Centralvalley, 2006
Gustine’s story
119 years in pictures
Census counts: 716 in 1920, 6,110 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2006 and 3 maps from 1947 on.
- 1907Gustine is settled
Photo: Fruitianslip · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
6,112
2025 Census estimate · −0.6% since 2020
Typical home
$419K
−0.5% in a year
Household income
$60K
median
Median age
44.1
years
Jobs based here
1,156
A commuter town
TownGrade
D
#658 of 841 in CA
Is Gustine a good place to live?
Gustine earns a D, 658th among California's 841 graded towns, mostly because of health. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 81% of the country. What it does well: it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 91% of U.S. towns. Gustine’s trail density is 0.2 miles per square mile, where California’s towns sit at 1.0 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Gustine's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 93% of U.S. towns. The typical home is worth about $419K, 6.4 years of the Merced metro’s $66K median household income.
What makes Gustine stand out
Where Gustine beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A growing town
Gustine has grown 10% since 2010
5,520 counted in 2010 and 6,110 in 2020; an estimated 6,112 in 2025.
Growth has leveled off: within 1% of 2020, after 10.7% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Gustine grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Gustine is from typical.
Cost of livingDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 10.9 of 20; 3.2% of households have no carAOpen →Hazard riskearthquakes tops the listDOpen →HealthMemorial Hospital Los Banos 15.1 miles awayC−Open →Jobs & income$60K median household incomeCOpen →SchoolsC+Open →SafetyC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0 miles of trails; 3% conserved landB−Open →HistoryDOpen →Civic life2.8 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 44.1; 8% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Gustine: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Gustine, and how to reach them.
PowerPG&E37.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Gustine water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpFrom the town’s siteTrash and recycling rulesTown site
Register to voteOnlineIn California you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereMerced County Registrar of Voters - ElectionsMerced County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2021
ZIP code9532295322 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Gustine.
Gustine has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns, has seen reported crime fall by about half and has property taxes about half the California norm.
HousingCost of living grade D
For cost of living, Gustine earns a D
The median property tax bill is $2,275, against $5,124 across California, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Gustine: 57% of households live in a home they own. In Gustine, the median rent is $1,395 a month, below the California town median ($1,898 a month) but above the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). The typical Gustine home is worth about $419,000, down 0.5% in a year, 45% below the California typical home.
$419KZillow home value
| Gustine | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 57% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,395 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Gustine$419K
California$762K
−0.5%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SchoolsC+
Gustine’s public schools trail 61% of California districts
The largest public high school is Gustine High, with 531 students. The public schools here belong to the Gustine Unified school district. Two of its 6 schools are shown below, with the reason for each.
39%of CA districts it outscoresC+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gustine ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 483 | – |
| Gustine HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 531 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
HealthC−
For health, Gustine earns a C−
35% of adults have obesity in Gustine. Among adults here, 28% worry about having enough food and 34% get no exercise outside work.
19%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Gustine | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 22% | 19% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 9% | 8.1% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 16% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 24% | 25% |
32 measures vs. California
0 better12 too close to call20 worse
| What stands out | Gustine | CA |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 23% | 10.6% |
| More uninsured adults | 18.2% | 10.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 11.4% | 7.3% |
Memorial Hospital Los Banos
15.1 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
14th
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Gustine has a very high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from earthquakes
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 85% of U.S. communities. 44% of Gustine’s expected losses from natural hazards come from earthquakes, followed by drought at 34%. Households locally have drawn federal disaster aid in 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2022.
85risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesDroughtInland flooding
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
With 0.6 jobs for every working resident, most of Gustine’s workers commute out
The share of working residents in Gustine who work locally: 14%. Jobs based in Gustine grew to 1,156 in 2023, 254 more than in 2013. For Gustine, the average trip to work is 34 minutes. Half the trips to work are shorter than 28 miles.
14%work in town
| Gustine | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 34 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 4% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $60,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 14% | 6.6% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Gustine14%
Newman5%
Modesto4%
San Jose3%
Turlock3%
28 mi
median commute distance
1,156
jobs based in Gustine
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A
Walkability grade: more walkable than 91% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
The climate in Gustine brings mild winters and hot summers
The Newman weather station records that about 121 days a year reach 90°, more than in 98% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 94.6°, hotter than in 95% of U.S. towns; January nights average 39.3°.
Snowfall is close to zero. For Gustine, the typical July afternoon high is 95°F.
95°summer high
| Gustine | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 95°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 39°F | 41°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter40–59°
Spring49–75°
Summer61–93°
Fall51–79°
Nov 29
typical first frost
Feb 26
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
95°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
SafetyC+
Crime per resident in Gustine is higher than in 58% of U.S. towns
Reported crimes fell from 100 to 40 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Gustine’s level of property crime is 4.6 per 1,000 residents. Within California, it does better than 72% of towns.
42%of U.S. towns report more crimeC+Safety Grade
| Gustine | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.6 per 1,000 residents | 13.4 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Gustine2
California4.4
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Gustine4.6
California18.2
U.S.15.5
42nd
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
72nd
percentile among CA towns
12
violent crimes reported in 2025
28
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
OutdoorsB−
Gustine has set aside 3.1% of its land for conservation
Trails run 0.3 miles in 4 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Harry P Schmidt Park, at 31 acres.
3.1%conserved
3.1%
conserved · 37 of 1,200 acres
0.3 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Harry P Schmidt Park | 0.1 mi | 31 |
| 2. Henry Miller Park | 0.1 mi | 4 |
| 3. Pioneer Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Gustine
19pages on Gustine
The big questions
SchoolsC+Behind 61% of CA districts · 6 schoolsSafetyC+2 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthC−Better than CA on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingD$419K typical home · down 0.5% in a yearWork & commuteC$60K median household income · 1,156 jobs hereNatural hazardsDFEMA risk higher than 85% of U.S. communities · earthquakes
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Gustine; the nearest are
California State University-StanislausUniversity or college · Public · Turlock20.4 mi$8,246 in-state tuitionMerced CollegeCommunity college · Public · Merced29.1 mi$1,200 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 Gustine residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
A commuter town
86% of working residents leave Gustine for work
Where Gustine’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,156jobs based in Gustine
14%of working residents work in town
28 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Gustine
City in California, United States
Gustine is a city in Merced County, California. Gustine is located 29 miles (47 km) west of Merced, at an elevation of 98 feet (30 m). At the 2020 census, the city population was 6,110, up from 5,520 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1915
- Area
- 1.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 98 ft
- ZIP code
- 95322
- Area code
- 209
Questions about Gustine
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Gustine, CA a good place to live?
Gustine grades D overall, better than 7% of U.S. towns and #658 of 841 in California. It grades C− for health, C+ for safety and C+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Gustine, CA safe?
Within California, it does better than 72% of towns.
Is Gustine, CA expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.