Median Income
$66,725
household / year
Median Home Value
$376,600
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$1,462
gross / month
Cost of Living
108
national avg = 100

Is Colton, CA a Good Place to Live?

Colton is a mid-sized city of 53,959 in California, with a median household income of $66,725 and a 7.4% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 108 (US average = 100), which is 8% above the national average.

Strengths: Colton's profile is close to national averages across most measures.

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

All Colton 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

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

Metric Colton, CA National Avg
Median Home Value $376,600 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $1,462 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 51.5% 65.9%
Median Household Income $66,725 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Near National Average

Colton's violent crime rate is 393.2 per 100,000 residents — 3% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
393.2 /100k
Property Crime
2105.2 /100k

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

Schools & Education

Colton is served primarily by Colton Joint Unified. The student-to-teacher ratio is 20.9:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).

Metric Colton, CA National Avg
School District Colton Joint Unified —
Elementary Schools 18 —
Middle Schools 4 —
High Schools 4 —
Student/Teacher Ratio 20.9:1 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 17.5% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 76.0% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Colton sees average highs of 69.5°F in January and 94.1°F in July, with 9.9 inches of annual precipitation .

MetricColton, CA
Average High — January69.5°F
Average High — July94.1°F
Annual Precipitation9.9"
Annual SnowfallTrace / None

Demographics

MetricColton, CANational Avg
Population53,959—
Median Age33.238.9
Unemployment Rate7.4%3.7%
Avg Commute Time28.6 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)36.1%59.3%
Black or African American9.1%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino48.3%18.9%
Asian2.7%6.3%
Under 1824.5%22.2%
65 and over11.6%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Grand Terrace, CA 2 mi Highgrove, CA 3 mi Bloomington, CA 4 mi Loma Linda, CA 4 mi Rialto, CA 6 mi

ZIP Codes in Colton

Colton, CA is covered by 1 ZIP code:

92324

Colton vs Other Cities

Colton, CA vs Grand Terrace, CA Colton, CA vs Highgrove, CA Colton, CA vs Bloomington, CA Colton, CA vs Loma Linda, CA Colton, CA vs Rialto, CA

Frequently Asked Questions

Colton's cost of living index is 108, where 100 is the national average. That puts Colton roughly 8% above the national average in cost. The median home price is $376,600 and median rent is $1,462/month.
Colton's violent crime rate is 393.2 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 2105.2 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
Public schools in Colton are operated by Colton Joint Unified. The district has 18 elementary, 4 middle, and 4 high schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 20.9:1. 17.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Colton, CA has a population of 53,959, a median household income of $66,725, and an unemployment rate of 7.4%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Colton averages 69.5°F in January and 94.1°F in July. Annual rainfall is 9.9 inches . Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Colton, CA is covered by 1 ZIP code: 92324.
The population of Colton, California is 53,959 with a median age of 33.2. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Colton: cost of living index 108 (100 = US average), median home $376,600, median household income $66,725, crime index 102 (100 = US average, lower is safer), schools rated C+. Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Colton side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.