What it's like to live in Davis
Davis is a smaller city in California with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, commutes that run shorter than most cities, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Davis deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and larger class sizes than the national average.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Highly educated workforce
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Air quality concerns
- High student-teacher ratio
- High poverty rate
- High rent burden for renters
How Davis compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Davis
Based on Davis's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$4,374
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $87,480 a year
- 64% of Davis renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$173,220
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $86,610
- Homes cost 9.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 55% above US
$2,187/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,187 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $866,100. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $866,100 · 64% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.4% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.4%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 42% below US
191 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 2014/100k · Davis Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 14% below US
22 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 22.3 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 5 in 10 workers drive to work; 6% take public transit; 23% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 92°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 39°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 113% above US
77% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
16 public schools inside the boundary
There are 16 public schools inside the boundary and 4 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 22:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial (38 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Davis's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,187/mo) equals 29% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (23% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
Other places near Davis
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