Selma, California

Population, housing costs, incomes, jobs, commuting and climate in Selma, compared with California and the U.S. using Census records and their margins of error.

Selma city · Incorporated city · Census GEOID 0670882 · California directory

Population · July 1, 2025
24,702 PEP Vintage 2025
Change · 2024 to 2025
-0.3% -82 residents
Household income
$60,241 ACS 2020–2024 · ±$6,131
Home value
$315,300 ACS 2020–2024 · ±$19,980
Monthly gross rent
$1,232 ACS 2020–2024 · ±$110
Median age
32.9 years ACS 2020–2024 · ±1.9
Selma, California location in the United States Selma, California
Census 2024 simplified state outlines; 2025 Gazetteer internal points. Alaska and Hawaii use separate insets. Approximate locator; city boundaries are not shown. Map sources.

Selma is an incorporated city in Fresno County, California, part of the Fresno, CA metropolitan area. With 24,702 residents on July 1, 2025, it ranks 278th in California and 1,642nd nationally among Census places. Its population fell by 82 (0.3%) in the year to July 2025; since April 2020 it has declined 0.3%. Median gross rent in the 2020–2024 survey is $1,232 a month, 39.5% below the California median. Median household income is $60,241, 39.2% below the California median.

What stands out in Selma?

Compared with other California places, Selma is most distinctive for less remote and home-based work, higher unemployment and fewer college graduates. Each statement below uses reliable estimates only, and survey differences from the state exceed their combined 90% margin of error.

  • Workers who work from home: 4.2%, 13.0 percentage points below the California rate (17.2%); lower than 97% of 397 California places with reliable estimates.
  • Unemployment rate (civilian labor force): 13.3%, 6.7 percentage points above the California rate (6.6%); higher than 96% of 375 California places with reliable estimates.
  • Adults 25+ with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 10.0%, 27.1 percentage points below the California rate (37.1%); lower than 94% of 465 California places with reliable estimates.
  • Households with a broadband subscription: 87.3%, 6.2 percentage points below the California rate (93.5%); lower than 90% of 478 California places with reliable estimates.
  • Median household income: $60,241, 39.2% below the California median ($99,122); lower than 87% of 466 California places with reliable estimates.

How Selma compares with California and the U.S.

City, state and U.S. figures · ACS 2020–2024, LODES 8.4 and PEP Vintage 2025 · position among California places with reliable estimates
Measure Selma California U.S. Position in California
Population change since April 2020 PEP Vintage 2025 -0.3% — — higher than 62% of 483 California places
Residents per square mile of land PEP 2025 / Gazetteer 2025 4,157 — — higher than 62% of 483 California places
Median household income B19013 $60,241 ±$6,131 $99,122 $80,734 lower than 87% of 466 California places
Median home value B25077 $315,300 ±$19,980 $734,700 $332,700 lower than 87% of 444 California places
Median real estate taxes paid B25103 $2,621 ±$246 $5,124 $3,119 lower than 81% of 417 California places
Median gross rent B25064 $1,232 ±$110 $2,036 $1,413 lower than 85% of 445 California places
Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent B25070 46.9% ±9.5 pp 55.3% 51.1% lower than 81% of 453 California places
Homeownership rate B25003 60.4% ±5.7 pp 55.9% 65.2% higher than 52% of 480 California places
Median age B01002 32.9 years ±1.9 37.9 years 38.9 years lower than 87% of 483 California places
Adults 25+ with a bachelor’s degree or higher B15003 10.0% ±2.4 pp 37.1% 35.7% lower than 94% of 465 California places
Poverty rate B17001 19.0% ±3.9 pp 12.0% 12.5% higher than 87% of 417 California places
People without health insurance B27010 7.9% ±2.2 pp 6.6% 8.4% higher than 70% of 385 California places
Households with a broadband subscription B28002 87.3% ±2.2 pp 93.5% 91.0% lower than 90% of 478 California places
Unemployment rate (civilian labor force) B23025 13.3% ±3.5 pp 6.6% 5.2% higher than 96% of 375 California places
Foreign-born residents B05002 25.7% ±3.7 pp 27.0% 14.1% higher than 59% of 448 California places
Jobs located in the place per 100 residents LODES 8.4 / PEP 27.5 — — lower than 69% of 476 California places
Change in local jobs since 2019 LODES 8.4 +5.2% — — higher than 65% of 470 California places
Workers who work from home B08301 4.2% ±1.8 pp 17.2% 15.1% lower than 97% of 397 California places
Commutes of 45 minutes or longer B08303 11.5% ±5.3 pp 19.4% 16.5% lower than 80% of 424 California places
Households without a vehicle B08201 5.0% ±2.2 pp 7.1% 8.4% lower than 58% of 327 California places

Positions compare Selma with California places in this directory whose estimate has a coefficient of variation of 30% or less (survey measures) or a published PEP value. The marker runs from the lowest value (left) to the highest (right); it is a description, not a score or a recommendation.

How many people live in Selma?

The latest official estimate is 24,702 residents on July 1, 2025. It ranks 1,642nd by population nationally and 278th in California among this directory’s PEP places. Population changed by 82 residents between the 2024 and 2025 estimates. These are annual estimates, not census enumerations.

Selma population estimates, 2020 through 2025, Census Vintage 2025. Vertical range 23,441 to 25,528; axis does not start at zero. Residents · axis does not start at zero 25,528 23,441 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Annual July 1 estimates, all from Vintage 2025. Revised April 1, 2020 estimate base: 24,773; the base is separate from July 2020.
Population history · PEP Vintage 2025
Reference date Population Change from previous estimate
July 1, 2020 24,767 Separate from April 2020 base
July 1, 2021 24,725 -42
July 1, 2022 24,675 -50
July 1, 2023 24,710 +35
July 1, 2024 24,784 +74
July 1, 2025 24,702 -82

From the revised April 2020 base to July 2025, the change is −71 residents (-0.3%). This is a within-vintage comparison. Boundary adjustments can affect both the estimates and their interpretation.

Download this population chart (SVG) · Official population release

Where are the boundaries?

Entity and stable identifier
Selma city, California · Incorporated city · 0670882
Counties or equivalents · 2025 boundaries
Fresno County
Metropolitan or micropolitan context · July 2023 delineations
Fresno, CA — Metropolitan Statistical Area County associations use Census PEP county place parts. Each county is matched by FIPS code to the official CBSA list; a city can span several counties or statistical areas. A missing association can reflect an area outside a CBSA or changed county codes between vintages. City figures on this page remain place-level statistics.
Land area
5.9 square miles · 2025 Gazetteer
Water area
0.0 square miles · 2025 Gazetteer
Approximate population density
4,157 residents per square mile of land
Internal point
36.571768°, -119.613952° · Census geographic reference point

Density divides the July 2025 estimate by 2025 Gazetteer land area, so it is approximate. The internal point is a locator, not an address. Census place profile reference .

Income and poverty

City, state and U.S. estimates · ACS 2020–2024
Measure / survey universe City estimate ± MOE State estimate ± MOE U.S. estimate ± MOE
Median household income Households · USD/year $60,241 ±$6,131 $99,122 ±$310 $80,734 ±$166
Per-capita income Total population · USD/year $22,940 ±$2,091 $49,513 ±$168 $44,673 ±$122
Population with poverty status determined · B17001 · ACS 2020–2024 People with poverty status determined: 24,356
Category Count ± MOE Share ± MOE (pp)
Below the poverty level 4,636 ±951 19.0% ±3.9 pp

Household income combines the incomes of everyone in a household; per-capita income divides all income by every resident. The poverty rate is 19.0% (±3.9 percentage points) under the official Census definition.

Home values, rent and tenure

City, state and U.S. estimates · ACS 2020–2024
Measure / survey universe City estimate ± MOE State estimate ± MOE U.S. estimate ± MOE
Median owner-occupied home value Owner-occupied housing units · USD $315,300 ±$19,980 $734,700 ±$1,307 $332,700 ±$236
Median gross rent Renter-occupied units paying cash rent · USD/month $1,232 ±$110 $2,036 ±$5 $1,413 ±$2
Occupied housing units by tenure · B25003 · ACS 2020–2024 Occupied housing units: 7,385
Category Count ± MOE Share ± MOE (pp)
Owner occupied 4,458 ±504 60.4% ±5.7 pp
Renter occupied 2,927 ±331 39.6% ±3.7 pp

Owner-occupied units make up 60.4% of occupied housing. Gross rent includes estimated tenant-paid utilities and home values are owners’ own estimates; both cover 2020–2024 leases and homes rather than current listings. The median home value is 5.2 times the median household income.

See housing units, occupancy, rent burden and homeowner costs .

Monthly rent by bedroom count

Median monthly gross rent by bedrooms · ACS 2020–2024 · 2024 dollars
Bedrooms Monthly gross rent 90% margin of error Precision
No bedroom (studio) $732 ±$351 Estimate with MOE
1 bedroom $853 ±$241 Estimate with MOE
2 bedrooms $1,079 ±$124 Estimate with MOE
3 bedrooms $1,466 ±$172 Estimate with MOE
4 bedrooms $1,488 ±$601 Estimate with MOE
5 or more bedrooms Unavailable Unavailable Unavailable

Census table B25031 describes renter-occupied units paying cash rent within this exact place geography. Gross rent includes contract rent and estimated tenant-paid utilities. These survey medians include existing leases across 2020–2024; they are not current apartment listings. Missing categories stay unavailable, and open-ended medians remain ranges. Small bedroom categories can have large margins of error. Download source values and provenance .

Employment among residents

Labor-force participation · B23025 · ACS 2020–2024 Population age 16 and older: 19,587
Category Count ± MOE Share ± MOE (pp)
In the labor force 12,422 ±733 63.4% ±3.2 pp
Not in the labor force 7,165 ±741 36.6% ±3.6 pp
Civilian labor-force status · B23025 · ACS 2020–2024 Civilian labor force: 12,338
Category Count ± MOE Share ± MOE (pp)
Civilian employed 10,700 ±773 86.7% ±3.5 pp
Civilian unemployed 1,638 ±438 13.3% ±3.5 pp

These estimates describe residents of Selma wherever they work; jobs at workplaces inside the city appear under jobs located in Selma. They are 2020–2024 averages, not a current monthly unemployment rate.

Which industries employ residents?

Education, health care and social assistance is the largest of the published broad industry groups among employed residents: 22.0% (2,349 people; ±3.3 percentage points). The estimate covers residents’ industries wherever they work, rather than employers located inside the place.

Industry of employed residents · C24030 · ACS 2020–2024 Civilian employed population age 16 and older: 10,700
Category Count ± MOE Share ± MOE (pp)
Agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting and mining 1,433 ±438 13.4% ±4.0 pp
Construction 550 ±226 5.1% ±2.1 pp
Manufacturing 1,104 ±390 10.3% ±3.6 pp
Wholesale trade 323 ±158 3.0% ±1.5 pp
Retail trade 1,230 ±325 11.5% ±2.9 pp
Transportation, warehousing and utilities 808 ±249 7.6% ±2.3 pp
Information 57 ±45 · low precision 0.5% ±0.4 pp · low precision
Finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing 275 ±140 · low precision 2.6% ±1.3 pp · low precision
Professional, scientific, management, administrative and waste services 743 ±325 6.9% ±3.0 pp
Education, health care and social assistance 2,349 ±393 22.0% ±3.3 pp
Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation and food services 605 ±175 5.7% ±1.6 pp
Other services, except public administration 629 ±318 · low precision 5.9% ±2.9 pp
Public administration 594 ±256 5.6% ±2.4 pp

