CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

36.06° N · 118.97° W · GEOID 0621012

East Porterville

Tulare County, California · part of the Visalia, CA metro

CaliforniaEast Porterville, CAEast PortervilleEast Porterville

The short answer

East Porterville is home to 5,066 people. Median household income is $41,061 a year and median rent is $1,044 a month, 30.5% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). That is above the usual 30% line for cost burden. The median home is valued at $257,700, about 6.3x annual median household income.

The story in East Porterville is how fast things are changing. Rent took 39% of the median income in the 2019 survey and 30.5% in 2024. In the 25 places most like it the share fell 0.2 points on average, so affordability held up better here. Also notable: After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $27,700 a year, less than in 98% of places its size.

0OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Weak

East Porterville scores better than 0% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 654th of 654 in California.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%8
Economy 20%2
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%22
Education 10%0
Commute 10%2
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$1,044
24% below the median place
Median household income
$41,061
49% below the median place
Median home value
$257,700
19% below the median place
Unemployment
19.6%
301% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about East Porterville

  • How it is changingHousehold income rose 8% a year while rent rose 2.8% between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, pay gained on rent more than in 88% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track.
01

Moving to East Porterville

Tulare County loses about 2.6 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in10,328
Moved out11,324
Net−996

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within California, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within CaliforniaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$54K
Leavers$54K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Tulare County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
2.6% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.0% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Tulare County report $53,800 a year in income on average; those leaving, $54,300.
Income you would need
$41,800 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,044 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,548 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $257,700.
Getting to work
39 minutes each way on average; 6.2% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Gonzales, CA matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
0.0%
below the median place (median 2.0%)
Moved here in the past year1
2.6%
55% below the median place
Income of households moving in7
$53,843
24% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureEast PortervilleAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure2.6%55% below
Moved from another state10.0%below (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure-2.6333% below
Income of households moving in7County figure$53,84324% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$54,33523% below
02

What it costs to live here

The median rent takes 30.5% of the median household's income, a bigger share than in 95% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track.

East Porterville30.5%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$41,760
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
30.5%
50% above the median place
Home price to income
6.3x
65% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
31%
over the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$27,600
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in East Porterville, $1,044 a month, and local prices for everything else (103.1 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like East Porterville, but easier on the budget

Places that match East Porterville on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Gonzales, CA7723.5% vs 30.5%$30,800Compare
Parlier, CA7725.3% vs 30.5%$10,100Compare
Garden Acres, CA7124.4% vs 30.5%$21,100Compare
Sunnyside, WA6920.2% vs 30.5%$20,800Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in East Porterville.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to East Porterville? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
65.9%
30% above the median place
Vacant homes1
14.0%
99% above the median place
Homeownership1
51.5%
22% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureEast PortervilleAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,04424% below
Rent to income130.5%50% above
Property tax rate10.6%30% below
Home price to income16.3x65% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure99.81% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,45010% below
HUD area median income4County figure$76,40029% below
Property tax paid (median)1$1,64550% below
Median home value1$257,70019% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure3.8%19% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure53.3%3% above
Homeownership151.5%22% below
Renters paying 30%+165.9%30% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,54817% below
Vacant homes114.0%99% above
Median year built119671% below
03

Work and pay

Compared with the 22 places most like it in size, age, education, housing and region (such as Castroville, CA, Earlimart, CA and Muscoy, CA), unemployment here is higher: 19.6% against a typical 10.1%.

Unemployment1
19.6%
301% above the median place
Income per person1
$14,135
65% below the median place
Poverty rate1
42.7%
296% above the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureEast PortervilleAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$41,06149% below
Income per person1$14,13565% below
Unemployment119.6%301% above
Average annual pay6County figure$54,79217% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure3.3%11% below
Jobs6County figure174,61016% above
Poverty rate142.7%296% above
Mean commute139 min58% above
Works from home1County figure6.2%51% below
Commutes by transit1County figure0.4%52% below
04

Who lives here

Bachelor's or higher is 3.3%, 90% below the median place.

