Is Ceres, CA a Good Place to Live?
Ceres is a small city of 49,183 in California, with a median household income of $70,191 and a 10.5% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 105 (US average = 100), which is 5% above the national average.
Strengths: Ceres stands out for lower-than-average crime.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include longer commutes, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Ceres is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Ceres 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: 105.0Ceres's overall cost of living index is 105.0, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Ceres costs roughly 5% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Ceres, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $363,300 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,570 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 63.3% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $70,191 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageCeres's violent crime rate is 397.0 per 100,000 residents — 4% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Ceres is served primarily by Ceres Unified. The student-to-teacher ratio is 23.3:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Ceres, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Ceres Unified | — |
| Elementary Schools | 14 | — |
| Middle Schools | 3 | — |
| High Schools | 4 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 23.3:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 10.4% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 74.7% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Ceres sees average highs of 56.1°F in January and 95.0°F in July, with 12.3 inches of annual precipitation .
| Metric | Ceres, CA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 56.1°F |
| Average High — July | 95.0°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 12.3" |
| Annual Snowfall | Trace / None |
Demographics
| Metric | Ceres, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 49,183 | — |
| Median Age | 32.3 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 10.5% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 33.7 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 47.5% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 1.6% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 38.3% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 8.7% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 28.6% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 11.8% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Ceres
Ceres, CA is covered by 1 ZIP code: