City profile · California · Census ACS 2023

Vandenberg AFB, CA

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

3,688
Residents
$83,096
Median income
$3,124
Median rent (state)

Vandenberg AFB - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Vandenberg AFB lands in the 65th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

65th
percentile, household income
98th
percentile, median rent
📝 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: Vandenberg AFB, CA

3,688 people live in Vandenberg AFB, California - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Vandenberg AFB households earn a median of $83,096 annually, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 2.7%. The median resident age is 25.7 years. About 46.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 21.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

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). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $3,124 per month. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts California's average monthly utility costs around $275 (state average). Natural-hazard exposure scores 99.0 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).

Population

3,688 residents

Census ACS 2023 - California

Median Household Income

$83,096 /yr

Poverty 2.7%

Cost of Living Index (state)

110.7 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, California average

How does Vandenberg AFB compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 65% higher than other cities
Median rent 98% pricier than other cities

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

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 Vandenberg AFB'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.

65thIncome percentile

65th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Vandenberg AFB, CA Vandenberg AFB, CA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Vandenberg AFB, 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 Vandenberg AFB, CA median $83,096/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%
Vandenberg AFB, 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 Vandenberg AFB, 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) 2.7%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 21.8%

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

Population
3,688
Median Income
$83,096
Median Home Value
N/A
Median Age
25.7
Poverty Rate
2.7%
Labor force participation
21.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
46.0%

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
73.4%
Carpool
8.3%
Public Transit
1.1%
Walk
6.8%
Work from Home
6.9%
Other
3.5%

Based on 1,990 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 Vandenberg AFB sits in

Cost of Living Index
110.7
Well Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$3,124/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
99.0 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in California

Mono Vista
3,696 people
Lenwood
3,708 people
Rexland Acres
3,667 people
Winchester
3,716 people
Angels
3,721 people
Felton
3,721 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Vandenberg AFB's 3,688 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Hephzibah, GA
3,688 people
Albia, IA
3,688 people
Setauket, NY
3,687 people
Tiptonville, TN
3,687 people
Barron, WI
3,689 people
Woodstown, NJ
3,690 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Vandenberg AFB's $83,096 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Burnsville, WV
$83,095 median income
Lynn Haven, FL
$83,093 median income
South Bloomfield, OH
$83,092 median income
Plano, IL
$83,102 median income
Hailey, ID
$83,084 median income
Trevose, PA
$83,108 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Vandenberg AFB, 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 Vandenberg AFB, CA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 63.6% 10.2% 15.8% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 14.6% White 63.6% Black or African American 10.2% Asian 4.5% American Indian 1.3% Native Hawaiian 0.7% Some other race 3.9% Two or more races 15.8% 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 Vandenberg AFB 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
Vandenberg AFB (this city) 3,688 $83,096
Mono Vista 3,696 $70,353
Lenwood 3,708 $70,714
Rexland Acres 3,667 $54,491
Census ACS 5-year FIPS CA OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Vandenberg AFB, CA?

What is the population of Vandenberg AFB, CA? +

3,688 people live in Vandenberg AFB, CA according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Vandenberg AFB, CA? +

Median annual household income in Vandenberg AFB runs $83,096, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Vandenberg AFB? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Vandenberg AFB; 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.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, 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.