City profile · California · Census ACS 2023

Tustin, CA

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

79,035
Residents
$108,435
Median income
$890,600
Median home
$3,236
Median rent (state)

Tustin - the verdict

Nationally, Tustin sits in the 82nd percentile for household income and the 25th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

82nd
percentile, household income
96th
percentile, home value
98th
percentile, median rent
25th
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: Tustin, CA

California's Tustin is a small city, with 79,035 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Tustin households earn a median of $108,435 annually, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 8.3%. Home values in Tustin run a median of $890,600, and the median resident age is 36.8 years. Educational attainment runs 46.0% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 65.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 41 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 83% from five years earlier. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 2316.0 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: 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 $3,236 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $275 across California, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Natural-hazard exposure scores 99.8 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).

Population

79,035 residents

Census ACS 2023 - California

Median Household Income

$108,435 /yr

Poverty 8.3%

Cost of Living Index (state)

110.7 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, California average

How does Tustin compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 82% higher than other cities
Home value 96% pricier than other cities
Median rent 98% pricier than other cities
Safety 25% 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, Tustin ranks #288 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 Tustin'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.

82ndIncome percentile
25thSafety percentile

82nd percentile nationally for median household income · 25th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Tustin's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Tustin'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
Tustin'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 Tustin's home value compares nationally

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

$890,600 4th percentile more affordable than 4% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Tustin $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 - Tustin, CA Tustin, CA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Tustin, 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 Tustin, CA median $108,435/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%
Tustin, 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 Tustin, CA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 46.0%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 8.3%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 65.3%

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

Population
79,035
Median Income
$108,435
Median Home Value
$890,600
Median Age
36.8
Poverty Rate
8.3%
Labor force participation
65.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
46.0%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
2316.0
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
211.7
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2104.3
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
18
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
77,000 residents78,000 residents79,000 residents80,000 residents81,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 79,866 residents 77,843 residents ▼ -2.5%
Tustin's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
41
housing units authorized
Single-Family
25
detached homes
Multifamily
16
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.5
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 238
2020 55
2021 34
2022 239
2023 138
2024 41

Permit volume decreased 83% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
68.7%
Carpool
11.2%
Public Transit
0.9%
Walk
1.5%
Work from Home
16.1%
Other
1.6%

Based on 40,041 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 Tustin 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

Upland
78,940 people
Napa
78,816 people
Perris
79,349 people
Milpitas
78,216 people
Carmichael
78,070 people
Chino Hills
78,024 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Tustin's 79,035 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Jonesboro, AR
79,187 people
Lynchburg, VA
79,255 people
Georgetown, TX
78,803 people
Bloomington, IN
78,791 people
Auburn, AL
78,738 people
Bloomington, IL
78,703 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Tustin's $108,435 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Broeck Pointe, KY
$108,438 median income
Seven Devils, NC
$108,438 median income
Lake Pocotopaug, CT
$108,430 median income
Brookfield, IL
$108,429 median income
Bulverde, TX
$108,413 median income
Berkey, OH
$108,409 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Tustin, 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 Tustin, CA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 38.3% 25.1% 19.1% 13.8% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 40.1% White 38.3% Black or African American 2.8% Asian 25.1% American Indian 0.7% Native Hawaiian 0.3% Some other race 19.1% Two or more races 13.8% 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 Tustin 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
Tustin (this city) 79,035 $108,435
Upland 78,940 $101,407
Napa 78,816 $102,231
Perris 79,349 $82,523
Census ACS 5-year FIPS CA FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Tustin, CA?

What is the population of Tustin, CA? +

Tustin, CA counts 79,035 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

In Tustin, the typical household earns $108,435 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Tustin? +

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

Tustin has a total crime rate of 2316.0 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 Tustin, CA? +

Homes in Tustin carry a median value of $890,600, 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.