CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

38.54° N · 121.76° W · GEOID 0681302

University of California-Davis

Yolo County, California · part of the Sacramento, CA metro

CaliforniaUniversity of California-Davis, CAUniversity of California-DavisUniversity of California-Davis

The short answer

University of California-Davis is home to 8,696 people. Median household income is $18,631 a year and median rent is $1,678 a month, 108.1% 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 $115,900, about 6.2x annual median household income.

What sets University of California-Davis apart is how tight household budgets are. Money left after rent is $-1,500, against $77,900 in its closest peers. Also notable: Unemployment is 18.2%, against 5.9% in its closest peers.

21OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Weak

University of California-Davis scores better than 21% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 339th of 654 in California.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%6
Economy 20%0
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%60
Education 10%95
Commute 10%90
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
$1,678
23% above the median place
Median household income
$18,631
77% below the median place
Median home value
$115,900
64% below the median place
Unemployment
18.2%
273% 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 University of California-Davis

  • How it is changingRent rose 4.4% a year while household income rose -2.2% between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, rent outran pay by more than in 93% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track.
01

Moving to University of California-Davis

Yolo County loses about 10.7 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in9,521
Moved out11,283
Net−1,762

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$69K
Leavers$73K

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

Who moves here
52.8% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 4.0% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Yolo County report $69,400 a year in income on average; those leaving, $73,000, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$67,100 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,678 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,731 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $115,900.
Getting to work
18 minutes each way on average; 22.7% work from home; 2.8% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
University of California-Santa Barbara, CA matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
52.8%
above the median place (median 5.7%)
Moved from another state1
4.0%
102% above the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people7
-10.7
below the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureUniversity of California-DavisAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year152.8%above (median 5.7%)
Moved from another state14.0%102% above
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure-10.7below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$69,4332% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$73,0314% above
02

What it costs to live here

The median rent takes 108.1% of the median household's income, a bigger share than in 99% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 655 California places we track.

University of California-Davis108.1%
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
$67,120
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
108.1%
above the median place (median 20.4%)
Home price to income
6.2x
64% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
106%
well over the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
-$1,100
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in University of California-Davis, $1,678 a month, and local prices for everything else (101.8 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like University of California-Davis, but easier on the budget

Places that match University of California-Davis 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
University of California-Santa Barbara, CA7526.4% vs 108.1%$52,500Compare
Williamsburg, VA6122.3% vs 108.1%$61,700Compare
George Mason, VA5719.4% vs 108.1%$122,400Compare
Newark, DE5625.8% vs 108.1%$58,300Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in University of California-Davis.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to University of California-Davis? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Property tax rate1
4.1%
351% above the median place
Renters paying 30%+1
84.2%
66% above the median place
Median home value1
$115,900
64% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureUniversity of California-DavisAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,67823% above
Rent to income1108.1%above (median 20.4%)
Property tax rate14.1%351% above
Home price to income16.2x64% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure106.76% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$2,13532% above
HUD area median income4County figure$129,60021% above
Property tax paid (median)1County figure$4,74945% above
Median home value1$115,90064% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure-0.9%below (median 3.2%)
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure30.0%42% below
Homeownership1County figure54.3%18% below
Renters paying 30%+184.2%66% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1County figure$2,73146% above
Vacant homes113.8%96% above
Median year built120021% above
03

Work and pay

Counting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 105 hours a year commuting, less than in 93% of the 2,101 places under 10,000 people we track.

Income per person1
$6,461
84% below the median place
Median household income1
$18,631
77% below the median place
Poverty rate1
66.4%
above the median place (median 10.8%)

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Unemployment18.2% 3.7×
Mean commute18 min −29%
Works from home22.7% +82%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureUniversity of California-DavisAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$18,63177% below
Income per person1$6,46184% below
Unemployment118.2%273% above
Average annual pay6County figure$79,70821% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure4.0%8% above
Jobs6County figure109,63427% below
Poverty rate166.4%above (median 10.8%)
Mean commute118 min29% below
Works from home122.7%82% above
Commutes by transit1County figure2.8%233% above
04

Who lives here

Median age is 19.3, 51% below the median place.

