility bills run around $275 based on EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in Redwood City report an average commute of 18.7 minutes, with 58.2% driving alone and 24.0% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 88.7 out of 100 (Very High).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, PlainCities renders standardized city-level demographic, income, education, employment, and housing indicators across more than 19,000 incorporated places nationwide. Population counts and median household income figures are sourced directly from Census Table B01003 and B19013 respectively, with poverty rates from B17001 and cost-of-living adjustments from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities (RPP) 2024 release. Every value displayed in this snapshot links back to the official upstream tables and is refreshed on the ACS annual release cadence (typically December of the survey year + 1).

Methodology: city boundaries follow the Census Bureau's place-level geography (incorporated places, census-designated places, and consolidated city-county governments), with FIPS codes ensuring consistent identifiers across decennial and annual surveys. Cost-of-living comparisons use BEA's Regional Price Parities (RPP) indexed to the national average (100), enabling cross-city purchasing-power comparisons. See our methodology page for full source attribution, refresh cadence, and known data quality limitations including margin-of-error disclosure and sample-size thresholds.

Population

82,423 residents

Census ACS 2023 — California

Median Household Income

$150,840 /yr

Poverty 3.5%

Cost of Living Index

110.7 (US=100)

Above Average — BEA RPP 2024

How does Redwood City compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 94% higher than other cities
Home value 99% pricier than other cities
Median rent 88% pricier than other cities
Safety 30% safer than other cities

Percentiles compare Redwood City against every US city with at least 1,000 residents. "Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Income distribution context

Household income distribution — Redwood City, CA Quintile shares of aggregate household income for Redwood City, CA. The Lorenz curve traces cumulative income share against cumulative population share — perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Redwood City, CA — median $150,840/yr — Census ACS quintile shares 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%
Household income distribution for Redwood City, CA — Census ACS 5-year estimates. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 54.4%

Census ACS S1501 — educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 3.5%

Census ACS S1701 — poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 65.9%

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

Population
82,423
Median Income
$150,840
Median Home Value
$1,838,800
Median Age
37.5
Poverty Rate
3.5%
Labor force participation
65.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
54.4%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
2092.1
per 1,000 residents
Violent Crime
472.1
per 1,000 residents
Property Crime
1620.0
per 1,000 residents

Climate

Avg Temperature
59.4°F
Annual Precipitation
19.0"
Annual Snowfall
0.0"

Schools

Total Schools
22
Public schools in this city

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) — annual residential permits authorized

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
91
housing units authorized
Single-Family
37
detached homes
Multifamily
54
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
1.1
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 201
2020 145
2021 193
2022 49
2023 53
2024 91

Permit volume decreased 55% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work — Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
18.7 minutes
Drive Alone
58.2%
Carpool
9.1%
Public Transit
4.0%
Walk
2.6%
Work from Home
24.0%
Other
2.1%

Based on 43,148 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

California state-level data from PlainCost, PlainRent, and PlainHazard

Cost of Living Index
110.7
Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$2,053/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
State-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
88.7 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity — Redwood City, 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 Redwood City, CA — Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE — sums to 100% 59.5% 12.1% 6.1% 10.6% 10.3% ETHNICITY — Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.7% White 59.5% Black or African American 12.1% Asian 6.1% American Indian 1.2% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 10.6% Two or more races 10.3% 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.

National-average reference values shown when city-level race/ethnicity table is not loaded. Source: Census ACS 5-year, OMB Directive 15 race-and-ethnicity categories.

How Redwood City compares to nearby California cities

Census ACS 2023 — population and median income benchmarks

Side-by-side population + income comparison anchored on the current city (Redwood City) plus the nearest peer cities in California, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

CA

Redwood City

150.84% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$150,840
Brackets
82
Selected

CA

Folsom

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$8,210
Brackets
82
Selected

CA

Buena Park

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$8,310
Brackets
83
Selected

CA

Alhambra

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$8,150
Brackets
81
Census ACS 5-year FIPS CA FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Redwood City, CA?

What is the population of Redwood City, CA? +

Redwood City, CA has a population of 82,423 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Redwood City, CA? +

The median household income in Redwood City is $150,840 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Redwood City? +

Redwood City has a cost of living index of 110.7 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data.

Is Redwood City, CA safe? +

Redwood City has a total crime rate of 2092.1 per 1,000 residents, which is above the national average. Source: FBI UCR data.

What is the median home value in Redwood City, CA? +

The median home value in Redwood City is $1,838,800, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Redwood City? +

Redwood City has an average annual temperature of 59.4°F, 19.0 inches of precipitation. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, 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.

Related

Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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