Occupations among employed residents

Broad occupation groups · C24010 · ACS 2020–2024 Civilian employed population age 16 and older: 10,700
Category Count ± MOE Share ± MOE (pp)
Management, business, science and arts 2,041 ±472 19.1% ±4.2 pp
Service occupations 2,506 ±494 23.4% ±4.3 pp
Sales and office 2,410 ±432 22.5% ±3.7 pp
Natural resources, construction and maintenance 1,947 ±469 18.2% ±4.2 pp
Production, transportation and material moving 1,796 ±452 16.8% ±4.0 pp
Selected detailed occupation groups · C24010 · ACS 2020–2024 Civilian employed population age 16 and older: 10,700
Category Count ± MOE Share ± MOE (pp)
Management occupations 403 ±183 3.8% ±1.7 pp
Computer and mathematical occupations 34 ±45 · low precision 0.3% ±0.4 pp · low precision
Educational instruction and library occupations 745 ±279 7.0% ±2.6 pp
Health practitioners and technical occupations 265 ±218 · low precision 2.5% ±2.0 pp · low precision
Sales and related occupations 968 ±282 9.0% ±2.6 pp
Transportation occupations 601 ±217 5.6% ±2.0 pp

The detailed groups are subsets of the broad groups and should not be added to them.

How residents get to work

Means of transportation to work · B08301 · ACS 2020–2024 Workers age 16 and older: 10,233
Category Count ± MOE Share ± MOE (pp)
Drove alone 7,774 ±647 76.0% ±3.3 pp
Carpooled 1,691 ±508 16.5% ±4.8 pp
Public transportation 0 ±25 · low precision 0.0% ±0.2 pp · low precision
Taxi or ride-hailing 23 ±39 · low precision 0.2% ±0.4 pp · low precision
Motorcycle 0 ±25 · low precision 0.0% ±0.2 pp · low precision
Bicycle 239 ±278 · low precision 2.3% ±2.7 pp · low precision
Walked 39 ±41 · low precision 0.4% ±0.4 pp · low precision
Other means 38 ±45 · low precision 0.4% ±0.4 pp · low precision
Worked from home 429 ±187 4.2% ±1.8 pp
Travel time to work · B08303 · ACS 2020–2024 Workers age 16+ who did not work from home: 9,804
Category Count ± MOE Share ± MOE (pp)
Under 15 minutes 2,927 ±527 29.9% ±4.9 pp
15–29 minutes 3,554 ±588 36.3% ±5.3 pp
30–44 minutes 2,200 ±486 22.4% ±4.6 pp
45–59 minutes 736 ±490 · low precision 7.5% ±5.0 pp · low precision
60 minutes or longer 387 ±183 3.9% ±1.8 pp
Household vehicle availability · B08201 · ACS 2020–2024 Households: 7,385
Category Count ± MOE Share ± MOE (pp)
No vehicle available 366 ±166 5.0% ±2.2 pp

Travel times cover workers who did not work from home. Vehicle availability is counted per household, not per driver.

Households and residents

Median age is 32.9 years (±1.9). The demographic profile covers age groups, race and Hispanic origin, household types, nativity, languages, education and moves, each compared with California and the U.S.

Read Selma demographics →

How many jobs are located in Selma?

Employers in Selma reported 6,787 jobs in 2023, +5.2% compared with 2019 (6,454 jobs). That is 27.5 jobs for every 100 residents in the July 2023 population estimate. These are jobs at workplaces inside the city limits, wherever the workers live, unlike resident employment figures.

Jobs located in Selma by industry (NAICS sector) · 2023 · LODES 8.4
Industry Jobs Share of local jobs California share
Retail trade 1,556 22.9% 8.7%
Health care and social assistance 1,218 17.9% 16.1%
Accommodation and food services 881 13.0% 9.3%
Educational services 831 12.2% 8.6%
Construction 788 11.6% 5.2%
Wholesale trade 292 4.3% 3.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting 270 4.0% 1.9%
Manufacturing 252 3.7% 7.4%
Public administration 130 1.9% 4.2%
Transportation and warehousing 127 1.9% 4.4%
Other services, except public administration 101 1.5% 3.2%
Professional, scientific and technical services 88 1.3% 7.9%
Finance and insurance 80 1.2% 2.9%
Arts, entertainment and recreation 56 0.8% 2.1%
Utilities 50 0.7% 0.6%
Administrative, support and waste management services 38 0.6% 6.2%
Real estate and rental and leasing 26 0.4% 1.7%
Information 3 0.0% 4.4%
Monthly earnings and worker age · jobs located in Selma · 2023
Group Jobs Share California share
$1,250 a month or less 1,040 15.3% 15.5%
$1,251 to $3,333 a month 2,338 34.4% 24.9%
More than $3,333 a month 3,409 50.2% 59.6%
Age 29 or younger 1,768 26.0% 20.0%
Age 30 to 54 3,538 52.1% 55.2%
Age 55 or older 1,481 21.8% 24.8%

