Median Income
$19,541
household / year
Median Home Value
$115,900
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$1,471
gross / month
Cost of Living
109
national avg = 100

Is University of California-Davis, CA a Good Place to Live?

University of California-Davis is a small town of 8,229 in California, with a median household income of $19,541 and a 11.3% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 109 (US average = 100), which is 9% above the national average.

Strengths: University of California-Davis stands out for below-average home prices, a well-educated population, short average commutes.

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

All University of California-Davis 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: 108.9

University of California-Davis's overall cost of living index is 108.9, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in University of California-Davis costs roughly 9% more than the average American city.

Metric University of California-Davis, CA National Avg
Median Home Value $115,900 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $1,471 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 2.0% 65.9%
Median Household Income $19,541 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Safer than Average

University of California-Davis's violent crime rate is 246.7 per 100,000 residents — 35% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
246.7 /100k
Property Crime
1592.7 /100k

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

Schools & Education

Metric University of California-Davis, 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 66.5% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 99.3% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

University of California-Davis sees average highs of 55.5°F in January and 93.3°F in July, with 19.2 inches of annual precipitation .

MetricUniversity of California-Davis, CA
Average High — January55.5°F
Average High — July93.3°F
Annual Precipitation19.2"
Annual SnowfallTrace / None

Demographics

MetricUniversity of California-Davis, CANational Avg
Population8,229—
Median Age19.638.9
Unemployment Rate11.3%3.7%
Avg Commute Time14.7 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)40.7%59.3%
Black or African American3.2%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino9.7%18.9%
Asian40.3%6.3%
Under 182.7%22.2%
65 and over0.0%16.8%

Nearby Cities

University of California-Davis vs Other Cities

Frequently Asked Questions

University of California-Davis's cost of living index is 109, where 100 is the national average. That puts University of California-Davis roughly 9% above the national average in cost. The median home price is $115,900 and median rent is $1,471/month.
University of California-Davis's violent crime rate is 246.7 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 1592.7 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.
University of California-Davis, CA has a population of 8,229, a median household income of $19,541, and an unemployment rate of 11.3%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
University of California-Davis averages 55.5°F in January and 93.3°F in July. Annual rainfall is 19.2 inches . Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
The population of University of California-Davis, California is 8,229 with a median age of 19.6. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in University of California-Davis: cost of living index 109 (100 = US average), median home $115,900, median household income $19,541, crime index 69 (100 = US average, lower is safer). Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare University of California-Davis side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.