City profile · California · Census ACS 2023

San Juan Capistrano, CA

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

34,998
Residents
$127,893
Median income
$929,700
Median home
$3,236
Median rent (state)

San Juan Capistrano - the verdict

San Juan Capistrano ranks in the 90th percentile for household income and the 54th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

90th
percentile, household income
97th
percentile, home value
98th
percentile, median rent
54th
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: San Juan Capistrano, CA

34,998 people live in San Juan Capistrano, California - a small city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in San Juan Capistrano brings in $127,893 a year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 4.8%. Typical homes in San Juan Capistrano are valued around $929,700, and the median resident age is 44.8 years. About 42.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 62.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 18 residential building permits were authorized in San Juan Capistrano (Construction Slowdown), down 82% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. San Juan Capistrano reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR figures show 1242.0 crimes per 100,000 residents, below the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score).

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. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $3,236 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $275 across California, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 99.8 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very High).

Population

34,998 residents

Census ACS 2023 - California

Median Household Income

$127,893 /yr

Poverty 4.8%

Cost of Living Index (state)

110.7 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, California average

How does San Juan Capistrano compare to other US cities?

San Juan Capistrano measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 90% higher than other cities
Home value 97% pricier than other cities
Median rent 98% pricier than other cities
Safety 54% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to California alone, San Juan Capistrano ranks #106 of 441 California cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

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 San Juan Capistrano'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
54thSafety percentile

90th percentile nationally for median household income · 54th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

San Juan Capistrano's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

San Juan Capistrano'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. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 49 Avg. percentile National median
San Juan Capistrano'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 San Juan Capistrano's home value compares nationally

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

$929,700 3rd percentile more affordable than 3% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. San Juan Capistrano $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 - San Juan Capistrano, CA San Juan Capistrano, CA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not San Juan Capistrano, 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 San Juan Capistrano, CA median $127,893/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%
San Juan Capistrano, 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 San Juan Capistrano, CA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 42.3%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 4.8%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 62.0%

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

Population
34,998
Median Income
$127,893
Median Home Value
$929,700
Median Age
44.8
Poverty Rate
4.8%
Labor force participation
62.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
42.3%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1242.0
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
164.6
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1077.4
per 100,000 residents

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
13
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
34,600 residents34,800 residents35,000 residents35,200 residents35,400 residents 202020212022202320242025 35,134 residents 35,119 residents ▼ -0.0%
San Juan Capistrano's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
18
housing units authorized
Single-Family
14
detached homes
Multifamily
4
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.5
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 99
2020 155
2021 16
2022 173
2023 201
2024 18

Permit volume decreased 82% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
68.2%
Carpool
8.7%
Public Transit
0.8%
Walk
3.7%
Work from Home
15.8%
Other
2.8%

Based on 17,524 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 San Juan Capistrano sits in

Cost of Living Index
110.7
Well Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$3,236/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
99.8 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in California

Oildale
34,971 people
West Hollywood
35,090 people
Orangevale
35,219 people
Manhattan Beach
34,584 people
Pleasant Hill
34,335 people
Westmont
34,291 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to San Juan Capistrano's 34,998 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Pueblo West, CO
34,992 people
Prairieville, LA
35,010 people
Sahuarita, AZ
35,012 people
Timberwood Park, TX
34,980 people
Golden Glades, FL
35,042 people
Butte-Silver Bow (balance), MT
34,929 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to San Juan Capistrano's $127,893 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Blairstown, NJ
$127,891 median income
Mont Belvieu, TX
$127,902 median income
Bridgetown, MS
$127,917 median income
Mapleton, UT
$127,860 median income
Effort, PA
$127,929 median income
Lindenhurst, IL
$127,837 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - San Juan Capistrano, 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 San Juan Capistrano, CA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 62.7% 13.9% 18.3% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 36.7% White 62.7% Black or African American 0.5% Asian 3.9% American Indian 0.6% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 13.9% Two or more races 18.3% 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.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How San Juan Capistrano 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
San Juan Capistrano (this city) 34,998 $127,893
Oildale 34,971 $49,622
West Hollywood 35,090 $94,844
Orangevale 35,219 $98,158
Census ACS 5-year FIPS CA FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about San Juan Capistrano, CA?

What is the population of San Juan Capistrano, CA? +

San Juan Capistrano, CA has a population of 34,998 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in San Juan Capistrano, CA? +

Median annual household income in San Juan Capistrano runs $127,893, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in San Juan Capistrano? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for San Juan Capistrano; 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.

Is San Juan Capistrano, CA safe? +

San Juan Capistrano has a total crime rate of 1242.0 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in San Juan Capistrano, CA? +

San Juan Capistrano's median home value sits at $929,700, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

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.

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 Editorial

Verify with HUD →

Verify with FBI →

Verify with NOAA →

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Verify with EPA →

Verify with FEMA →

Verify with BEA →

Verify with EIA →

Verify with NCES →

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.