Cities in California by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024
Arvin, CA had the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 376 cities in 2024, at 34.6%. Orinda, CA had the lowest, at 2.2%. The median was 10.3% and the figure for California was 12%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.
Top 40 cities, 2024
Full ranking
| Rank | Cities | 2024 (%) | Change on 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arvin, CA | 34.6 | +2.9 pts |
| 2 | Lindsay, CA | 33.1 | +3.2 pts |
| 3 | San Luis Obispo, CA | 30.4 | +0.4 pts |
| 4 | Cudahy, CA | 28.7 | +0.8 pts |
| 5 | Mendota, CA | 27.5 | -2.8 pts |
| 6 | Arcata, CA | 27.2 | -2.4 pts |
| 7 | Parlier, CA | 27.1 | -2.7 pts |
| 8 | Dinuba, CA | 26.8 | -1.3 pts |
| 9 | Davis, CA | 26.5 | +1.4 pts |
| 10 | Madera, CA | 25.6 | -0.4 pts |
| 11 | Clearlake, CA | 25.5 | +0.1 pts |
| 12 | Marysville, CA | 24.5 | +2 pts |
| 13 | McFarland, CA | 24.1 | -3.4 pts |
| 14 | Merced, CA | 23.9 | +0.9 pts |
| 15 | Barstow, CA | 23.1 | -0.2 pts |
| 16 | King City, CA | 23 | +3.2 pts |
| 17 | Farmersville, CA | 22.9 | -1.3 pts |
| 18 | California City, CA | 22.8 | -1.5 pts |
| 19 | Chico, CA | 22.7 | +0.6 pts |
| 20 | Reedley, CA | 22.3 | +2.6 pts |
| 21 | Grass Valley, CA | 22.1 | +1.4 pts |
| 22 | Coalinga, CA | 21.7 | -0.6 pts |
| 23 | Bell, CA | 21.6 | -1.2 pts |
| 24 | El Centro, CA | 21.6 | +1.5 pts |
| 25 | Oroville, CA | 21.4 | -0.4 pts |
| 26 | Brawley, CA | 21.3 | +0.4 pts |
| 27 | Kerman, CA | 21.3 | -4 pts |
| 28 | Anderson, CA | 21.2 | +0.8 pts |
| 29 | Atwater, CA | 21 | +0.9 pts |
| 30 | South El Monte, CA | 20.9 | -2.8 pts |
| 31 | Shafter, CA | 20.7 | -0.6 pts |
| 32 | Corcoran, CA | 20.7 | -3.2 pts |
| 33 | El Cajon, CA | 20.5 | +0.5 pts |
| 34 | Fresno, CA | 20.1 | -0.8 pts |
| 35 | Bell Gardens, CA | 20 | -1.9 pts |
| 36 | Calexico, CA | 19.7 | -1.3 pts |
| 37 | Chowchilla, CA | 19.6 | -2.7 pts |
| 38 | Maywood, CA | 19.4 | +0.7 pts |
| 39 | Avenal, CA | 19.2 | -2.9 pts |
| 40 | Selma, CA | 19 | -0.8 pts |
| 41 | Blythe, CA | 18.9 | -0.6 pts |
| 42 | Banning, CA | 18.8 | -0.3 pts |
| 42 | Red Bluff, CA | 18.8 | +1.1 pts |
| 44 | San Bernardino, CA | 18.6 | -0.9 pts |
| 45 | Wasco, CA | 18.4 | -0.8 pts |
| 46 | Victorville, CA | 18.4 | -1.6 pts |
| 47 | Huntington Park, CA | 18.3 | +0.7 pts |
| 48 | Paradise, CA | 18.2 | +0.2 pts |
| 49 | Fortuna, CA | 18.2 | +1.4 pts |
| 50 | Eureka, CA | 18.1 | +0.6 pts |
| 51 | Desert Hot Springs, CA | 18 | -1.2 pts |
| 52 | Lynwood, CA | 18 | +0.6 pts |
| 53 | Tulare, CA | 17.9 | -0.1 pts |
| 54 | Compton, CA | 17.9 | +0.8 pts |
| 55 | Ukiah, CA | 17.9 | +1.6 pts |
| 56 | Montclair, CA | 17.7 | +1 pts |
| 57 | Susanville, CA | 17.6 | +0.7 pts |
| 58 | El Monte, CA | 17.5 | +0.2 pts |
| 59 | Los Banos, CA | 17.4 | +1.2 pts |
| 60 | Porterville, CA | 17.3 | -0.6 pts |
