Median Income
$42,826
household / year
Median Home Value
$178,000
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$928
gross / month
Cost of Living
102
national avg = 100

Is Ford City, CA a Good Place to Live?

Ford City is a small town of 4,357 in California, with a median household income of $42,826 and a 20.8% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 102 (US average = 100), which is 2% above the national average.

Strengths: Ford City stands out for below-average home prices, short average commutes.

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

All Ford City 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: 102.2

Ford City's overall cost of living index is 102.2, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Ford City costs roughly 2% more than the average American city.

Metric Ford City, CA National Avg
Median Home Value $178,000 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $928 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 36.8% 65.9%
Median Household Income $42,826 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Higher than Average

Ford City's violent crime rate is 723.4 per 100,000 residents — 90% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
723.4 /100k
Property Crime
2403.8 /100k

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

Schools & Education

Metric Ford City, 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 5.5% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 61.5% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Ford City sees average highs of 59.1°F in January and 98.7°F in July, with 6.0 inches of annual precipitation and 0.2 inches of snow per year.

MetricFord City, CA
Average High — January59.1°F
Average High — July98.7°F
Annual Precipitation6.0"
Annual Snowfall0.2"

Demographics

MetricFord City, CANational Avg
Population4,357—
Median Age25.738.9
Unemployment Rate20.8%3.7%
Avg Commute Time24.9 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)64.0%59.3%
Black or African American0.0%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino26.4%18.9%
Asian2.0%6.3%
Under 1830.9%22.2%
65 and over7.3%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Taft Heights, CA 2 mi South Taft, CA 2 mi Taft, CA 3 mi Valley Acres, CA 4 mi Fellows, CA 5 mi

Ford City vs Other Cities

Ford City, CA vs Taft Heights, CA Ford City, CA vs South Taft, CA Ford City, CA vs Taft, CA Ford City, CA vs Valley Acres, CA Ford City, CA vs Fellows, CA

Frequently Asked Questions

Ford City's cost of living index is 102, where 100 is the national average. That puts Ford City roughly 2% above the national average in cost. The median home price is $178,000 and median rent is $928/month.
Ford City's violent crime rate is 723.4 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 2403.8 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.
Ford City, CA has a population of 4,357, a median household income of $42,826, and an unemployment rate of 20.8%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Ford City averages 59.1°F in January and 98.7°F in July. Annual rainfall is 6.0 inches with about 0.2 inches of snow per year. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
The population of Ford City, California is 4,357 with a median age of 25.7. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Ford City: cost of living index 102 (100 = US average), median home $178,000, median household income $42,826, crime index 160 (100 = US average, lower is safer). Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Ford City side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.