Moving to
California.

All California data Compare California

13,136people live here $119,855median household income▲ 48% above US $1,927median rent per month▲ 36% above US $346,800median home valueNear US average

California is an unincorporated community in St. Mary's County, MD. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.

What it's like to live in California

California is an unincorporated community in Maryland with county unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, a highly educated workforce, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. California deals with rent well above the national average, a population that has been shrinking, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.

The good

Low unemployment in the county
Higher-than-average incomes
Highly educated workforce
Low student-teacher ratio

The not so good

Rent well above the national average
Shrinking population
Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options

How California compares

Median household income

California$119,855

Maryland avg$103,678

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

California$1,927

Maryland avg$1,705

US$1,413

Median home value

California$346,800

Maryland avg$419,900

US$332,700

What it takes to move to California

Based on California's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$3,854

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $77,080 a year
32% of California renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$69,360

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $34,680
Homes cost 2.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of living▲ 36% above US

$1,927/mo median rent

Rent is expensive here, at $1,927 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 run above average, with a median around $346,800. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.

Median home value $346,800 · 32% of renters cost-burdened

Job market

3.4% county unemployment

Unemployment in St. Mary's County is 3.4%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.

St. Mary's County (county-wide)

Safety

243 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction

California doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office jurisdiction as a whole, which runs below the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.

Property crime 1096/100k · Policed by St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office (county-wide rate) · 2025 data

Getting aroundNear US average

24 min average commute

Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.7 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 18% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

74%

Work from home

18%

Carpool

5.1%

Other

1.4%

Walk

1.0%

Public transit

0.3%

Climate

Summers are warm, with highs around 85°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 31°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforce▲ 22% above US

44% bachelor's degree or higher

The population is well-educated, with 44% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.

Schools

4 public schools inside the boundary

There are 4 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park (23 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

California's strongest points are county unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and a population that has been shrinking. A year of median rent ($1,927/mo) equals 19% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), remote workers (18% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.

See all the data for California →·All Maryland cities →