Retail trade is the largest sector for jobs located in Selma (22.9% of local jobs, compared with 8.7% statewide). Earnings bands describe what each job pays per month, not household income, and a worker can hold more than one job.

Source: Census LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES) 8.4, workplace area characteristics, all jobs, second-quarter reference date. Census blocks are summed to 2024 place boundaries. Includes private, state and local government and federal civilian jobs; excludes self-employment, military and informal work. Counts include confidentiality noise and are less precise for small places.

Nearby station climate normals

FRESNO YOSEMITE INTL AP, CA (NOAA station USW00093193) is approximately 25.0 km from this place’s Census internal point. The table describes that station’s 1991–2020 climate normals, using NOAA’s corrected version 1.0.1. It is historical station context, rather than a forecast or an average across the city.

FRESNO YOSEMITE INTL AP monthly average daily high and low temperature, 1991–2020 NOAA normals. Solid line: high; dashed line: low. Vertical scale 30 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperature (°F) 100 30 Jan Mar May Jul Sep Nov
Average daily high: solid line. Average daily low: dashed line. NOAA station normals, 1991–2020; the table gives all monthly values.
FRESNO YOSEMITE INTL AP · 1991–2020 monthly normals
Month Average daily high (°F) Average daily low (°F) Precipitation (inches)
January 55.4 40.6 2.16
February 61.3 43.3 1.93
March 67.5 47.3 1.90
April 73.7 50.9 1.04
May 82.7 57.6 0.42
June 91.4 63.9 0.24
July 97.7 69.3 0.03
August 96.5 67.9 0.00
September 90.7 63.4 0.05
October 78.7 54.6 0.56
November 64.9 45.4 0.87
December 55.3 39.8 1.79

Station location: 36.78°, -119.7194°; elevation 101.5 meters. We select the nearest station within 25 km with all 12 months of high/low temperature and precipitation marked “S” (standard) by NOAA. Standard normals meet NOAA’s data-availability rules and can include estimated missing months. Distance is a straight-line great-circle calculation from the Census internal point. Coastal exposure, elevation and urban conditions can differ between the station and an address. NOAA normals and definitions · Original station CSV · Retained station data, flags and matching details .

Check a specific address before moving

City averages help compare places. A particular home’s school assignment, transit service and flood-map coverage need checks at the address.

  • FEMA Flood Map Service Center — search the address, read the effective map and its date, and check any map changes. An unmapped location does not establish an absence of flood risk.
  • NCES public school district directory — find district contact information, then use the district’s official address locator or enrollment office to confirm school assignment. A city name or district boundary alone does not assign a school.
  • FCC National Broadband Map — check reported service at the exact location, then confirm availability and terms with the provider.
  • Check the official transit operator’s route map and timetable for the address and your actual travel hours; the citywide commuting shares above do not measure service on a particular street.

Sources and data notes

Population: Census PEP Vintage 2025, published May 14, 2026. Survey measures: ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimates, published January 29, 2026, dollar figures in 2024 dollars. Geography: Census 2025 Gazetteer, with simplified 2024 state outlines for the locator. Statistical estimates and derived values use the same retained records in profiles, comparison, filters and downloads.

Climate uses NOAA 1991–2020 station normals (v1.0.1); jobs located in the city use LEHD LODES 8.4. Crime, school assignments and hazard scores are not inferred from these datasets, and missing values are never treated as zero. Inspect original sources, read calculation details, download this place’s source observations , or submit a correction.

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