City profile · California · Census ACS 2023

Santa Paula, CA

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

31,202
Residents
$77,130
Median income
$559,300
Median home
$2,693
Median rent (state)

Santa Paula - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Santa Paula places in the 58th percentile for household income and the 56th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

58th
percentile, household income
87th
percentile, home value
94th
percentile, median rent
56th
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: Santa Paula, CA

Santa Paula is a small city in California, home to 31,202 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Santa Paula brings in $77,130 a year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 12.2%. Home values in Santa Paula run a median of $559,300, and the median resident age is 35.2 years. Educational attainment runs 14.7% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 59.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 139 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Stable), down 5% from five years earlier. Santa Paula reports a comparatively low crime rate: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 1201.0 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, below the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not 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. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $2,693 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $275 across California, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. The average commute for Santa Paula workers runs 25.8 minutes, with 74.6% driving alone and 4.6% working from home. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 99.4 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very High).

Population

31,202 residents

Census ACS 2023 - California

Median Household Income

$77,130 /yr

Poverty 12.2%

Cost of Living Index (state)

110.7 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, California average

How does Santa Paula compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 58% higher than other cities
Home value 87% pricier than other cities
Median rent 94% pricier than other cities
Safety 56% safer than other cities

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

National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at California, Santa Paula ranks #102 of 441 California cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Santa Paula 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 sits close to the middle of California's city distribution

Among the 1,450 California cities PlainCities tracks with reported poverty rate data, Santa Paula ranks #389 - the 73rd percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Santa Paula only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#825 of 1,338
38th percentile in California
Median Gross Rent
#467 of 1,458
66th percentile in California
Median Home Value
#633 of 1,343
53rd percentile in California
Poverty Rate
#389 of 1,450
73rd percentile in California
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#1,059 of 1,458
27th 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.

58thIncome percentile
56thSafety percentile

58th percentile nationally for median household income · 56th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Santa Paula's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Santa Paula'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 41 Avg. percentile National median
Santa Paula'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 Santa Paula's home value compares nationally

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

$559,300 13th percentile more affordable than 13% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $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. Santa Paula $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 - Santa Paula, CA Santa Paula, CA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Santa Paula, 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 Santa Paula, CA median $77,130/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%
Santa Paula, 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 Santa Paula, CA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 14.7%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 12.2%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 59.6%

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

Population
31,202
Median Income
$77,130
Median Home Value
$559,300
Median Age
35.2
Poverty Rate
12.2%
Labor force participation
59.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
14.7%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1201.0
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
326.7
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
874.3
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 →
30,500 residents31,000 residents31,500 residents32,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 30,779 residents 31,774 residents ▲ +3.2%
Santa Paula's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

🏗️ Stable
Total Permits (2024)
139
housing units authorized
Single-Family
125
detached homes
Multifamily
14
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
4.5
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 146
2020 160
2021 210
2022 167
2023 91
2024 139

Permit volume decreased 5% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
25.8 minutes
Drive Alone
74.6%
Carpool
17.0%
Public Transit
0.4%
Walk
2.5%
Work from Home
4.6%
Other
0.9%

Based on 13,994 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 Santa Paula sits in

Cost of Living Index
110.7
Well Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$2,693/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
99.4 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in California

Orcutt
31,284 people
Lawndale
31,113 people
El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles)
31,399 people
Laguna Hills
30,921 people
La Verne
30,804 people
Los Altos
30,736 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Santa Paula's 31,202 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Jackson, MI
31,206 people
New Smyrna Beach, FL
31,212 people
Holladay, UT
31,236 people
Port Chester, NY
31,162 people
Haines City, FL
31,156 people
Sterling, VA
31,251 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Santa Paula's $77,130 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Northridge, OH
$77,130 median income
Meadow Woods, FL
$77,124 median income
East End, AR
$77,122 median income
Birch Bay, WA
$77,120 median income
Rose Hill, IA
$77,143 median income
Cecil, WI
$77,115 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Santa Paula, 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 Santa Paula, CA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 60.4% 16.6% 19.1% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 80.6% White 60.4% Black or African American 1.3% Asian 1.2% American Indian 1.3% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 16.6% Two or more races 19.1% 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 Santa Paula 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
Santa Paula (this city) 31,202 $77,130
Orcutt 31,284 $108,682
Lawndale 31,113 $83,538
El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles) 31,399 $93,098
Census ACS 5-year FIPS CA FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Santa Paula, CA?

What is the population of Santa Paula, CA? +

Santa Paula, CA has a population of 31,202 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Santa Paula, CA? +

In Santa Paula, the typical household earns $77,130 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Santa Paula? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Santa Paula; 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 Santa Paula, CA safe? +

Santa Paula has a total crime rate of 1201.0 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 Santa Paula, CA? +

Homes in Santa Paula carry a median value of $559,300, 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

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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.