San Bernardino, California Income Statistics
San Bernardino Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of an area's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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D
San Bernardino Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | San Bernardino | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $68,598 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $44,534 | $67,742 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 7.3% | 5.6% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 5.2% | 17.6% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 6.3% | 20.5% | 13.2% |
The median household income in San Bernardino is about 31% lower than in California. Income has been growing faster in San Bernardino (7.3%/yr) than in California (5.6%/yr).
About 5% of adults in San Bernardino earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the California average of 18%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in San Bernardino, California grew by 68.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $68,598 in 2024. That's an average of about 7.3% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in San Bernardino
| Metric | San Bernardino | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.580 | 0.572 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $50,475 | $75,172 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $43,417 | $66,071 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 14.0% | 12.1% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In San Bernardino, it is 0.580, higher than California's 0.572, so income is less evenly distributed here than there, and higher than the US's 0.552, so income is less evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 16% more than women's income in San Bernardino, California. Over a 35-year career, a 16% wage gap accumulates to roughly $247,030 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in San Bernardino, California has widened from about 13% to 14% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 16% in 2022, and was narrowest at 10% in 2016. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $2,474 since 2009.
Sharply against the trend: the pay gap in San Bernardino widened by 1.1 points while California's narrowed by 4.3 points.
Employment
| Metric | San Bernardino | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 5.8% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 5.9% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 23 | 23 | 22 |
Approximately 6,188 people are unemployed in San Bernardino, California.
The average commute time in San Bernardino is 23 minutes, about the same as in California.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in San Bernardino, California has fallen from 14.8% to 5.8% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 17.7% in 2013.
San Bernardino, CA Wealth Compared With Nearby Cities
San Bernardino, CA is the largest of the 4 cities compared here, 229,846 residents against a local median of 56,403. San Bernardino, CA's median household income, at $68,598, runs 20% below the $85,237 typical of the cities around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Unemployment tells the same story from another angle: 5.8% against a local median of 6.8%, 16% below it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: unemployment runs ahead of the neighbourhood while median household income runs behind it, so San Bernardino, CA is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The cities themselves spread $17,198 on median household income, so San Bernardino, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. San Bernardino, CA has the 4th highest median household income of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Bernardino, CA | 229,846 | $68,598 #4/4 | 7.3%/yr #1/4 | 5.8% #2/4 | 0.580 #4/4 |
| Colton, CA | 56,403 | $73,602 | 6.1%/yr | 6.8% | 0.549 |
| Rialto, CA | 109,274 | $90,800 | 6.5%/yr | 7.8% | 0.575 |
| Loma Linda, CA | 21,884 | $85,237 | 7.1%/yr | 5.6% | 0.571 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, San Bernardino, California has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it somewhat worse than California, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in San Bernardino, California.
How Rich Is San Bernardino, California?
San Bernardino has a wealth index grade of D. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a D grade means residents are somewhat worse off than the U.S. average. The median household income is $68,598, about 31% lower than the California average of $99,161.
How fast is household income rising in San Bernardino, California?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in San Bernardino, California rose 69%, from $40,663 to $68,598. Over the same years, income here outpaced California as a whole: +69% against +64%.
What was the median household income in San Bernardino in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in San Bernardino, California was $64,575, up 4% from $62,007 in 2022. The California median that year was $96,718.
What was the median household income in San Bernardino in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in San Bernardino, California was $49,811. By 2024 it had risen 38% to $68,598.
What is the Gini coefficient in San Bernardino, California?
The Gini coefficient in San Bernardino is 0.580. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is higher than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed less equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in San Bernardino, California?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in San Bernardino, California has widened from about 13% to 14% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 16% in 2022, and was narrowest at 10% in 2016. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $2,474 since 2009.
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