What it's like to live in Hollister
Hollister is a small city in California with household incomes running above the national average, air quality that stays clean most of the year, and a growing population. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Hollister deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, unemployment above the national average, and long average commutes.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Clean air
- Growing population
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Above-average unemployment
- Long commutes
- Low college degree attainment
- High student-teacher ratio
How Hollister compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Hollister
Based on Hollister's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,828
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $76,560 a year
- 53% of Hollister renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$143,500
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $71,750
- Homes cost 6.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 35% above US
$1,914/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $1,914 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 $717,500. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $717,500 · 53% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 70% above US
7.3% unemployment
Unemployment here is 7.3%, well above the national average of 4.3%. Moving with a job already lined up matters more here.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 15% below US
281 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 506/100k · Hollister Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 41% above US
37 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 36.6 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 9% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 80°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. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 47% below US
19% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
15 public schools inside the boundary
There are 15 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 24:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Pinnacles National Park (28 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Hollister's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and air quality that stays clean most of the year; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,914/mo) equals 21% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget, anyone moving without a job lined up, and people who dread long commutes.
Other places near Hollister
All California guides →Moving to Prunedale →
16 mi away · pop. 19,723
Rent $1,618/mo · Income $103,819
Compare with Hollister →Moving to Watsonville →
21 mi away · pop. 51,712
Rent $1,889/mo · Income $78,393
Compare with Hollister →Not sure Hollister is the one?
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