| 60 | Santa Maria, CA | 17.3 | +1.8 pts |
| 62 | Berkeley, CA | 17.3 | +0.5 pts |
| 62 | Lompoc, CA | 17.3 | +0.4 pts |
| 64 | Adelanto, CA | 17.2 | +0.9 pts |
| 65 | Highland, CA | 17.1 | +0.4 pts |
| 66 | Livingston, CA | 17.1 | +1.3 pts |
| 67 | Santa Cruz, CA | 17 | -0.6 pts |
| 68 | Hesperia, CA | 17 | -0.5 pts |
| 69 | Soledad, CA | 16.7 | +0.9 pts |
| 70 | Apple Valley, CA | 16.6 | -0.6 pts |
| 71 | Los Angeles, CA | 16.6 | 0 pts |
| 72 | Bakersfield, CA | 16.3 | +0.3 pts |
| 73 | Hawaiian Gardens, CA | 16.3 | -1.6 pts |
| 74 | San Jacinto, CA | 16.1 | -0.3 pts |
| 75 | Seaside, CA | 16 | +1.1 pts |
| 76 | Delano, CA | 16 | +0.1 pts |
| 77 | Ceres, CA | 15.9 | +1.5 pts |
| 78 | Placerville, CA | 15.9 | +0.2 pts |
| 79 | Sanger, CA | 15.8 | +1.6 pts |
| 80 | Palmdale, CA | 15.7 | +1.1 pts |
| 81 | Yucca Valley, CA | 15.7 | -3.5 pts |
| 82 | Lancaster, CA | 15.6 | +0.1 pts |
| 83 | Hawthorne, CA | 15.5 | -0.8 pts |
| 84 | Stockton, CA | 15.5 | +0.1 pts |
| 85 | Lemoore, CA | 15.1 | +0.2 pts |
| 86 | Hemet, CA | 14.9 | -1.1 pts |
| 87 | Imperial Beach, CA | 14.8 | -0.4 pts |
| 88 | Long Beach, CA | 14.8 | -0.2 pts |
| 89 | Oakdale, CA | 14.8 | +1.2 pts |
| 90 | Watsonville, CA | 14.7 | -0.4 pts |
| 91 | Inglewood, CA | 14.6 | -0.2 pts |
| 92 | National City, CA | 14.6 | +0.6 pts |
| 93 | Hanford, CA | 14.5 | -0.3 pts |
| 94 | Twentynine Palms, CA | 14.5 | -0.9 pts |
| 95 | Westminster, CA | 14.4 | -1.5 pts |
| 96 | Pomona, CA | 14.3 | +0.2 pts |
| 97 | Yuba City, CA | 14.3 | -1.3 pts |
| 98 | Santa Paula, CA | 14.2 | -1.1 pts |
| 99 | Exeter, CA | 14.2 | -3 pts |
| 100 | Laguna Woods, CA | 14.2 | +2.9 pts |
| 101 | Redding, CA | 14.1 | +0.5 pts |
| 102 | Santa Barbara, CA | 14 | +0.9 pts |
| 103 | Tehachapi, CA | 13.9 | +2 pts |
| 104 | Sacramento, CA | 13.9 | -0.4 pts |
| 105 | Emeryville, CA | 13.8 | +4.3 pts |
| 106 | Colton, CA | 13.7 | -1.6 pts |
| 107 | Rosemead, CA | 13.7 | -0.4 pts |
| 108 | Salinas, CA | 13.6 | -0.6 pts |
| 109 | Richmond, CA | 13.6 | -0.1 pts |
| 110 | Baldwin Park, CA | 13.5 | +0.3 pts |
| 111 | Oakland, CA | 13.4 | -0.3 pts |
| 112 | Stanton, CA | 13.4 | +1.4 pts |
| 113 | Modesto, CA | 13.3 | +0.3 pts |
| 114 | Pasadena, CA | 13.3 | +0.1 pts |
| 115 | Shasta Lake, CA | 13.3 | -2.8 pts |
| 116 | Bellflower, CA | 13.3 | +0.1 pts |
| 117 | Azusa, CA | 13.2 | +0.6 pts |
| 118 | Cathedral City, CA | 13.1 | -2.2 pts |
| 119 | El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles), CA | 13.1 | +0.3 pts |
| 120 | Lawndale, CA | 13 | +0.8 pts |
| 121 | Auburn, CA | 13 | +0.2 pts |
| 121 | Santa Fe Springs, CA | 13 | +1.9 pts |
| 123 | Lomita, CA | 13 | +0.8 pts |
| 124 | Glendale, CA | 12.9 | -0.5 pts |
| 125 | West Hollywood, CA | 12.9 | -0.2 pts |
| 126 | West Sacramento, CA | 12.8 | -0.5 pts |
| 127 | Riverbank, CA | 12.8 | -1.1 pts |
