City profile · California · Census ACS 2023

Tulare, CA

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

69,984
Residents
$69,517
Median income
$301,200
Median home
$1,469
Median rent (state)

Tulare - the verdict

Nationally, Tulare sits in the 49th percentile for household income and the 24th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

49th
percentile, household income
65th
percentile, home value
57th
percentile, median rent
24th
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: Tulare, CA

California's Tulare is a small city, with 69,984 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. The typical household in Tulare brings in $69,517 a year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 15.8%. Home values in Tulare run a median of $301,200, and the median resident age is 29.5 years. Educational attainment runs 10.7% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 56.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 392 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 33% from five years earlier. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 2414.6 in FBI UCR data, near the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

California carries a cost-of-living premium: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts California at 110.7 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Well Above Average). Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,469 monthly. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts California's average monthly utility costs around $275 (state average). Natural-hazard exposure scores 92.4 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).

Population

69,984 residents

Census ACS 2023 - California

Median Household Income

$69,517 /yr

Poverty 15.8%

Cost of Living Index (state)

110.7 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, California average

How does Tulare compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 49% higher than other cities
Home value 65% pricier than other cities
Median rent 57% pricier than other cities
Safety 24% 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: Tulare ranks #298 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 Tulare'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.

49thIncome percentile
24thSafety percentile

49th percentile nationally for median household income · 24th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Tulare's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Tulare'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 37 Avg. percentile National median
Tulare'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 Tulare's home value compares nationally

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

$301,200 35th percentile more affordable than 35% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Tulare $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 - Tulare, CA Tulare, CA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Tulare, 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 Tulare, CA median $69,517/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%
Tulare, 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 Tulare, CA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 10.7%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 15.8%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 56.8%

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

Population
69,984
Median Income
$69,517
Median Home Value
$301,200
Median Age
29.5
Poverty Rate
15.8%
Labor force participation
56.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
10.7%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
2414.6
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
571.9
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1842.7
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
31
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
68,000 residents70,000 residents72,000 residents74,000 residents76,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 69,344 residents 73,907 residents ▲ +6.6%
Tulare's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
392
housing units authorized
Single-Family
390
detached homes
Multifamily
2
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
5.6
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 584
2020 321
2021 158
2022 450
2023 472
2024 392

Permit volume decreased 33% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
82.9%
Carpool
10.0%
Public Transit
0.5%
Walk
0.7%
Work from Home
5.1%
Other
0.8%

Based on 27,528 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 Tulare sits in

Cost of Living Index
110.7
Well Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,469/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
92.4 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in California

Redondo Beach
69,814 people
Walnut Creek
69,790 people
Eastvale
70,179 people
Camarillo
70,244 people
Yuba City
69,545 people
Dublin
70,542 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Tulare's 69,984 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

St. Cloud, MN
69,926 people
West Des Moines, IA
69,893 people
Lakewood, NJ
69,884 people
Guaynabo zona urbana, PR
70,087 people
Canton, OH
70,105 people
Passaic, NJ
69,651 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Tulare's $69,517 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Shiremanstown, PA
$69,505 median income
Edon, OH
$69,531 median income
Coopersburg, PA
$69,531 median income
Enon Valley, PA
$69,531 median income
Florence, SD
$69,531 median income
Abercrombie, ND
$69,500 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Tulare, 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 Tulare, CA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 46.5% 23.3% 23.7% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 63.5% White 46.5% Black or African American 2.6% Asian 2.8% American Indian 1.0% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 23.3% Two or more races 23.7% 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 Tulare 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
Tulare (this city) 69,984 $69,517
Redondo Beach 69,814 $144,588
Walnut Creek 69,790 $135,665
Eastvale 70,179 $161,322
Census ACS 5-year FIPS CA FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Tulare, CA?

What is the population of Tulare, CA? +

The population of Tulare, CA stands at 69,984 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

Median annual household income in Tulare runs $69,517, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Tulare? +

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

Tulare has a total crime rate of 2414.6 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 Tulare, CA? +

Tulare's median home value sits at $301,200, 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.