City profile · California · Census ACS 2023

Susanville, CA

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

14,992
Residents
$57,607
Median income
$234,000
Median home
$1,279
Median rent (state)

Susanville - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Susanville places in the 32nd percentile for household income and the 36th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

32nd
percentile, household income
52nd
percentile, home value
44th
percentile, median rent
36th
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: Susanville, CA

14,992 people live in Susanville, California - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Susanville households earn a median of $57,607 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 12.9%. Typical homes in Susanville are valued around $234,000, and the median resident age is 35.5 years. 10.4% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 31.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 0 residential building permits were authorized in Susanville (No Permits), down 100% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 1837.5 incidents per 100,000 residents, near the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 50.2°F with 13.0 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 $1,279 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in California run around $275, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. The average commute for Susanville workers runs 17.1 minutes, with 79.6% driving alone and 3.9% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 73.1 out of 100 (High).

Population

14,992 residents

Census ACS 2023 - California

Median Household Income

$57,607 /yr

Poverty 12.9%

Cost of Living Index (state)

110.7 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, California average

How does Susanville compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 32% higher than other cities
Home value 52% pricier than other cities
Median rent 44% pricier than other cities
Safety 36% 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, Susanville ranks #204 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 Susanville'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.

32ndIncome percentile
36thSafety percentile

32nd percentile nationally for median household income · 36th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Susanville's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Susanville'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 40 Avg. percentile National median
Susanville'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 Susanville's home value compares nationally

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

$234,000 48th percentile more affordable than 48% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $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. Susanville $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 - Susanville, CA Susanville, CA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Susanville, 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 Susanville, CA median $57,607/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%
Susanville, 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 Susanville, CA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 10.4%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 12.9%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 31.0%

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

Population
14,992
Median Income
$57,607
Median Home Value
$234,000
Median Age
35.5
Poverty Rate
12.9%
Labor force participation
31.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
10.4%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1837.5
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
686.9
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1150.6
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.

Climate

Avg Temperature
50.2°F
Annual Precipitation
13.0"
Annual Snowfall
N/A

Schools

Total Schools
10
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
12,000 residents14,000 residents16,000 residents18,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 16,443 residents 12,816 residents ▼ -22.1%
Susanville's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

Total Permits (2024)
0
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 8
2020 16
2021 2
2022 2
2023 11
2024 0

Permit volume decreased 100% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
17.1 minutes
Drive Alone
79.6%
Carpool
10.5%
Public Transit
0.7%
Walk
3.9%
Work from Home
3.9%
Other
1.4%

Based on 3,908 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 Susanville sits in

Cost of Living Index
110.7
Well Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,279/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
73.1 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in California

Pacific Grove
15,003 people
Camp Pendleton South
15,011 people
Lemon Hill
14,942 people
Los Osos
15,048 people
Vincent
15,151 people
California City
14,821 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Susanville's 14,992 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Arlington, TN
14,989 people
Greenlawn, NY
14,986 people
Metuchen, NJ
14,982 people
Highland Park, NJ
14,981 people
Hudson, WI
15,004 people
St. Augustine, FL
14,979 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Susanville's $57,607 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Dumont, IA
$57,604 median income
Tillamook, OR
$57,604 median income
Liverpool, PA
$57,604 median income
Orleans, VT
$57,604 median income
Cameron, IL
$57,614 median income
Edgewood, OH
$57,614 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Susanville, 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 Susanville, CA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 59.5% 13.0% 18.6% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 29.3% White 59.5% Black or African American 13.0% Asian 0.9% American Indian 2.6% Native Hawaiian 1.6% Some other race 3.7% Two or more races 18.6% 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 Susanville 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
Susanville (this city) 14,992 $57,607
Pacific Grove 15,003 $105,568
Camp Pendleton South 15,011 $66,265
Lemon Hill 14,942 $49,441
Census ACS 5-year FIPS CA FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Susanville, CA?

What is the population of Susanville, CA? +

14,992 people live in Susanville, CA according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Susanville, CA? +

Median annual household income in Susanville runs $57,607, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Susanville? +

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

Susanville has a total crime rate of 1837.5 per 100,000 residents, which is near 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 Susanville, CA? +

A typical home in Susanville is worth $234,000, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Susanville? +

Susanville has an average annual temperature of 50.2°F, 13.0 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.

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.