| 128 | Rialto, CA | 12.7 | +0.1 pts |
| 128 | South Gate, CA | 12.7 | -0.5 pts |
| 130 | Alhambra, CA | 12.6 | +0.4 pts |
| 131 | San Pablo, CA | 12.6 | +0.6 pts |
| 132 | Paramount, CA | 12.6 | -0.7 pts |
| 133 | Ridgecrest, CA | 12.5 | +0.9 pts |
| 134 | Imperial, CA | 12.5 | +0.1 pts |
| 135 | Lodi, CA | 12.5 | -1.1 pts |
| 136 | Anaheim, CA | 12.4 | -0 pts |
| 137 | Ontario, CA | 12.4 | -0.3 pts |
| 138 | Commerce, CA | 12.4 | -1.3 pts |
| 138 | Monterey Park, CA | 12.4 | -0.8 pts |
| 140 | Fullerton, CA | 12.3 | +0.1 pts |
| 140 | Garden Grove, CA | 12.3 | +0.1 pts |
| 142 | Loma Linda, CA | 12.3 | +0.7 pts |
| 143 | Newman, CA | 12.2 | -1 pts |
| 144 | Vallejo, CA | 12.2 | +0.2 pts |
| 145 | Escondido, CA | 12.2 | -1.2 pts |
| 145 | Marina, CA | 12.2 | -2.4 pts |
| 147 | Rancho Cordova, CA | 12.2 | +1 pts |
| 148 | Riverside, CA | 12.2 | -0.3 pts |
| 149 | Montebello, CA | 12.1 | -0.7 pts |
| 150 | Gardena, CA | 11.8 | +0.8 pts |
| 151 | Palm Springs, CA | 11.8 | -1.9 pts |
| 152 | Grover Beach, CA | 11.8 | -1 pts |
| 153 | Moreno Valley, CA | 11.7 | -0.2 pts |
| 154 | Rancho Mirage, CA | 11.7 | +0.7 pts |
| 154 | San Rafael, CA | 11.7 | +0.8 pts |
| 156 | Healdsburg, CA | 11.6 | +0.3 pts |
| 157 | La Mesa, CA | 11.5 | -0.2 pts |
| 157 | Visalia, CA | 11.5 | +0.2 pts |
| 159 | Indio, CA | 11.5 | -0.1 pts |
| 160 | Port Hueneme, CA | 11.4 | +0.7 pts |
| 161 | Greenfield, CA | 11.4 | -0.8 pts |
| 162 | Antioch, CA | 11.4 | +0.2 pts |
| 163 | Atascadero, CA | 11.4 | +1.4 pts |
| 164 | La Puente, CA | 11.4 | +1.4 pts |
| 165 | Turlock, CA | 11.3 | +0.4 pts |
| 166 | Pittsburg, CA | 11.2 | +0.2 pts |
| 167 | Santa Monica, CA | 11.2 | -0.4 pts |
| 168 | San Francisco, CA | 11.2 | +0.6 pts |
| 169 | Oxnard, CA | 11.1 | +0.2 pts |
| 170 | Jurupa Valley, CA | 11 | -0.6 pts |
| 170 | Palm Desert, CA | 11 | -0.3 pts |
| 172 | San Diego, CA | 11 | -0.1 pts |
| 173 | La Habra, CA | 10.9 | +1.2 pts |
| 174 | Irvine, CA | 10.9 | -0.8 pts |
| 175 | Santa Ana, CA | 10.8 | -0.3 pts |
| 176 | Kingsburg, CA | 10.8 | +2.4 pts |
| 177 | Burbank, CA | 10.7 | -0 pts |
| 178 | Perris, CA | 10.7 | -1.2 pts |
| 179 | San Gabriel, CA | 10.6 | -1.7 pts |
| 180 | Wildomar, CA | 10.6 | -1.8 pts |
| 181 | Vista, CA | 10.5 | +0.4 pts |
| 182 | Rohnert Park, CA | 10.5 | +0.3 pts |
| 183 | San Buenaventura (Ventura), CA | 10.4 | 0 pts |
| 184 | Sonoma, CA | 10.4 | +2 pts |
| 185 | Monrovia, CA | 10.3 | -0.2 pts |
| 185 | Pico Rivera, CA | 10.3 | +0.7 pts |
| 187 | Rio Vista, CA | 10.3 | +2.4 pts |
| 188 | East Palo Alto, CA | 10.3 | +0.6 pts |
| 189 | Coachella, CA | 10.2 | -0.3 pts |
| 190 | Dixon, CA | 10.2 | +1.8 pts |
| 191 | Fairfield, CA | 10.2 | -0.3 pts |
| 192 | Walnut, CA | 10.1 | +1.5 pts |
| 193 | Diamond Bar, CA | 10 | +0.9 pts |
| 194 | Beaumont, CA | 10 | +0.8 pts |
| 195 | West Covina, CA | 10 | +0.3 pts |
