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Place dossier plate
SheetCA-SACRAMENTO-CA · Sacramento, CA 524,802 pop · income 65th pct · 363 tracts
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 Sacramento
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Sacramento on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Tucson · lowest
54,546
Tucson · lowest
54,546 median HH income
56.0% of the leader · rank #1
Denali Park · near
83,750
Denali Park · near
83,750 median HH income
86.0% of the leader · rank #2
Euharlee · near
83,750
Euharlee · near
83,750 median HH income
86.0% of the leader · rank #3
Iona · near
83,750
Iona · near
83,750 median HH income
86.0% of the leader · rank #4
Elsah · near
83,750
Elsah · near
83,750 median HH income
86.0% of the leader · rank #5
Sacramento · this city
83,753
Sacramento · this city
83,753 median HH income
86.0% of the leader · rank #6
Oakland · highest
97,369
Oakland · highest
97,369 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 Sacramento 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: 524,802.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Sacramento - the verdict
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Sacramento places in the 65th percentile for household income and the 13th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
65th
percentile, household income
84th
percentile, home value
88th
percentile, median rent
13th
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: Sacramento, CA
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 524,802 residents in Sacramento, a mid-sized U.S. city within California. The typical household in Sacramento brings in $83,753 a year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 10.3%. Home values in Sacramento run a median of $484,600, and the median resident age is 35.7 years. Educational attainment runs 36.4% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 60.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 2,043 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 32% from five years earlier. Sacramento's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 3302.3 incidents per 100,000 residents, above the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA puts Sacramento's yearly average temperature at 63.4°F with 19.2 inches of precipitation per year.
California carries a cost-of-living premium: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, California scores 110.7 (Well Above Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $2,053 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $275 across California, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Commute times here average 21.1 minutes, with 65.5% driving alone and 17.7% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 88.7 out of 100 (Very High).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Sacramento'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 work and mobility to reported crime to housing and income to schools and households to comparison shortlist to climate and hazard context to within-city variation to population change; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Sacramento, city-specific coverage includes matched public-school count, commute-mode shares, FBI reported-crime rates, annual population history, within-city Census tract profiles, local building permits.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
1. Work and mobility
What does the journey to work look like in Sacramento?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. Remote work has a visible role in the local pattern. That can reduce commute exposure for some workers, but it says nothing about job availability or broadband quality; read it alongside income and housing rather than as a stand-alone lifestyle score.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 65.5%. The reported mean trip to work is 21.1 minutes.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Sacramento?
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 3302.3 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 45% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Which cities make useful reference points for Sacramento?
Within California, the closest population matches are Fresno (543,615 residents, $66,804 income); Long Beach (458,491 residents, $83,969 income); Oakland (438,072 residents, $97,369 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Kansas City, MO (508,233 residents); Mesa, AZ (507,478 residents); Tucson, AZ (543,348 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 can 363 Census tracts reveal inside Sacramento?
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
PlainCities matches 363 Census tracts to this city.
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.
Housing and income
How far does income reach against housing in Sacramento?
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 5.8 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 10.3%, 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.
Household income
$83,753
Home value
$484,600
Value / income
5.8×
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
What does the education layer cover for Sacramento?
The NCES join finds 197 public schools within the city match. 36.4% 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
197
Bachelor's degree+
36.4%
Poverty estimate
10.3%
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
What physical conditions frame life in Sacramento?
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 63.4°F, with 19.2 inches of precipitation. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for California is 88.7 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
Mean temperature
63.4°F
Annual precipitation
19.2 in
FEMA risk index (state avg)
88.7
NOAA Climate Normals and FEMA National Risk Index (state-averaged on PlainCities). Hazard context is not address-level.
Is Sacramento growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +10,834 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +2.1% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 2,043 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
+2.1%
2025 estimate
536,449
2020 estimate
525,615
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
Above median income · poverty 10.3% (Above-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
110.7 (US=100)
Highest-decile cost · BEA RPP 2024, California average
F
City profile score · Sacramento, CA
36/100
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.
Bachelor's+ share B-
36.4%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income C+
$83,753
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate F
10.3%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better 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.
Violent crime F
755 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Sacramento profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Bachelor's+ share: 69/100 (B-) · 36.4%
Household income: 63/100 (C+) · $83,753
Poverty rate: 38/100 (F) · 10.3%
Cost of living: 6/100 (F) · 110.7 index
Violent crime: 3/100 (F) · 755 /100k
Where Sacramento sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Sacramento'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 - Sacramento highlighted among 12 peers.Read the chart values
Sacramento, CA (this city): home $484,600, crime 3,302/100k
Kansas City, MO : home $227,000, crime 6,223/100k
Mesa, AZ : home $364,300, crime 1,947/100k
Tucson, AZ : home $242,200, crime 3,902/100k
Omaha, NE : home $230,100, crime 3,531/100k
Albuquerque, NM : home $266,700, crime 5,811/100k
Fresno, CA : home $348,500, crime 4,007/100k
Long Beach, CA : home $762,200, crime 4,155/100k
Oakland, CA : home $924,700, crime 9,156/100k
Bakersfield, CA : home $347,300, crime 3,024/100k
Anaheim, CA : home $771,700, crime 2,728/100k
Stockton, CA : home $412,900, crime 3,785/100k
How does Sacramento compare to other US cities?
Where Sacramento sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income65% higher than other cities
Home value84% pricier than other cities
Median rent88% pricier than other cities
Safety13% 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: Sacramento ranks #384 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 Sacramento 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 Sacramento near the bottom of California's cities
Among the 1,458 California cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Sacramento ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Sacramento only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#720 of 1,338
46th percentile in California
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,458
0th percentile in California
Median Home Value
#716 of 1,343
47th percentile in California
Poverty Rate
#476 of 1,450
67th percentile in California
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#497 of 1,458
66th 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
65th percentile nationally for median household income · 13th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Sacramento's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Sacramento'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 Sacramento's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$484,60016th percentilemore affordable than 16% 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
Sacramento's home-value-to-income ratio: 5.8×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
pressured
> 5.0×
National rank
#13,894 of 15,516
More affordable than 10% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#89 of 117
Large cities (200,000–999,999)
At 5.8×, Sacramento sits in the pressured band:
national rank #13,894 of 15,516 and #89 of 117large cities (200,000–999,999).
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
$83,753Sacramento, CA median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Sacramento, 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 Sacramento, CA.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)36.4%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)10.3%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)60.6%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
524,802
Median Income
$83,753
Median Home Value
$484,600
Median Age
35.7
Poverty Rate
10.3%
Labor force participation
60.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
36.4%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
3302.3
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
754.9
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2547.3
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.
Climate
Avg Temperature
63.4°F
Annual Precipitation
19.2"
Annual Snowfall
0.0"
Schools
Total Schools
197
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Sacramento's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
525,615 residents
2021
525,571 residents
2022
526,691 residents
2023
530,494 residents
2024
534,834 residents
2025
536,449 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
2,043
housing units authorized
Single-Family
708
detached homes
Multifamily
1,335
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
3.9
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
3,001
1,538
1,463
$632.3M
2020
3,584
935
2,649
$726.1M
2021
3,083
1,004
2,079
$576.8M
2022
2,054
905
1,149
$468.3M
2023
2,517
653
1,864
$586.9M
2024
2,043
708
1,335
$486.5M
Permit volume decreased 32% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
21.1 minutes
Drive Alone
65.5%
Carpool
9.0%
Public Transit
1.9%
Walk
2.7%
Work from Home
17.7%
Other
3.2%
Based on 250,980 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 Sacramento. 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 Sacramento 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 Sacramento sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Sacramento 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, 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.