Median age1
19.3
51% below the median place
Homes with broadband1
63.4%
31% below the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
70.8%
121% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Born abroad24.1% 2.7×
Household size2.3 −9%
High school or higher95.1% +3%
No health insurance5.7% −11%
All 8 people measures
MeasureUniversity of California-DavisAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population18,6964624th largest
Median age119.351% below
Bachelor's or higher170.8%121% above
High school or higher195.1%3% above
Household size12.39% below
Born abroad124.1%173% above
No health insurance15.7%11% below
Homes with broadband163.4%31% below
05

Life in University of California-Davis

The nearest National Park Service site is Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial, about 36 miles away.

24 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents9.2 −10%
Playgrounds per 10k6.9 −27%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k19.6 +75%
Libraries per 10k1.1 +32%
Named paths and bike trails9 km 4.6×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi17.6 84.0×

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

  • Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial 36 miles
  • John Muir National Historic Site 43 miles
  • Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site 52 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars19.0 −9%
Shops21.8 −28%
Arts, recreation and fitness3.7 −10%
Doctors' offices and clinics13.8 −32%
Child care centers2.8 +22%

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

Nearest National Park Service site10
36.3
18% above the median place
Shops per 10k8
21.8
28% below the median place
Students per teacher12
21.3
38% above the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureUniversity of California-DavisAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure67above (median 9)
Public school students12County figure29,820above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher12County figure21.338% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure19.09% below
Shops per 10k8County figure21.828% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure3.710% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure13.832% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure2.822% above
Parks per 10k99.210% below
Playgrounds per 10k96.927% below
Grocery stores per 10k90.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k919.675% above
Libraries per 10k91.132% above
Named paths and bike trails99.2360% above
Transit stops per sq mi917.6above (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1036.318% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles104100% above
National Register listings11County figure2485% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

July average high is 95°F, 9% 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 University of California-Davis. Larger places are fetched first.

July average high13
95°F
9% above the median place
Tornado risk14
22.4
73% below the median place
Annual precipitation13
21.4 in
51% below the median place
All 10 weather and risk measures
MeasureUniversity of California-DavisAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure95°F9% above
January average low13County figure39°F53% above
Average temperature13County figure62°F13% above
Annual precipitation13County figure21.4 in51% below
Natural hazard risk14County figure91.41% below
Tornado risk14County figure22.473% below
Wildfire risk14County figure87.042% above
Heat wave risk14County figure78.613% below
Median air quality index15County figure479% above
Good air days15County figure58.4%15% below
08

University of California-Davis in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 114% of the median income in 2030, up from 108% 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.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,678/mo (2024)$2,140/mo$1,760 to $2,610/mo+4.1%
Median household income$18,631 (2024)$22,500$19,000 to $27,000+3.3%

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

09

Places like University of California-Davis

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

PlaceRentIncome
Storrs, CT$1,678$37,839Compare
West Lafayette, IN$1,225$34,891Compare
East Lansing, MI$1,171$45,687Compare
Ithaca, NY$1,447$48,784Compare
Ithaca, NYEast Lansing, MIWest Lafayette, INStorrs, CTUniversity of California-Davis, CAUniversity of California-DavisStorrsWest LafayetteEast LansingUniversity of California-DavisStorrsWest LafayetteEast Lansing

Places built like University of California-Davis

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 University of California-Davis performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
University of California-Davis, CA108.1%-2.2%/yrn/a
University of California-Santa Barbara, CA26.4%-0.6%/yrn/aCompare
South Hill, NY22.9%11.0%/yrn/aCompare
Hanover, NH17.6%7.0%/yrn/aCompare
Granville, OH10.9%1.0%/yr5.1%Compare
Middlebury, VT16.7%8.9%/yrn/aCompare
George Mason, VA19.4%2.6%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is University of California-Davis a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 21 out of 100, better than 21% of the places we rate and 339th of 654 in California. Rent rose 4.4% a year while household income rose -2.2% between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, rent outran pay by more than in 93% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is University of California-Davis expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 108.1% 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 $115,900.

What salary do you need to live in University of California-Davis?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $67,120 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to University of California-Davis?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Storrs, CT, West Lafayette, IN, East Lansing, MI and Ithaca, NY.

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 University of California-Davis with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for University of California-Davis itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/university-of-california-davis-california

Citytistics. “University of California-Davis, California.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/university-of-california-davis-california/

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