| 196 | Fontana, CA | 9.9 | -0.4 pts |
| 197 | Tustin, CA | 9.9 | -0.5 pts |
| 198 | San Dimas, CA | 9.9 | +0.7 pts |
| 199 | San Fernando, CA | 9.9 | -0.7 pts |
| 200 | Monterey, CA | 9.8 | -0.7 pts |
| 201 | Santa Rosa, CA | 9.7 | +0.2 pts |
| 202 | Hayward, CA | 9.6 | +0.1 pts |
| 203 | Novato, CA | 9.6 | +0.6 pts |
| 204 | Beverly Hills, CA | 9.6 | +0.6 pts |
| 205 | Menifee, CA | 9.5 | -0.1 pts |
| 206 | Manteca, CA | 9.5 | -0.9 pts |
| 207 | Orange, CA | 9.5 | +0.3 pts |
| 208 | Artesia, CA | 9.4 | +0.6 pts |
| 208 | Lake Elsinore, CA | 9.4 | +0.1 pts |
| 210 | South Lake Tahoe, CA | 9.3 | -3.1 pts |
| 211 | Norwalk, CA | 9.3 | -0.4 pts |
| 212 | American Canyon, CA | 9.3 | +1.8 pts |
| 213 | Upland, CA | 9.3 | +0.3 pts |
| 214 | Goleta, CA | 9.3 | -1.3 pts |
| 215 | Lemon Grove, CA | 9.2 | -1.1 pts |
| 215 | San Marcos, CA | 9.2 | -1 pts |
| 217 | Costa Mesa, CA | 9.1 | +0.2 pts |
| 218 | Yucaipa, CA | 9.1 | +0.2 pts |
| 219 | Redlands, CA | 9.1 | +1.7 pts |
| 220 | Whittier, CA | 9.1 | +0.2 pts |
| 221 | Patterson, CA | 9 | +0.5 pts |
| 222 | Downey, CA | 9 | -0.2 pts |
| 223 | Los Alamitos, CA | 9 | -0.4 pts |
| 223 | Truckee, CA | 9 | +1.7 pts |
| 225 | Thousand Oaks, CA | 8.9 | +0.9 pts |
| 226 | Covina, CA | 8.9 | -0 pts |
| 227 | Calabasas, CA | 8.8 | -0.4 pts |
| 228 | La Quinta, CA | 8.8 | -0.3 pts |
| 229 | Buena Park, CA | 8.8 | +0.2 pts |
| 230 | Chula Vista, CA | 8.8 | +0.3 pts |
| 231 | Corona, CA | 8.7 | -0.3 pts |
| 232 | Temple City, CA | 8.7 | -0.8 pts |
| 233 | Carson, CA | 8.7 | -0.3 pts |
| 234 | Arcadia, CA | 8.6 | +1.2 pts |
| 235 | Citrus Heights, CA | 8.6 | -1.2 pts |
| 236 | Camarillo, CA | 8.5 | +1 pts |
| 237 | Lake Forest, CA | 8.5 | +0.3 pts |
| 238 | Napa, CA | 8.5 | -0.2 pts |
| 239 | La Verne, CA | 8.5 | +0.3 pts |
| 240 | Morro Bay, CA | 8.5 | -1.5 pts |
| 241 | Suisun City, CA | 8.4 | -0.3 pts |
| 242 | Santa Clara, CA | 8.4 | +0.6 pts |
| 243 | Duarte, CA | 8.4 | +0.6 pts |
| 244 | Brentwood, CA | 8.4 | +0.6 pts |
| 245 | San Leandro, CA | 8.3 | -0.3 pts |
| 246 | San Juan Capistrano, CA | 8.3 | +1 pts |
| 247 | Oceanside, CA | 8.3 | +0.1 pts |
| 248 | Concord, CA | 8.2 | -0.6 pts |
| 249 | Vacaville, CA | 8.2 | +0.8 pts |
| 249 | Woodland, CA | 8.2 | +0.1 pts |
Other periods
About this ranking
People with income in the past 12 months below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people whose poverty status is determined. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.
The headline single-year rate for states and counties is poverty_rate (SAIPE). Poverty status is not determined for people in institutions, military group quarters or college dormitories, or for unrelated children under 15. Absolute thresholds set by the US government, so not comparable with the EU at_risk_of_poverty_rate.
Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the cities are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.
How to cite
U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
Citation styles
APA 7
U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more) (Cities in California by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat
MLA 9
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in California by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/california-cities. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.
Chicago (author-date)
U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Cities in California by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/california-cities.
Harvard
U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in California by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/california-cities (Accessed: 12 October 2026).
BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_california_by_2024,
author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in California by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {Data set},
url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat},
urldate = {2026-10-12},
note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/california-cities. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY - DATA
AU - U.S. Census Bureau
TI - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in California by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/01/29
PB - U.S. Census Bureau
DB - Invokely
UR - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat
L2 - https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/california-cities
Y2 - 2026/10/12
N1 - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/california-cities.
N1 - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER -
Use this data in your AI agent
Invokely serves this figure to AI assistants through MCP and to code through a REST API, with the source and citation attached. Ask your assistant:
Rank Cities in California by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"poverty_rate_acs","level":"municipality","within":"California","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=poverty_rate_acs&level=municipality&within=California&limit=10
Questions
Which city has the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)?
Arvin, CA, with 34.6% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Which city has the lowest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)?
Orinda, CA, with 2.2% in 2024.
Where does this ranking come from?
Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Retrieved 2026-10-12.
Poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate): other rankings
- Cities in Maryland
- Cities in Colorado
- Cities in Kansas
- Counties in Nevada
- Counties in New Jersey
- Counties in Oregon