Bachelor's or higher1
3.3%
90% below the median place
High school or higher1
48.4%
48% below the median place
Household size1
4.4
76% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Median age27.4 −30%
Homes with broadband80.0% −13%
Born abroad38.4% 4.3×
No health insurance11.9% +86%
All 8 people measures
MeasureEast PortervilleAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population15,0666592nd largest
Median age127.430% below
Bachelor's or higher13.3%90% below
High school or higher148.4%48% below
Household size14.476% above
Born abroad138.4%335% above
No health insurance111.9%86% above
Homes with broadband180.0%13% below
05

Life in East Porterville

The nearest National Park Service site is John Krebs Wilderness, about 30 miles away.

36 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents4.0 −61%
Playgrounds per 10k0.0 −100%
Grocery stores per 10k5.9 2.8×
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k4.0 −65%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • John Krebs Wilderness 30 miles
  • Sequoia National Park 37 miles
  • Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness 53 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars14.7 −29%
Shops23.0 −24%
Arts, recreation and fitness1.3 −68%
Doctors' offices and clinics15.4 −24%
Child care centers1.3 −43%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site10
30.3
2% below the median place
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8
1.3
68% below the median place
Child care centers per 10k8
1.3
43% below the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureEast PortervilleAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure195above (median 9)
Public school students12County figure101,494above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher12County figure21.540% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure14.729% below
Shops per 10k8County figure23.024% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure1.368% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure15.424% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure1.343% below
Parks per 10k94.061% below
Playgrounds per 10k90.0below (median 9.4)
Grocery stores per 10k95.9179% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k94.065% below
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails90.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1030.32% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles104100% above
National Register listings11County figure36177% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Median air quality index is 64, 49% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached East Porterville. Larger places are fetched first.

Median air quality index15
64
49% above the median place
Good air days15
24.1%
65% below the median place
Heat wave risk14
99.2
10% above the median place
All 10 weather and risk measures
MeasureEast PortervilleAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure87°F0% above
January average low13County figure31°F22% above
Average temperature13County figure55°F0% above
Annual precipitation13County figure21.1 in52% below
Natural hazard risk14County figure97.05% above
Tornado risk14County figure30.363% below
Wildfire risk14County figure98.060% above
Heat wave risk14County figure99.210% above
Median air quality index15County figure6449% above
Good air days15County figure24.1%65% below
08

East Porterville in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 30% of the median income in 2030, down from 31% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, East Porterville does better than 8% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 97%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,044/mo (2024)$1,310/mo$1,070 to $1,600/mo+3.8%
Median household income$41,061 (2024)$53,000$45,000 to $62,500+4.3%
Median home value$257,700 (2024)$396,000$287,000 to $545,000+7.4%

The median home would be worth 7.5 years of the median income in 2030, against 6.3 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like East Porterville

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
East Bakersfield, CA$1,090$38,644Compare
Mendota, CA$1,042$50,342Compare
Earlimart, CA$965$52,881Compare
Parlier, CA$1,105$52,357Compare
Parlier, CAEarlimart, CAMendota, CAEast Bakersfield, CAEast Porterville, CAEast PortervilleMendotaEast PortervilleMendota

Places built like East Porterville

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how East Porterville performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
East Porterville, CA30.5%8.0%/yrn/a
Castroville, CA26.2%9.2%/yrn/aCompare
Earlimart, CA21.9%10.8%/yrn/aCompare
Muscoy, CA29.3%8.8%/yrn/aCompare
August, CA27.6%9.0%/yrn/aCompare
Orosi, CA26.5%6.1%/yrn/aCompare
Orange Cove, CA28.4%12.7%/yr0.6%Compare

Common questions

Is East Porterville a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 0 out of 100, better than 0% of the places we rate and 654th of 654 in California. Household income rose 8% a year while rent rose 2.8% between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, pay gained on rent more than in 88% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 7 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is East Porterville expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 30.5% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $257,700.

What salary do you need to live in East Porterville?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $41,760 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to East Porterville?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are East Bakersfield, CA, Mendota, CA, Earlimart, CA and Parlier, CA.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares East Porterville with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for East Porterville itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/east-porterville-california

Citytistics. “East Porterville, California.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/east-porterville-california/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.