Folsom, CA
Census place 0624638 · pop 83,916
Eastern terminus of the Pony Express and home to Folsom State Prison, immortalized by Johnny Cash's 1968 live album.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$755,200 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$2,669/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities
15 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
4.6% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
98/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
51 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
27 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
1651 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
198 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 0.43 · better than most cities
Gini 0.42 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.82% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities
69.7% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+7.4% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
15.1% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
95.8% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
5.3% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
54.9% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
8.9% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
5.7% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
26.1% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$139,804 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
15.5% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
Frequently asked
- Is Folsom, CA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Folsom scores 50/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is physical inactivity and its weakest is housing cost. California overall ranks #49 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Folsom, CA?
- Folsom reports 198 violent crimes per 100k and 1651 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Folsom, CA expensive to live in?
- Folsom has a median home value of $755,200 and typical rent around $2,669/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Folsom, CA?
- Its weakest measured area is housing cost ($755,200) — 8/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Folsom, CA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is physical inactivity (15.5%) — 95/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Eastern terminus of the Pony Express and home to Folsom State Prison, immortalized by Johnny Cash's 1968 live album.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.