Median Income
$52,377
household / year
Median Home Value
$191,500
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$890
gross / month
Cost of Living
108
national avg = 100

Is Blythe, CA a Good Place to Live?

Blythe is a small city of 17,949 in California, with a median household income of $52,377 and a 7.9% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 108 (US average = 100), which is 8% above the national average.

Strengths: Blythe stands out for below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime, short average commutes.

Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Blythe is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Blythe 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: 107.9

Blythe's overall cost of living index is 107.9, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Blythe costs roughly 8% more than the average American city.

Metric Blythe, CA National Avg
Median Home Value $191,500 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $890 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 56.0% 65.9%
Median Household Income $52,377 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Safer than Average

Blythe's violent crime rate is 404.1 per 100,000 residents — 6% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
404.1 /100k
Property Crime
1090.6 /100k

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

Schools & Education

Blythe is served primarily by Palo Verde Unified. The student-to-teacher ratio is 22.4:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).

Metric Blythe, CA National Avg
School District Palo Verde Unified —
Elementary Schools 3 —
Middle Schools N/A —
High Schools 2 —
Student/Teacher Ratio 22.4:1 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 8.5% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 68.8% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Blythe sees average highs of 69.2°F in January and 109.7°F in July, with 3.6 inches of annual precipitation .

MetricBlythe, CA
Average High — January69.2°F
Average High — July109.7°F
Annual Precipitation3.6"
Annual SnowfallTrace / None

Demographics

MetricBlythe, CANational Avg
Population17,949—
Median Age35.438.9
Unemployment Rate7.9%3.7%
Avg Commute Time14.8 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)38.3%59.3%
Black or African American11.8%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino42.6%18.9%
Asian2.5%6.3%
Under 1820.9%22.2%
65 and over10.3%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Mesa Verde, CA 7 mi Ehrenberg, AZ 8 mi Ripley, CA 9 mi Palo Verde, CA 17 mi Cibola, AZ 20 mi

ZIP Codes in Blythe

Blythe, CA is covered by 1 ZIP code:

92225

Blythe vs Other Cities

Blythe, CA vs Mesa Verde, CA Blythe, CA vs Ehrenberg, AZ Blythe, CA vs Ripley, CA Blythe, CA vs Palo Verde, CA Blythe, CA vs Cibola, AZ

Frequently Asked Questions

Blythe's cost of living index is 108, where 100 is the national average. That puts Blythe roughly 8% above the national average in cost. The median home price is $191,500 and median rent is $890/month.
Blythe's violent crime rate is 404.1 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 1090.6 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
Public schools in Blythe are operated by Palo Verde Unified. The district has 3 elementary, several middle, and 2 high schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 22.4:1. 8.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Blythe, CA has a population of 17,949, a median household income of $52,377, and an unemployment rate of 7.9%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Blythe averages 69.2°F in January and 109.7°F in July. Annual rainfall is 3.6 inches . Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Blythe, CA is covered by 1 ZIP code: 92225.
The population of Blythe, California is 17,949 with a median age of 35.4. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Blythe: cost of living index 108 (100 = US average), median home $191,500, median household income $52,377, crime index 85 (100 = US average, lower is safer), schools rated C. Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Blythe side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.