City profile · California · Census ACS 2023

Signal Hill, CA

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

11,563
Residents
$102,303
Median income
$725,500
Median home
$2,601
Median rent (state)

Signal Hill - the verdict

Signal Hill ranks in the 79th percentile for household income and the 1st percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

79th
percentile, household income
93rd
percentile, home value
93rd
percentile, median rent
1st
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: Signal Hill, CA

California's Signal Hill is a small town, with 11,563 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Median household income here is $102,303 per year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 8.0%. Typical homes in Signal Hill are valued around $725,500, and the median resident age is 40.9 years. Educational attainment runs 38.0% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 66.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 2 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Building Boom), up 100% from five years earlier. Signal Hill's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 6830.5 in FBI UCR data, above the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

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. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $2,601 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $275 across California, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 100.0 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

11,563 residents

Census ACS 2023 - California

Median Household Income

$102,303 /yr

Poverty 8.0%

Cost of Living Index (state)

110.7 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, California average

How does Signal Hill compare to other US cities?

Here's how Signal Hill stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 79% higher than other cities
Home value 93% pricier than other cities
Median rent 93% pricier than other cities
Safety 1% 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: Signal Hill ranks #434 of 441 California cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

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 Signal Hill'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.

79thIncome percentile
1stSafety percentile

79th percentile nationally for median household income · 1st percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Signal Hill's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Signal Hill'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 29 Avg. percentile National median
Signal Hill'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 Signal Hill's home value compares nationally

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

$725,500 7th percentile more affordable than 7% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Signal Hill $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 - Signal Hill, CA Signal Hill, CA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Signal Hill, 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 Signal Hill, CA median $102,303/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%
Signal Hill, 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 Signal Hill, CA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 38.0%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 8.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 66.0%

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

Population
11,563
Median Income
$102,303
Median Home Value
$725,500
Median Age
40.9
Poverty Rate
8.0%
Labor force participation
66.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
38.0%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
6830.5
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
912.5
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
5918.0
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
2
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
11,000 residents11,200 residents11,400 residents11,600 residents11,800 residents12,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 11,815 residents 11,153 residents ▼ -5.6%
Signal Hill's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
2
housing units authorized
Single-Family
2
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.2
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 1
2020 10
2021 12
2022 4
2023 1
2024 2

Permit volume increased 100% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
73.0%
Carpool
6.5%
Public Transit
1.9%
Walk
1.1%
Work from Home
16.2%
Other
1.3%

Based on 6,333 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 Signal Hill sits in

Cost of Living Index
110.7
Well Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$2,601/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
100.0 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in California

Lakeland
11,587 people
Alum Rock
11,619 people
La Riviera
11,503 people
University of California-Santa Barbara
11,634 people
Half Moon Bay
11,454 people
Home Gardens
11,430 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Signal Hill's 11,563 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

West Point, UT
11,559 people
Covington, LA
11,568 people
Crowley, LA
11,554 people
Norton, OH
11,576 people
Roma, TX
11,543 people
Kaiminani, HI
11,542 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Signal Hill's $102,303 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Womens Bay, AK
$102,292 median income
Kure Beach, NC
$102,292 median income
Noblesville, IN
$102,319 median income
Napili-Honokowai, HI
$102,337 median income
Ely, IA
$102,262 median income
Lenexa, KS
$102,344 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Signal Hill, 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 Signal Hill, CA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 42.6% 7.4% 24.6% 10.0% 14.1% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 37.8% White 42.6% Black or African American 7.4% Asian 24.6% American Indian 0.4% Native Hawaiian 0.9% Some other race 10.0% Two or more races 14.1% 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 Signal Hill 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
Signal Hill (this city) 11,563 $102,303
Lakeland 11,587 $83,371
Alum Rock 11,619 $111,976
La Riviera 11,503 $91,111
Census ACS 5-year FIPS CA FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Signal Hill, CA?

What is the population of Signal Hill, CA? +

Signal Hill, CA counts 11,563 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Signal Hill, CA? +

The median household income in Signal Hill is $102,303 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Signal Hill? +

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

Signal Hill has a total crime rate of 6830.5 per 100,000 residents, which is above 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 Signal Hill, CA? +

The median home value in Signal Hill is $725,500, 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

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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.