Housing data for Needles, CA
Needles, CA has an estimated 4,872 residents and 3,007 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in San Bernardino County.
47.9% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $745 a month.
Its population shrank measurably since 2015–2019 (−1.9%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 4,872 (±38)
- Housing units
- 3,007 (±210)
- Households that rent
- 47.9%
- Median gross rent
- $745
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −1.9%
What stands out in Needles
Median home value: $157,200 (±$13,364) in Needles, lower than in San Bernardino County ($505,000).
Median gross rent: $745 (±$80) in Needles, lower than in San Bernardino County ($1,801).
Median real estate taxes: $1,261 (±$363) in Needles, lower than in San Bernardino County ($3,538).
Median household income: $38,243 (±$10,232) in Needles, lower than in San Bernardino County ($85,478).
- Home values in Needles
- Median rent in Needles
- Property taxes in Needles
- Income and affordability in Needles
Housing in Needles at a glance
- Median rent: $745 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $831 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 60.6% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 47.9% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $38,243 median household income
- Home values: $157,200 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,139 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $1,261 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 11.7% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 41.8% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 51.8% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 4.5% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 53.7% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 18.9 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: −1.9% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 22.5% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 3.7% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Needles against San Bernardino County, its state and the nation
| Needles | San Bernardino County | California | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 4,872 (±38) | 2,197,104 (exact) | 39,287,377 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 3,007 (±210) | 743,886 (±278) | 14,644,735 (±1,665) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 47.9% (±9.9 points) | 37.9% (±0.5 points) | 44.1% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $745 (±$80) | $1,801 (±$15) | $2,036 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $38,243 (±$10,232) | $85,478 (±$924) | $99,122 (±$310) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $157,200 (±$13,364) | $505,000 (±$4,319) | $734,700 (±$1,307) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $1,261 (±$363) | $3,538 (±$36) | $5,124 (±$17) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 51.8% (±11.2 points) | 42.9% (±0.6 points) | 56.0% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 18.9 minutes (±6.2) | 32.6 minutes (±0.3) | 28.7 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 90.5% (±3.6 points) | 93.3% (±0.2 points) | 93.5% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 49.5 years (±9.0) | 34.7 years (±0.1) | 37.9 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Needles covers 30.6 square miles of land, about 159 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Needles has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 4,965 (±31) | 4,872 (±38) | −1.9% | Measurable decrease |
| Housing units | 2,872 (±177) | 3,007 (±210) | +4.7% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $649 (±$44) | $745 (±$80) | +14.8% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $88,500 (±$19,914) | $157,200 (±$13,364) | +77.6% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $33,717 (±$4,012) | $38,243 (±$10,232) | +13.4% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,060 (±$132) | $1,139 (±$348) | +7.5% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $961 (±$156) | $1,261 (±$363) | +31.2% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 46.9% (±7.1 points) | 47.9% (±9.9 points) | +1.0 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 7.8% (±5.9 points) | 4.5% (±3.7 points) | −3.3 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in San Bernardino County
Needles has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for San Bernardino County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for San Bernardino County recorded 446 violent and 1,523 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
Places near Needles
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mohave Valley | 6.9 mi | $1,299 | $256,900 | 16.5% |
| Golden Shores | 8.7 mi | $939 | $209,800 | 41.7% |
| Fort Mohave | 13 mi | $1,010 | $294,300 | 14.2% |
| Bullhead City | 22 mi | $1,079 | $211,500 | 30.1% |
| Laughlin | 23 mi | $1,112 | $283,700 | 50.0% |
| Desert Hills | 23 mi | — | $281,600 | 11.6% |
| Lake Havasu City | 28 mi | $1,320 | $455,400 | 26.8% |
| Golden Valley | 35 mi | $1,134 | $176,000 | 8.0% |
Places in California most like Needles
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portola | $819 | $231,300 | $44,492 | 44.5% |
| Tulelake | $852 | $170,200 | $47,574 | 43.9% |
| Lost Hills | $841 | $187,500 | $45,976 | 59.4% |
| Lone Pine | $797 | $217,100 | $43,284 | 51.6% |
| Dorris | $746 | $154,700 | $41,563 | 42.6% |
| Richgrove | $961 | $203,500 | $44,950 | 48.3% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across California.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Needles, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,605 | $1,705 | $2,103 | $2,771 | $3,336 |
HUD income limits for Needles, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $25,850 | $43,050 | $68,900 |
| 2 people | $29,550 | $49,200 | $78,750 |
| 3 people | $33,250 | $55,350 | $88,600 |
| 4 people | $36,900 | $61,500 | $98,400 |
| 5 people | $39,900 | $66,450 | $106,300 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $71,350 | $114,150 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $76,300 | $122,050 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $81,200 | $129,900 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $106,500.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Needles
What is the average rent in Needles, CA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Needles is $745 (±$80) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Needles?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Needles, CA is $630 (±$101) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Needles rent-burdened?
60.6% of renting households in Needles pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Needles?
Needles has an estimated 1,062 (±258) renting households, 47.9% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Needles?
The median household income in Needles is $38,243 (±$10,232) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Needles, CA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $157,200 (±$13,364) for owner-occupied homes in Needles (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Needles growing?
In Needles, the number of residents went from 4,965 in 2015–2019 to 4,872 in 2020–2024 (−1.9%), a measurable decrease.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Needles city, California
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Needles city, California
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Needles city, California
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Needles city, California
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Needles city, California
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Needles city, California
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Needles city, California
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Needles city, California (place:50734, in state:06).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .