The Town FilesColton, California
City in San Bernardino County · population 53,909 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $443,800
- Household income
- $71,208
- Jan low / Jul high
- 44° / 94°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 5
- Median age
- 33.9
Colton is a city of 53,909 people in San Bernardino County, California. The median home is worth $443,800, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 91% of California towns, more walkable than 81% of California towns, more vibrant than 81% of California towns.
How Colton ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Colton is worth $443,800, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 6.2 times the median household income of $71,208, which is more affordable than 55% of California towns. Median rent is $1,661 a month. 52.8% of households own their home.
| Housing | Colton | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $443,800 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,661 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $71,208 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 6.2× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 52.8% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1979 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Colton
| People | Colton | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.9 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 11.3% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 23.4% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.6% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 13.7% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 4.3% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 25.7% | — |
| Work from home | 9.1% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 27.5 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 90.8% | 93.3% |
Weather in Colton
July highs average 94.1°F and January lows 44.2°F. About 9.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 103 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 2 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Colton since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F0, struck on March 4, 2005 about 7.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on March 4, 2005.
Severe weather in San Bernardino County since 1996
San Bernardino County has been included in 61 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, freezing.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| September 11, 2024 | Fire | FM-5537: Bridge Fire |
| September 7, 2024 | Fire | FM-5535: Line Fire |
| April 3, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| March 10, 2023 | Flood | EM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
Jobs and pay in San Bernardino County
San Bernardino County had 845,908 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $62,368 a year. Unemployment was 4.7% in 2023; in Colton itself the ACS puts it at 7.5%.
Public schools in Colton
16 public schools with 10,681 students, about 22.2 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colton High | 9-12 | 1,768 | 19.0 |
| William G. Jehue Middle | 6-8 | 1,460 | 25.6 |
| Colton Middle | 7-8 | 845 | 21.1 |
| Mojave River Academy - National Trails (charter) | K-12 | 695 | 25.7 |
| Alice Birney Elementary | K-6 | 660 | 23.6 |
| Paul Rogers Elementary | K-6 | 653 | 23.3 |
| Dr. Ernest Garcia Elementary | K-5 | 622 | 24.9 |
| Abraham Lincoln Elementary | K-6 | 613 | 24.5 |
| Georgia F. Morris Elementary | K-5 | 609 | 25.4 |
| Ulysses Grant Elementary | K-6 | 587 | 25.5 |
| Reche Canyon Elementary | K-6 | 520 | 22.6 |
| Cooley Ranch Elementary | K-6 | 505 | 24.0 |
Towns near Colton
- Grand Terrace, CA1.8 mi · 13,150 people · home $517,600
- Highgrove, CA3.2 mi · 7,515 people · home $625,800
- Bloomington, CA4.4 mi · 24,339 people · home $469,200
- Loma Linda, CA4.6 mi · 24,791 people · home $596,900
- Rialto, CA5.7 mi · 104,026 people · home $487,900
- San Bernardino, CA6.2 mi · 222,101 people · home $422,300
- Muscoy, CA7.1 mi · 10,719 people · home $422,600
- Fontana, CA8.8 mi · 208,393 people · home $586,800
Colton questions
Is Colton, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Colton scores better for retirees than 12% of California towns and quieter than 14%. 11.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 33.9).
How much does a house cost in Colton?
The median owner-occupied home in Colton is valued at $443,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $71,208, so homes cost about 6.2 times income. Median rent is $1,661 a month.
What is the weather like in Colton?
July highs average 94.1°F and January lows 44.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 9.9 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Colton get tornadoes?
5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Colton since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F0 on March 4, 2005. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)