Median Income
$36,125
household / year
Median Home Value
$217,700
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$1,297
gross / month
Cost of Living
105
national avg = 100

Is Bret Harte, CA a Good Place to Live?

Bret Harte is a small town of 4,926 in California, with a median household income of $36,125 and a 12.6% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 105 (US average = 100), which is 5% above the national average.

Strengths: Bret Harte stands out for below-average home prices.

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

All Bret Harte 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: 105.0

Bret Harte's overall cost of living index is 105.0, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Bret Harte costs roughly 5% more than the average American city.

Metric Bret Harte, CA National Avg
Median Home Value $217,700 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $1,297 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 37.1% 65.9%
Median Household Income $36,125 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Near National Average

Bret Harte's violent crime rate is 481.8 per 100,000 residents — 27% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
481.8 /100k
Property Crime
1803.1 /100k

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

Schools & Education

Metric Bret Harte, 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 1.2% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 55.0% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Bret Harte sees average highs of 56.1°F in January and 95.0°F in July, with 12.3 inches of annual precipitation .

MetricBret Harte, CA
Average High — January56.1°F
Average High — July95.0°F
Annual Precipitation12.3"
Annual SnowfallTrace / None

Demographics

MetricBret Harte, CANational Avg
Population4,926—
Median Age22.638.9
Unemployment Rate12.6%3.7%
Avg Commute Time34.3 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)36.2%59.3%
Black or African American0.6%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino61.1%18.9%
Asian0.0%6.3%
Under 1842.2%22.2%
65 and over5.8%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Rouse, CA 1 mi Parklawn, CA 1 mi Bystrom, CA 2 mi West Modesto, CA 2 mi Riverdale Park, CA 2 mi

Bret Harte vs Other Cities

Bret Harte, CA vs Rouse, CA Bret Harte, CA vs Parklawn, CA Bret Harte, CA vs Bystrom, CA Bret Harte, CA vs West Modesto, CA Bret Harte, CA vs Riverdale Park, CA

Frequently Asked Questions

Bret Harte's cost of living index is 105, where 100 is the national average. That puts Bret Harte roughly 5% above the national average in cost. The median home price is $217,700 and median rent is $1,297/month.
Bret Harte's violent crime rate is 481.8 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 1803.1 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.
Bret Harte, CA has a population of 4,926, a median household income of $36,125, and an unemployment rate of 12.6%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Bret Harte averages 56.1°F in January and 95.0°F in July. Annual rainfall is 12.3 inches . Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
The population of Bret Harte, California is 4,926 with a median age of 22.6. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Bret Harte: cost of living index 105 (100 = US average), median home $217,700, median household income $36,125, crime index 110 (100 = US average, lower is safer). Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Bret Harte side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.