Median Income
$106,458
household / year
Median Home Value
$1,216,200
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$2,150
gross / month
Cost of Living
114
national avg = 100

Is Ballard, CA a Good Place to Live?

Ballard is a small town of 721 in California, with a median household income of $106,458 and a 1.1% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 114 (US average = 100), which is 14% above the national average.

Strengths: Ballard stands out for a well-educated population, short average commutes.

Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices. Whether Ballard is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Ballard city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.

Cost of Living

Index: 113.5

Ballard's overall cost of living index is 113.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Ballard costs roughly 14% more than the average American city.

Metric Ballard, CA National Avg
Median Home Value $1,216,200 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $2,150 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 73.2% 65.9%
Median Household Income $106,458 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Safer than Average

Ballard's violent crime rate is 285.3 per 100,000 residents — 25% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
285.3 /100k
Property Crime
1066.5 /100k

Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.

Schools & Education

Metric Ballard, CA National Avg
School District N/A —
Elementary Schools N/A —
Middle Schools N/A —
High Schools N/A —
Student/Teacher Ratio N/A 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 40.2% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 93.3% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Ballard sees average highs of 67.2°F in January and 92.1°F in July, with 21.1 inches of annual precipitation .

MetricBallard, CA
Average High — January67.2°F
Average High — July92.1°F
Annual Precipitation21.1"
Annual SnowfallTrace / None

Demographics

MetricBallard, CANational Avg
Population721—
Median Age42.238.9
Unemployment Rate1.1%3.7%
Avg Commute Time14.6 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)95.1%59.3%
Black or African American0.0%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino1.9%18.9%
Asian1.9%6.3%
Under 1826.9%22.2%
65 and over27.2%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Los Olivos, CA 2 mi Santa Ynez, CA 2 mi Solvang, CA 4 mi Buellton, CA 5 mi Los Alamos, CA 12 mi

Ballard vs Other Cities

Ballard, CA vs Los Olivos, CA Ballard, CA vs Santa Ynez, CA Ballard, CA vs Solvang, CA Ballard, CA vs Buellton, CA Ballard, CA vs Los Alamos, CA

Frequently Asked Questions

Ballard's cost of living index is 114, where 100 is the national average. That puts Ballard roughly 14% above the national average in cost. The median home price is $1,216,200 and median rent is $2,150/month.
Ballard's violent crime rate is 285.3 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 1066.5 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
School district information is sourced from NCES Common Core of Data.
Ballard, CA has a population of 721, a median household income of $106,458, and an unemployment rate of 1.1%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Ballard averages 67.2°F in January and 92.1°F in July. Annual rainfall is 21.1 inches . Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
The population of Ballard, California is 721 with a median age of 42.2. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Ballard: cost of living index 114 (100 = US average), median home $1,216,200, median household income $106,458, crime index 65 (100 = US average, lower is safer). Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Ballard side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.